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Deadline Covers Clash Over Film Depiction of Iconic Michigan State University Football Team
Category: News, Press | Thursday, September 29th, 2022 | Comments Off on Deadline Covers Clash Over Film Depiction of Iconic Michigan State University Football Team
Deadline recently covered an ongoing clash between Michigan State University, former football players and their family members, and the producers behind an unauthorized film in production about the school’s legendary football team. Surviving members of the 1965-1966 teams, who battled racial and social injustice as the first fully integrated football team and went on to win national championships, as well as their family members and the university community, with MSU’s support, have been ardent about their opposition to the project and how it falsely depicts the events of this critical juncture in history.
The full article can be found below.
‘Black Spartans’ Film Tackled By Michigan State University Over Depiction Of Iconic Football Team
Bryan Sullivan Pens Forbes Article on Defamation Lawsuits Against Netflix
Category: Press, Publications | Wednesday, September 14th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Pens Forbes Article on Defamation Lawsuits Against Netflix
Bryan Sullivan’s article entitled, “Netflix’s ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ And ‘Inventing Anna’ Subjects Of Defamation Lawsuits” was recently published in Forbes. The article examines the extent to which creators can legally bend and stretch the truth to conform to their storylines, without causing defamation to the real people they are portraying.
Using precedents from “The Wolf of Wall Street” case, Bryan examines what the “based on a true story” tagline means for the industry at large. “With the rise of true crime and historical dramas, producers navigate shaky territory where they balance telling a compelling story without crossing the line into defaming real-life people,” he said. “This requires diligence and creativity as was found in the “Wolf of Wall Street” case where the producers engaged in vetting efforts and created a character from a composite of three people.”
Read his full article here.
Early Sullivan First-In-the-Nation Lawsuit
Category: Press | Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan First-In-the-Nation Lawsuit
It was 2018 and Critical Race Theory was still largely under wraps in America, and in particular, with respect to its tremendously racialized and sexualized aspects being “taught” in public schools. Brave parents in Santa Barbara were trying to get the teaching materials from their schools, but were repeatedly prevented from seeing the materials.
Fair Education Santa Barbara retained Early Sullivan, and attorneys Eric Early and Peter Scott, who brought what is now considered the first lawsuit in the nation against CRT, suing the Santa Barbara Unified School District, its Superintendent (who was ultimately removed due in large part to the lawsuit) and a group of so-called social justice warriors called Just Communities Central Coast.
Thanks to this first “shot across the bow,” Early Sullivan succeeded in obtaining the “teaching” materials from the District and bringing to light the indoctrination going on in our kids’ schools. As shown in the attached release, JCCC is now gone and a prairie fire was sparked across the nation.
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has Judgment Affirmed in favor of Client Sun West Mortgage Company
Category: News | Friday, August 26th, 2022 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has Judgment Affirmed in favor of Client Sun West Mortgage Company
The California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, upheld the validity of a trial court’s finding that Early Sullivan client Sun West Mortgage Company, Inc. prevailed on claims of breach of contract and indemnity against First Alliance Home Mortgage, LLC (First Alliance). The matter was handled at trial and on appeal by Early Sullivan attorneys Scott Gizer and Diane Myint Luczon.
First Alliance had issued a loan to a borrower to refinance an investment property. First Alliance then sold the loan to Sun West, which in turn sold the loan to Fannie Mae. When it was determined that the borrower lacked sufficient cash reserves to satisfy Fannie Mae’s guidelines, Fannie Mae demanded that Sun West repurchase the loan. Pursuant to an agreement that governed Sun West’s initial purchase of the loan from First Alliance, Sun West demanded that First Alliance repurchase the loan from Sun West. First Alliance refused.
On appeal, First Alliance argued that the trial court erred in: (1) ordering specific performance of the parties’ agreement by requiring First Alliance to repurchase the loan instead of awarding ordinary contract damages to Sun West; (2) awarding excessive attorney fees and costs (3) selecting a prejudgment interest rate of 10 percent instead of the 4.5 percent rate applicable to the underlying loan; and (4) applying that 10 percent interest rate to the repurchase price rather than what First Alliance contends are Sun West’s actual damages.
On the facts and procedural background pertinent to the appeal, the Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s order finding the relief granted to Sun West was properly prayed for in the Complaint, the amount of fees awarded were appropriate based on the relief obtained, and that the prejudgment interest awarded was correct.
Click Download PDF to read the full Opinion.
Early Sullivan Case Result Listed Among “Top 100 Verdicts” in California for 2021
Category: Awards | Monday, August 22nd, 2022 | Comments Off on Early Sullivan Case Result Listed Among “Top 100 Verdicts” in California for 2021
The firm is pleased to announce that an outstanding result achieved by the firm was listed among TopVerdicts.com’s “Top 100 Verdicts” in California for 2021. Scott Gizer was singled out for his work in the case of Rottman v. Kesler, in which he attained a high-value verdict on behalf of the firm’s client. The honor is granted to law firms and attorneys obtaining the highest jury verdicts, bench awards, or settlements each year.
In this matter, Scott and the firm represented Plaintiff Dion Rottman, who purchased what he believed to be a permitted and certified “sit-down” restaurant from Defendant, only to realize upon resale it was registered with a “take-out” certificate of occupancy. Rottman sued Defendant for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and negligent misrepresentation. After the initial ruling in the favor of Defendant, Rottman was able to reverse the judgment, receiving a $150,000 verdict.
To view the full list of 2021 California “Top 100 Verdicts,” click below.
2021 “Top 100 Verdicts” in California – Rottman v. Kesler
Eleven Early Sullivan Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America;” Four Named to “Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch”
Category: Awards, News | Thursday, August 18th, 2022 | Comments Off on Eleven Early Sullivan Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America;” Four Named to “Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch”
Early Sullivan attorneys Eric Altoon, Eric Early, David Giannotti, Scott Gizer, Sophia Lau, Stephen Ma, Devin McRae, Diane Myint Luczon, Christopher Ritter, Peter Scott, and Bryan Sullivan have been recognized among the top lawyers in the nation in the 2023 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 2023 edition for their work in the following practice areas:
- Eric Altoon – Real Estate Law
- Eric Early – Commercial Litigation; Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television; Entertainment Law – Music; Litigation – Real Estate
- David Giannotti – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Scott Gizer – Commercial Litigation
- Sophia Lau – Commercial Litigation; Entertainment Law – Music; Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Stephen Ma – Entertainment Law – Music
- Devin McRae – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television; Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Diane Myint Luczon – Commercial Litigation
- Christopher Ritter – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television; Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Peter Scott – Commercial Litigation
- Bryan Sullivan – Commercial Transactions / UCC Law; Entertainment Law – Music
Additionally, four Early Sullivan attorneys were named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.” This list recognizes younger attorneys who have achieved outstanding professional excellence. The following attorneys earned a spot in the 2023 edition for their work in the following practice areas:
- Rebecca Claudat – Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Ryan Hemar – Family Law
- Garrick Vanderfin – Real Estate Law
- Padideh Zagari – 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 Sheds Light on Entertainment Copyright Claims for The Hollywood Reporter
Category: Press | Tuesday, August 16th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Sheds Light on Entertainment Copyright Claims for The Hollywood Reporter
Bryan Sullivan was recently quoted in The Hollywood Reporter in an article that explores story theft claims in Hollywood. The article outlines that, while many movies share similarities with others in the same genre, there is grounds for a copyright claim when two works are substantially similar and it can be proven that the most recent creator had access to the previous work. Notably, ideas sent through scripts and pitched in meetings are the frequent subjects of copyright claims, but Bryan shares that claims like these are often rooted in misunderstanding.
“If you pitched it to them looking for feedback, like ‘Hey, what do you think of this idea,’ you don’t have any right to sue them if they go off and are hugely successful with the expression of the idea,” Bryan shares.
The full article can be found below.
That Was My Idea! How Hollywood Is Avoiding Story Theft Claims
The Hollywood Reporter Covers Early Sullivan’s Early Success in Lawsuit Against Endeavor
Category: Press | Thursday, August 4th, 2022 | Comments Off on The Hollywood Reporter Covers Early Sullivan’s Early Success in Lawsuit Against Endeavor
The Hollywood Reporter recently covered an L.A. Superior Court ruling that the entertainment and representation company Endeavor must face a claim of Early Sullivan client and media and technology consultant David Carde alleging that his idiosyncratic analysis of the company’s business model was used heavily in Endeavor’s communications with the market leading to its $10.3 billion IPO in 2021.
The article can be found below.
Endeavor Can’t Evade Consultant’s Suit Over IPO Marketing
Bryan Sullivan Featured in Newsy Segment Examining the Role of Movie Producers
Category: Press | Tuesday, July 26th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Featured in Newsy Segment Examining the Role of Movie Producers
Bryan Sullivan appears in a Newsy segment entitled “Why Do Movies Have So Many Producers?” examining the role of the movie producer and why, in recent years, there has been an increase in the average number of producers credited per film. Having been named as an Executive Producer on several films himself, Bryan sheds light on the various ways producers collaborate and contribute to film projects. When discussing the coveted “Produced By” credit, Bryan notes that the Producers Guild makes a concerted effort to reserve this title only for those who are heavily involved in managing a film’s production.
The full segment can be viewed below.
Why Do Movies Have So Many Producers?
Bryan Sullivan Authors Forbes Article on Implications of Roe v. Wade Reversal for Hollywood
Category: Press | Thursday, July 7th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Authors Forbes Article on Implications of Roe v. Wade Reversal for Hollywood
In a recent Forbes article, Bryan Sullivan examines Hollywood’s reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, allowing states the option to legally ban abortion.
Bryan shares that there has been significant criticism from both high-profile Hollywood companies and individual celebrities, and that some actors are beginning to refuse work on productions taking place in pro-life states. Bryan notes that some of the pro-life states in which actors are refusing to work, particularly Georgia, are popular production sites for entertainment projects due to favorable tax breaks.
“Though there may be more leeway in other pro-life states that are less attractive to film in, the momentum Georgia has built in film and television production in recent years leaves room for skepticism on whether the state’s abortion ban will have any significant effect on its role in Hollywood as a premier filming location,” Bryan writes. “Despite the vocal protests against the abortion ban, the tax breaks might be too strong for media companies to overlook – even if it means missing out on some of the best talent.”
The full article can be found below.