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Early Sullivan’s Representation of “Blacklight” Screenwriter Covered in The Hollywood Reporter
Category: News, Press | Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan’s Representation of “Blacklight” Screenwriter Covered in The Hollywood Reporter
Devin McRae and Zachary Gidding recently filed a complaint on behalf of Federal Trade Commission attorney and first-time screenwriter Nick May, which alleges that “Ozark” co-creator Mark Williams wrongfully claimed a writing credit on the upcoming Liam Neeson film “Blacklight.” According to the suit, Williams stole credit for May’s script, along with the potential net profits that come with the film, by claiming the sole “screenplay by” and “written by” credit for himself, while only giving May a “story by” credit.
For more information on the suit, see The Hollywood Reporter.
Bryan Sullivan Quoted in The Hollywood Reporter on Harassment Claims and the Extent of Government Reach
Category: News | Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Quoted in The Hollywood Reporter on Harassment Claims and the Extent of Government Reach
Bryan Sullivan was recently quoted in Ashley Cullins’ Hollywood Reporter article “‘Criminal Minds’ Dispute Raises Questions About Government Reach.” The article discusses California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) complaint alleging that Disney had enabled director of photography Gregory St. Johns to create “an unchecked intimidating, hostile, and offensive work environment on the set of ‘Criminal Minds.’”
The article goes on to question whether DFEH can pursue an injunction against Disney when St. Johns no longer works for the company and the series has ended. DFEH claims that none of that matters because Disney is still in business and their human resources department oversees personnel issues.
Bryan stated, “It seemed to me that the state is saying this may have happened on Criminal Minds but your response to these kinds of complaints is a systemic problem that requires more oversight than what you’re doing.” He adds, “I would think it’s going to be tough to argue ‘you have a systemic issue in how you respond to these complaints.'” Bryan concludes by saying, “I find it interesting that the state is pursuing it so aggressively over a show that is canceled. They must feel that there’s something more there to put this amount of effort into the case. Maybe they’re trying to send a message because Disney is a big company. ‘If we’ll go after Disney, we’ll go after you too.'”
Click below to read the full article.
‘Criminal Minds’ Dispute Raises Questions About Government Reach
Early Sullivan’s Coverage Determination On Behalf Of Old Republic Affirmed On Appeal
Category: News, Results | Thursday, March 11th, 2021 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan’s Coverage Determination On Behalf Of Old Republic Affirmed On Appeal
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Early Sullivan’s coverage determination, involving a complex mechanic’s lien dispute, on behalf of client Old Republic National Title Insurance Company (“Old Republic”). At the center of the dispute was the famed Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino that sits on the border of California and Nevada — a property Frank Sinatra once co-owned in the 1960s.
Hall filed suit against Old Republic for breach of contract, breach of the duty to defend, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and violations of Chapter 541 of the Texas Insurance Code, claiming that coverage was improperly denied, for which Hall sought over $5,000,000 in damages.
The coverage opinions, prepared by Scott Gizer, concerned whether Hall had coverage under the insuring provisions of the title policy that insured the lien priority of Hall’s deed of trust, and under certain mechanic’s lien endorsements, as well as whether Hall’s claims were excluded from coverage under Exclusions 3(a), excluding matters created by the Insured, and 3(d), post-policy events. Scott Gizer opined that, because all of the work covered by the mechanic’s liens was post-policy work, and arose due to Hall’s internal decision to discontinue funding its construction loan months prior to notifying any of the contractors, there was no coverage for the claim and was excluded from coverage.
Early last year, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas found that Scott Gizer’s and Old Republic’s coverage opinions were correct, Ordering that Hall take nothing by its claims against Old Republic, and that those claims be dismissed with prejudice. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed summary judgment.
Click “Download PDF” to read the 5th Circuit Opinion.
Bryan Sullivan a Panelist for a Program at the 2021 ICPHSO Annual Symposium
Category: Events | Friday, February 26th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan a Panelist for a Program at the 2021 ICPHSO Annual Symposium
Bryan Sullivan was a panelist for “Customization: The Key to Best Practices and Unique Approaches When Evaluating Consumer Product Safety” at The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s 2021 annual symposium. The Annual Symposium features sessions that include discussion on international product safety trends and developments in product health and safety, on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and its product safety activities, and on basic training in legal and compliance-oriented aspects of product health and safety.
Bryan’s session presented best practices and unique testing strategies for all stages of a product’s life-cycle, from initial testing during product formulation, safety testing of the formulated product, to post-market surveillance. Case studies demonstrating the utility of combining both traditional and unique product testing solutions were also presented, along with strategies for customizing product testing to meet the fluid demands of ensuring product safety along the product’s entire life-cycle.
More information can be found about the symposium below.
The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s 2021 Annual Symposium
Bryan Sullivan Writes on “Deplatforming” of Parler, Trump for Forbes
Category: Press | Thursday, January 28th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Writes on “Deplatforming” of Parler, Trump for Forbes
Bryan Sullivan’s article “Amazon And Twitter “Deplatforming” Parler And Trump; Is It Legal?” was published in Forbes on January 28, 2021. In the piece, Bryan discusses the legal questions around First Amendment violations and antitrust claims levied in the wake of Twitter, Amazon, and other tech giants suspending or removing the accounts of Trump, Parler, and others.
The full article can be found below.
Amazon And Twitter “Deplatforming” Parler And Trump; Is It Legal?
Six Early Sullivan Attorneys Named 2021 Southern California “Super Lawyers”
Category: Awards, News | Thursday, January 21st, 2021 | Comments Off on Six Early Sullivan Attorneys Named 2021 Southern California “Super Lawyers”
The firm is pleased to announce that several of its attorneys have been selected by Thomson Reuters as 2021 Southern California “Super Lawyers.” The “Super Lawyers” distinction is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding attorneys, based on peer recognition, professional achievement, and independent research. Only the top 5% of lawyers in each state are selected to receive this honor.
The following attorneys have been recognized as “Super Lawyers” for their expertise in these practice areas:
Eric Early – Business Litigation (2005-2021)
Scott Gizer – Business Litigation, Real Estate: Business, Employment Litigation: Defense (2005-2008, 2010-2016, 2020-2021)
Diane Myint Luczon – Business Litigation (2020-2021)
Stephen Ma – Business Litigation, Real Estate: Business, Entertainment & Sports (2014-2021)
Devin McRae – Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property Litigation, Business Litigation (2016-2021)
Bryan Sullivan – Entertainment & Sports, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate (2015-2021)
California Court Of Appeal Affirms Demurrer Victory Obtained By William Wright on Behalf of First American Title Insurance Company
Category: News, Results | Monday, December 14th, 2020 | Comments Off on California Court Of Appeal Affirms Demurrer Victory Obtained By William Wright on Behalf of First American Title Insurance Company
In Pak v. First American Title Insurance Company, the Court of Appeal has affirmed a demurrer ruling obtained by Early Sullivan for its client First American Title Insurance Company.
The Pak case concerned claims for breach of title policy and bad faith relating to an easement on commercial property in Los Angeles. The Superior Court sustained First American’s demurrers without leave to amend, agreeing that First American had no duty of defense or indemnification in light of the individual insureds’ prior conveyance of the property to their LLC, which conveyance terminated coverage under Condition 2 of their policy.
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Pak involves issues that are important to the title insurance industry and its insureds, because it interprets and provides clarity regarding a key policy provision, namely Condition 2. The language of Condition 2 – which provides that coverage under the policy shall continue in force in favor of an insured only so long as the insured “retains an estate or interest in the land” – is ubiquitous in title policies of all types issued in California and around the country.
The Pak decision is the first in California to specifically analyze and interpret the language “estate or interest in the land” in Condition 2, and is the first to find that an insured owner’s conveyance of its fee interest in property to a limited liability company (LLC) owned by the insured, terminates coverage under Condition 2. The opinion is also the first California appellate decision to find that rescission of a conveyance of land does not revive coverage in a title insurance policy that has been terminated under Condition 2.
Bryan Sullivan Speaks to TheWrap About Executive Departures in the Entertainment Industry
Category: News, Press | Wednesday, November 25th, 2020 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Speaks to TheWrap About Executive Departures in the Entertainment Industry
TheWrap asked Bryan Sullivan to comment on the entertainment industry’s recent slew of high-ranking executive departures during the pandemic. In Bryan’s opinion, a time of crisis can offer an opportunity to people at that level to “take initiative and responsibility.”
“Other times, they are starting new companies or are retooling new companies with everything that’s going on, and, you just need space to do that,” Bryan said. “And other times, if they want to leave, this is the time to do it because you are not leaving a lot of people in a lurch. It’s an opportunity to leave and not have a negative impact on your staff.”
To read the full article, click here.
Early Sullivan Named a 2021 “Best Law Firm” By U.S. News & World Report
Category: Awards | Thursday, November 5th, 2020 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Named a 2021 “Best Law Firm” By U.S. News & World Report
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has been named a 2021 “Best Law Firm” by the prestigious ranking guide U.S. News & World Report. The firm received national and metropolitan rankings in the practice areas of “Litigation – Intellectual Property”, “Litigation – Real Estate”, “Entertainment Law – Music”, “Commercial Litigation”, “Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television”, “Commercial Transactions / UCC Law”, “Litigation – Environmental”, and “Environmental Law”.
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
Scott Gizer Named Among Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2020 “Leaders in Law” Nominees
Category: Awards, News | Wednesday, November 4th, 2020 | Comments Off on Scott Gizer Named Among Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2020 “Leaders in Law” Nominees
The firm is pleased to note that Scott Gizer was once again selected as a nominee for the Los Angeles Business Journal‘s prestigious “Leaders in Law” list. Each year, the list recognizes the accomplishments of leading attorneys and firms within the Los Angeles business community. Finalists and winners for 2020 will be unveiled at an event later this year. Congratulations, Scott!
View the full “Leaders in Law” list of nominees.