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Eight Early Sullivan Attorneys Named 2026 Southern California “Super Lawyers;” Four Named “Rising Stars”
Category: Awards, News | Friday, February 20th, 2026 | Comments Off on Eight Early Sullivan Attorneys Named 2026 Southern California “Super Lawyers;” Four Named “Rising Stars”
The firm is pleased to announce that eight of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the 2026 Southern California “Super Lawyers” list. The annual “Super Lawyers” distinction is granted 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
– Scott Gizer – Business Litigation, Real Estate, Employment Litigation
– Diane Myint Luczon – Business Litigation
– Devin McRae – Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property Litigation, Business Litigation
– Peter Scott – Business Litigation
– Bryan Sullivan – Entertainment & Sports, Business Litigation, Business/Corporate
– William Wright – Business Litigation
– Lisa Zepeda – Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Business/Corporate, Entertainment & Sports
In addition, four of the firm’s attorneys have been named “Rising Stars.” The “Rising Stars” distinction honors attorneys that are under the age of 40 in the Southern California region who earned the highest point totals in the “Rising Stars” nomination, research, and blue ribbon review process. The rigorous selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations prior to admission.
The following attorneys have been recognized as “Rising” for their expertise in these practice areas:
– Rebecca Claudat – Employment Litigation
– Jessica Detering – Business Litigation, Insurance Coverage
– Zachary Hansen – Entertainment & Sports, Business/Corporate
– Brett Moore – Business Litigation
Eric Anderson Speaks to Newsweek on the Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie
Category: News, Press | Friday, February 6th, 2026 | Comments Off on Eric Anderson Speaks to Newsweek on the Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie
Eric Anderson recently spoke to Newsweek about the ongoing search for Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. In the article, Eric emphasized the critical nature of the first few days of a suspected kidnapping or abduction, as the search for Guthrie enters its sixth day.
Eric notes that prosecutors typically look for non-public details to confirm authenticity in any ransom notes. He also highlights that smart‑home and medical device data are difficult to pinpoint as evidence.
“Unlike a witness, you can’t cross‑examine an algorithm,” he tells Newsweek, adding that pacemaker data often cannot showcase a precise timeline.
He concludes that the case’s national media coverage given Savannah Guthrie’s status as a public figure could complicate jury selection, and both the prosecution and defense will likely seek to sequester the jury or limit their exposure to coverage of the case.
Read the full article in Newsweek.
Bryan Sullivan Discusses the EEOC’s DEI-Related Nike Investigation in Footwear News
Category: News, Press | Friday, February 6th, 2026 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Discusses the EEOC’s DEI-Related Nike Investigation in Footwear News
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to WWD’s Footwear News about the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s recent administrative subpoena against Nike Inc., which aims to probe “systemic allegations” involving DEI-related discrimination against white employees and job applicants.
Bryan explains that while Nike’s name recognition coupled with the climate surrounding DEI have caused this story to make headlines, EEOC investigations are fairly common.
“Public EEOC investigations involving large, brand‑name employers always draw
attention, but the underlying process itself isn’t unusual. The EEOC routinely investigates [unfairness] claims across the spectrum, including so‑called ‘reverse discrimination’ allegations [those against white employees],” he tells Footwear News. “What’s different here is the visibility of the company and the broader political and cultural context around DEI of the day, which makes the probe feel more significant than the process itself typically is. But reverse discrimination claims have been made in the past.”
He adds that more often than not, DEI-related scrutiny facing companies tends to be less about the racial demographics at the leadership level and more about how systems operate at the departmental level.
“Even organizations with predominantly white executive teams can still face allegations if certain policies or initiatives are perceived as disadvantaging those white employees [at the departmental or program level],” Bryan continues.
However, Bryan clarifies that due to its high-profile status, Nike stands out from the pack, echoing his earlier sentiment.
“High-visibility companies with well-publicized DEI commitments are more likely to become test cases, regardless of whether their practices are meaningfully different from peers,” he explains. “In that sense, Nike may be less of an outlier and more of a bellwether for how these issues are being examined right now.”
Bryan goes on to emphasize that the EEOC matter centers on “allegations and not findings, and [that] anyone can make allegations to initiate a case.”
He concludes that Nike may not be the sole company to bear the brunt of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI sentiment.
“Given the [Trump] Administration’s public statements on DEI and sustained shift in how DEI is treated at the federal level, it’s reasonable to expect increased enforcement activity or at least more willingness to pursue claims that challenge DEI‑related programs.”
Read the full article in Footwear News.
Court Grants Request For Attorneys’ Fees After Sun West Mortgage’s Success At Trial
Category: News, Results | Monday, February 2nd, 2026 | Comments Off on Court Grants Request For Attorneys’ Fees After Sun West Mortgage’s Success At Trial
In a decisive post-judgment ruling issued on September 29, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California awarded Sun West Mortgage Company more than $562,000 in attorneys’ fees following its successful resolution of litigation against First National Bank of Pennsylvania. The Court concluded that Sun West was the prevailing party under the parties’ settlement agreement, having achieved its core litigation objectives and secured meaningful relief after extensive motion practice and trial proceedings. The Court found that Sun West’s lawyers reasonably and efficiently prosecuted a complex commercial dispute involving multiple loan transactions, affirmative defenses, and extensive trial preparation, emphasizing that Sun West prevailed on the most significant issues in the case and rejected arguments that the lawyers’ fee request was excessive or duplicative.
Click Download PDF to see the Order.
Bryan Sullivan Weighs in on the Groundbreaking Darian Mensah vs. Duke Lawsuit in the New York Times’ “The Athletic” and CBS Sports
Category: News, Press | Tuesday, January 27th, 2026 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Weighs in on the Groundbreaking Darian Mensah vs. Duke Lawsuit in the New York Times’ “The Athletic” and CBS Sports
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to the New York Times’ “The Athletic” and CBS Sports about the first-of-its-kind lawsuit from Duke University against its outgoing star quarterback Darian Mensah. After signing a two-year deal with Duke making him one of the highest-paid players in the country, Mensah decided to return to Duke for another year before ultimately announcing his intention to transfer to the University of Miami on the final day of the portal window.
Duke subsequently sued Mensah in an unprecedented move, citing the signed contract and claiming “irreparable harm” if Mensah escaped his contract without any ramifications. The parties reached a settlement Tuesday, January 27th, allowing Mensah to enroll in Miami.
Bryan tells NYT’s “The Athletic” that the core of this lawsuit came down to one question: “Who’s going to be harmed more?”
He explains to CBS Sports that Duke risked damaging the school’s optics with its decision to sue Mensah, even if it was legally within its rights to do so.
“From a business standpoint, nobody may have wanted to be the first school to break that seal and actually sue a player because it may have a chilling effect on other players who may say ‘I don’t want to go to Duke, they sued Mensah,’” Bryan tells CBS Sports. “You make business decisions with knowledge of the law, but you still might not want to enforce it because business-wise it’s not a good idea.”
Bryan adds that despite this, Duke was in a position to calculate the damages that would face the school if Mesah left the team, had the dispute played out in court.
“There’s a good argument that Duke gave up opportunities for other quarterbacks for Mensah,” Bryan continues. “What are their damages there? There’s definitely a way to calculate damages for that, it’s not so speculative that it can’t be calculated. They can certainly get an expert who can testify to that. Maybe they want to be ruthless and not just get their money back, but ding Mensah for an amount of money they would have had he played for them next season,” he concludes.
Read the full article in the New York Times’ “The Athletic” (subscription required).
Read the full article in CBS Sports.
Early Sullivan Obtains Summary Judgment for First American on $14.7 Million Bad Faith Claim
Category: News, Results | Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Obtains Summary Judgment for First American on $14.7 Million Bad Faith Claim
Scott E. Gizer, Christopher I. Ritter and Jessica Detering of Early Sullivan prevailed on a motion for summary judgment on behalf of First American Title Insurance Company in a bad faith action in U.S. District Court in Washington State. The Insured was a developer that became embroiled in litigation with an adjacent property owner who claimed the right to maintain utility lines under the Insured’s property based on an implied easement theory. After settling that dispute, the Insured tendered a claim to First American for indemnification of the attorney’s fees and costs the Insured incurred as well as other losses.
First American denied coverage on various grounds resulting in the Insured filing a lawsuit against First American for breach of contract and bad faith, seeking $14.7 million in compensatory damages. On a matter of first impression in the State of Washington, Early Sullivan filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that the claim for an implied easement was properly denied because it was excluded from coverage under Exclusion 3(d), which excludes matters that are created or attach after the Date of Policy.
Early Sullivan argued that implied easements are not created and do not attach to property until a Court renders a judgment establishing the implied easement. Further, because the adjacent property owner had not established its implied easement through a Court judgment as of the Date of Policy, Exclusion 3(d) applied. The District Court agreed with Early Sullivan’s argument and entered summary judgment in First American’s favor while also denying the Insured’s cross-motion for summary judgment seeking an order that the claim was a covered matter. The case information is Bel-Red Partners, LLC v. First American Title Insurance Company, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington (Seattle), Case No. 2:24-cv-01563-KKE.
Twelve Early Sullivan Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America;” Five Named to “Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch”
Category: Awards, News | Monday, September 8th, 2025 | Comments Off on Twelve Early Sullivan Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America;” Five Named to “Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch”
Early Sullivan attorneys Eric Altoon, Lisa L. Boswell, Eric Early, David Giannotti, Scott Gizer, Jeremy Gray, Devin McRae, Diane Myint Luczon, Christopher Ritter, Peter Scott, Bryan Sullivan, and Lisa Zepeda have been recognized among the top lawyers in the nation in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, one of the oldest and most distinguished guides to the legal profession.
The following attorneys earned a spot in the 2026 edition for their work in the following practice areas:
- Eric Altoon – Real Estate Law
- Lisa L. Boswell – Commercial Litigation
- Eric Early – Commercial Litigation; Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television; Entertainment Law – Music; Litigation – Real Estate
- David A. Giannotti – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Scott E. Gizer – Commercial Litigation
- Jeremy Gray – Commercial Litigation
- Devin A. McRae – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television
- Diane Myint Luczon – Commercial Litigation
- Christopher I. Ritter – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television
- Peter D. Scott – Commercial Litigation
- Bryan M. Sullivan – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television; Entertainment Law – Music
- Lisa Zepeda – Commercial Litigation; Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television
Additionally, five Early Sullivan attorneys were named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. This list recognizes younger attorneys who have achieved outstanding professional excellence. The following attorneys earned a spot in the 2026 edition for their work in the following practice areas:
- Rebecca L. Claudat – Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Jessica Detering – Commercial Litigation
- Zachary C. Hansen – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Brett G. Moore – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate; Real Estate Law; Transportation Law
- Padideh Zargari – Commercial Litigation; Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Real Estate; Real Estate Law
Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected guides to the legal industry. The selection process is based on a comprehensive peer-review process designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within common legal practices and geographical areas. Corporate Counsel magazine has called The Best Lawyers in America “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae Named to Inaugural Lawdragon “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” Guide
Category: Awards, News | Friday, March 7th, 2025 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae Named to Inaugural Lawdragon “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” Guide
The firm is pleased to announce that Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae have been selected for inclusion in the first annual edition of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” guide. According to Lawdragon, those selected for the guide are, “at the forefront of one of the hottest practices around – advising those who shape what we view, read and admire. They are companies and individuals who entertain and motivate us, who move global needles in fashion, film, media and motivation.”
Bryan and Devin were recognized for their work in the “Transactions, Litigation – Entertainment, Media, Sports” and the “Litigation – Entertainment, IP, Sexual Abuse” categories, respectively.
Known for its rigorous selection process, Lawdragon draws on journalistic research, nominations, and discussion with peers and other knowledgeable sources to identify the best entertainment lawyers around the globe.
For more information, see below.
The 2025 Lawdragon “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” | Lawdragon
Eric Anderson Speaks to Fox News About Upcoming Trial of “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha in Connection to Matthew Perry’s Death
Category: News, Press | Monday, September 16th, 2024 | Comments Off on Eric Anderson Speaks to Fox News About Upcoming Trial of “Ketamine Queen” Jasveen Sangha in Connection to Matthew Perry’s Death
Eric Anderson recently spoke to Fox News about the upcoming trial of Jasveen Sangha, who pleaded not guilty to charges in connection to Matthew Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose last year.
Sangha has been nicknamed “Ketamine Queen” in several court documents, which Eric explains to Fox has the potential to create unfair bias among the jury, and could sway them to believe that Sangha was “well known for providing illegal substances to others.”
“Being called the ‘Ketamine Queen’ is akin to being known as ‘Dr. FeelGood’ or ‘The Candy Man,’ monikers that were given to doctors involved in drug and steroid scandals of other eras,” Eric shares. “It makes it harder for the accused, in this case Jasveen Sangha, to say they never knew the victims were abusing a drug, because everyone knew the defendant in question would provide it.”
“It indicates that, among the circle of those who abuse prescription drugs and or enable users, Sangha was well-known and reliable. The main source, if you will. No different than being called the ‘King of Sales.’ A jury will hear this and immediately be told that not only was she dealing medication, but that she was well known for it,” he continues.
“In a case like this where we deal with the abuse of prescription medication, the prosecution will paint a world within a world – one where the rich and famous go to certain people to get their drugs – and that world is small. The imagery will be that she was proud of the moniker and earned it.”
Read the full article in Fox News.
Bryan Sullivan Tells LA Times that Yelp’s Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Could “Change the Landscape”
Category: News, Press | Friday, August 30th, 2024 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Tells LA Times that Yelp’s Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Could “Change the Landscape”
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about a new federal lawsuit filed against Google by the popular review site Yelp. The lawsuit accuses Google of violating U.S. antitrust laws, using its algorithm to direct internet traffic away from Yelp, and even taking information from Yelp’s site and making it appear to come from Google.
The lawsuit claims that “Google’s conduct has injured Yelp through lower traffic, reduced advertising revenues, raising Yelp’s own costs, and impaired network effects that come with fewer new and returning users.”
According to Bryan, the suit – which could potentially end up at the Supreme Court – has the potential to change the landscape and public perception of antitrust.
“I don’t think they filed this in order to get a payday,” he explains. “I think they filed this to make a point and to try to change the landscape.”