How West and East Attorneys Select Lawyers
Attorneys in West Los Angeles and elsewhere throughout the state represent many of today’s most popular businesses and celebrities. Some of the most famous clients include the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which has filed more than 20 lawsuits against the Walt Disney Company, the Recording Industry Association of New York and the Recording Workshop, among others. The lawsuits resulted in millions of dollars in settlements and refunds. These damages are only the tip of the iceberg though.
RIAA attorneys have also filed numerous lawsuits against popular music artists, such as Britney Spears and Garth Brooks.
More often than not, these lawsuits result in a temporary restraining order against the artists, as well as a temporary restraining order that prohibits them from coming to the United States. Such orders often prevent the defendants from coming to the United States to perform, while the lawsuits drag on in other countries. The lawsuits themselves often make headlines in national media.
Defamation and slander lawsuits are another type of legal hassle for entertainment industry lawyers in Los Angeles.
As the name implies, these lawsuits seek to hold clients’ responsible for defamatory statements made about their client. This can occur when clients post negative comments about their former employers online, in a magazine or anywhere else. Such statements are considered defamatory if they are written with malicious intent. In addition, posts that are found to be defamatory can lead to additional legal fees and time away from work. Such lawsuits have caused employers to close their doors in some instances.
Another entertainment industry lawsuit involves what is known as “slip tar,” a yellowing of paint that dries onto clients’ teeth.
Some attorneys who have handled slip tar lawsuits have even described the process as akin to spray painting teeth. Slip tar lawsuits are often used as a means of forcing former clients into paying their creditors without ever receiving any money from the entertainer. West attorneys feel that such lawsuits are often abused, as the plaintiff’s may simply be trying to collect money without actually securing any legally binding agreements. The attorneys also believe that there is not enough evidence to support such lawsuits.
Many times, entertainment industry attorneys handle a variety of different lawsuits involving different clients.
For example, they handle litigation pertaining to a throat injury suffered by Randa Kaye, an actress who appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster, The Game. At first, Kaye’s family maintained that Kaye died as the result of a car accident, but later authorities said that there was no way to determine whether or not Kaye died as a result of the accident. Randa’s mother, along with her sister, demanded that Randa sue her daughter’s company, Viacom, for wrongful death. Ultimately, Randa’s lawsuit was settled out of court with Viacom agreeing to pay her daughter’s family a total of nearly $3 million.
Other such lawsuits that attorneys handle include cases that involve well-known entertainers.
One case that brought national attention to a Seattle music festival was that of lawsuits against pop star Chris Brown. Brown was arrested after he was seen performing in a concert venue where he was accused of beating up a woman and later charged with assault. Brown’s attorneys maintained that the charges against their client were false and that the entertainer is innocent. Brown was ultimately released from jail after posting ten thousand dollars in bail.
Not all entertainment industry attorneys handle celebrity lawsuits.
In one such high profile case, singer Leona Lewis was sued by a former partner after he was discovered giving her oral sex in Las Vegas. Lewis was not charged with a crime, and a grand jury declined to file charges against Lewis. Leona Lewis is now suing the man she says abused her, making him a defendant in a personal injury suit. Her lawyers maintained that Lewis endured a “life-threatening” experience and sought damages for past and future medical costs as well as pain and suffering.
Personal injury claims are a growing field, and lawyers handle a number of these cases.
Many famous individuals have their own personal attorneys, including football players Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers, hip-hop artist Flavor Flav, actor Danny Glover, R&B singer Usher, as well as actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon. Some clients’ lawyers also work on a contingency basis, which means that the firm only handles cases for a flat fee. If the case is won, the fees are split between the client and the litigation firm.
