News

Ten Early Sullivan Attorneys Named to “Best Lawyers in America”; Six Named to “Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch”
Early Sullivan attorneys Eric Altoon, Eric Early, David Giannotti, Jeremy Gray, Sophia Lau, Devin McRae, Diane Myint Luczon, Christopher Ritter, Peter Scott, and Bryan Sullivan have been recognized among the top lawyers in the nation in the 2024 edition of ... read more

Sophia Lau to Present at CenterForce’s “Driving Diversity in Law and Leadership Summit: Los Angeles”
Sophia Lau will speak at CenterForce USA’s “Driving Diversity in Law and Leadership Summit” taking place on September 21, 2023, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel’s Gold Ballroom in Los Angeles, California. The annual conference is a part of the organization’s ... read more

The Daily Beast Cover Early Sullivan Client Amanda Montell’s Lawsuit Against ‘Sounds Like A Cult’ Podcast Co Host
The Daily Beast recently reported on Early Sullivan client Amanda Montell’s lawsuit against Isabela Medina-Maté, Montell’s Co Host on the popular ‘Sounds Like a Cult’ podcast, claiming Medina-Maté “effectively destroyed the ‘Sounds Like a Cult’ podcast and caused a substantial ... read more

Several Publications Cover Early Sullivan Client Frost River’s Trademark Suit Against Lucasfilm
The Hollywood Reporter, Sourcing Journal, The Fashion Law, Bloomberg Law, and numerous other national and Minnesota publications recently covered the trademark suit filed by Frost River against Lucasfilm, claiming the latter violated the Lanham Act by using a Frost River ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Discusses the Use of AI in the Entertainment Industry With Scripps News
Bryan Sullivan appeared on-air with Scripps News in a recent segment talking about the use of AI in the entertainment industry. The segment highlights areas in the entertainment industry where studios have been looking to use AI tools to replace ... read more

Los Angeles Business Journal Honors Eric Early in 2023 “Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Attorneys” Issue
The firm is pleased to share that founding and managing partner Eric Early has been recognized as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leaders of Influence: Top Litigators & Trial Attorneys” for 2023. The prestigious list recognizes litigators as, ... read more

Early Sullivan Prevails on Behalf of Lenders in Quite Title/Fraud Claim
A trial team of Scott Gizer and Lisa Zepeda prevailed on behalf of its lender clients the Morris Boren Living Trust and Creative Investments, Inc. in an action where Christopher Jordan, the heir to a triplex property in Los Angeles, ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Shares Outlook on $43 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Merger with Yahoo Finance
Bryan Sullivan was recently featured in the Yahoo Finance article “Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock down 50% since merger – why analysts are still bullish,” which examines the media conglomerate’s plunging stock value post merger, as well as company layoffs and ... read more

Early Sullivan Congratulates Client Rahman Ali Bugg on Tribeca Film Festival Screening
Early Sullivan client Rahman Ali Bugg’s documentary film ‘Exposing Parchman’ was recently screened during the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary examines the inhumane conditions at Mississippi’s oldest maximum security prison, Parchman Prison. Rahman directed the documentary and co-produced it ... read more

Devin McRae Appears on NBC Now to Discuss Ex-Starbucks Manager’s $25M Victory Against the Company In Wrongful Termination Suit
Devin McRae recently appeared on NBC Now in a segment entitled, “Ex-Starbucks manager awarded $25.6 million in wrongful firing suit,” which examined the legal victory of an ex-Starbucks manager who alleged that she was unfairly punished for the arrest of ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Quoted in The Wrap on the Inclusion of “Force Majeure” in Many Hollywood Writers’ Contracts
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke with TheWrap about the inclusion of force majeure in many Hollywood writers’ contracts, including Justin Simien’s, whose Paramount deal was suspended amid the WGA strike. Justin Simien, the creator of “Dear White People,” learned of his ... read more

Padideh Zargari Named 2023 Southern California “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers
The firm is pleased to announce that Padideh Zargari has been named by Thomson Reuters as a 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star.” The “Rising Stars” distinction honors attorneys that are under the age of 40 in the Southern ... read more

Scott Gizer Named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” List
The firm is pleased to announce that Scott Gizer was recently selected to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s second annual “Top 100 Lawyers” list. The coveted list recognizes the region’s outstanding legal community by profiling Los Angeles’ top 100 lawyers ... read more

Eric Early Featured in Los Angeles Business Journal Article Exploring Growth in the Legal Profession
Eric Early was recently featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s article “Time to Grow,” which examines the future trajectory of the legal profession in the aftermath of the COVID-19-influenced hiring spree at many law firms. The article explores how, ... read more

Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae Named to Variety’s 2023 “Legal Impact Report”
Firm partners Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae were recently selected for inclusion in Variety‘s 2023 “Legal Impact Report,” which honors Hollywood’s top dealmakers and litigators. Bryan was recognized for his representation of attorney Kevin Morris in various legal matters since ... read more

Early Sullivan Prevails At Bench Trial Recovering Client’s Stolen Funds
Early Sullivan Senior Associate Brett Moore successfully obtained a judgment in favor of client Plaintiff Cleredene Sheriff in a breach of contract and conversion matter against Defendant Pamela Azmi-Andrew. Ms. Sheriff retained Early Sullivan for the limited purpose of representing ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to IndieWire About Warner Bros. Discovery’s Strategy for the New ‘Max’ Streaming Service
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke with IndieWire about the announced changes to Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming strategy following their merger. ‘Max’ will be the company’s new leading streaming service, combining the content from HBO Max and Discovery+. The article highlighted the ... read more

Early Sullivan Client Prevails at Bench Trial Against Adverse Possession Claim
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP trial team of Scott Gizer, Padideh Zargari and Brett Moore successfully defended firm client AVTWO Homes LLC against an adverse possession claim in a bench trial before Judge Hammock in Los Angeles ... read more

Variety Asks Devin McRae to Weigh In on CNN Contract Provisions Following Don Lemon’s Alleged Misogyny in the Workplace
Devin McRae recently spoke to Variety about television anchor Don Lemon’s contract with CNN, and whether included provisions may give the network the ability to terminate the agreement, following recent public and workplace allegations of misogyny raised against Lemon. The ... read more

Early Sullivan Obtains $4.85 Million Jury Verdict for Client in Wrongful Foreclosure Case
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Rebecca Claudat and Zachary Hansen obtained a $4.85 million jury verdict on behalf of their clients Cashera Plaza, LLC and Tony Khodadad regarding a wrongful foreclosure on ... read more

Early Sullivan Successfully Has Summary Judgment Order Reversed on Appeal on behalf of Bankruptcy Trustee
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae appellate team, comprised of Scott Gizer and Brett Moore, successfully had a bankruptcy court order granting summary judgment against bankruptcy trustee, Amy Goldman, reversed on appeal by the U.S. District Court. Ms. Goldman ... read more

Early Sullivan Prevails on behalf of Clients on Fraudulent Transfer Claim
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Ryan Hemar, Jackie Hosey and Valerie Segura prevailed in bench trial on behalf of its clients JP Mobasher and Daphne Huey, who were being sued by Mobasher’s ... read more

Early Sullivan Prevails in Phase 1 Bench Trial on Contract Interpretation Issues
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Chris Ritter, and Grace Lau prevailed in a phase 1 bench trial on behalf of its client Alex Tishelman, where Tishelman was being sued by his former ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to IndieWire About Likelihood of Megan Markle and Prince Harry Bringing Suit Against South Park
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke with IndieWire about the recent South Park episode ‘The Worldwide Privacy Tour,’ which aimed the show’s satirical target at Megan Markle and Prince Harry. Following the release of the episode, it was reported that Megan Markle ... read more

Devin McRae Speaks to Fox News About Nanny’s Lawsuit Against Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde
Devin McRae recently spoke to Fox News Digital about the wrongful termination lawsuit brought against Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde by their former nanny. The lawsuit alleged that she was ‘fired’ by the couple despite previously informing them she could ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to TheWrap about Bob Iger’s Push to Bring Disney Employees Back to the Office
Bryan Sullivan spoke with TheWrap about Bob Iger’s recent push to bring Disney employees back to their offices. This desire was relayed through a January Disney memo stating, “Starting March 1, employees currently working in a hybrid fashion will be ... read more

ABC, Deadline, CBS, and Other Outlets Cover Hunter Biden’s Cease-And-Desist Letter to Fox News Sent By Bryan Sullivan
ABC News, Deadline, Bloomberg, CBS News, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications recently covered the cease-and-desist letter sent by Bryan Sullivan on behalf of Hunter Biden to Fox News and Tucker Carlson regarding their report over alleged close financial ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Sheds Light on Privacy Concerns for Law and Crime After NYPD Videos Concertgoers Outside Drake Performance
Bryan Sullivan spoke with Law and Crime about privacy concerns after NYPD officers were seen recording individuals as they were leaving a Drake concert at the Apollo Theater in Manhattan. Video of the incident quickly surfaced online, and sparked discussions ... read more

Nine Early Sullivan Attorneys Named 2023 Southern California “Super Lawyers”
The firm is pleased to announce that several of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in Thomson Reuters’ 2023 Southern California “Super Lawyers” list. The “Super Lawyers” distinction is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding attorneys, based on ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Discusses the Future of Ticketmaster and Live Music With Scripps News
Bryan Sullivan appeared on-air with Scripps News in a recent segment exploring possible antitrust fallout for Ticketmaster following the Taylor Swift ticket debacle. Two fan-led lawsuits have been filed against Ticketmaster for the way they handled Swift’s tour tickets, and ... read more

Devin McRae Speaks to IndieWire About Potential Termination of GMA3 Anchors
Devin McRae was recently quoted in Tony Maglio’s IndieWire article “‘GMA3’ Can Definitely Fire T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, Lawyers Say,” which examines the legality of terminating morning show anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach following allegations of the pair ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Featured in Newsy Segment on How Taylor Swift’s Tour Impacted the Industry
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to Newsy in its segment entitled, “Taylor Swift Eras Tour Helped Uncover Deep Issues Of Concert Ticketing,” which examined how the artist’s upcoming tour has brought attention to the monopolization issues surrounding Ticketmaster, and the concert ... read more

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Early Sullivan As A 2023 “Best Law Firm”
Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae has been ranked once again as a “Best Law Firm” in the 2023 edition of U.S. News & World Report. The firm received rankings on the national and Los Angeles lists in the practice ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Los Angeles Times on Kanye West Streams in Wake of Controversy
Bryan Sullivan spoke to the Los Angeles Times about why Kanye West’s music has remained available on major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music, following the rapper’s recent antisemitic remarks. The article, entitled, “Why Spotify and Apple Music ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Quoted in The Hollywood Reporter on ‘Rust’ Settlement
Bryan Sullivan was recently featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s article “Inside the Secret ‘Rust’ Settlement: Why Did Halyna Hutchins’ Widower Drop His Suit to Become an Executive Producer?” The article examines the options available to Matthew Hutchins and the film’s ... read more

Early Sullivan Recognized as a Top Litigation Firm in 2023 Edition of Benchmark Litigation California
Early Sullivan has been ranked by Benchmark Litigation as a leading Entertainment firm in California. The prestigious annual guide recognizes the state’s leading trial firms and attorneys, ranked by their peers and clients. To view the firm’s profile on the ... read more

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 ... read more

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, ... read more

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 ... read more

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 ... read more

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, ... read more

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 ... read more

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 ... read more

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 ... read more

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 ... read more

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 ... read more

Devin McRae Inducted into Prestigious Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry
The firm is pleased to announce that Devin McRae has received the honor of being inducted into Marquis Who’s Who, which has published directories of the top professionals in the world since 1899. Profiled individuals are selected for inclusion based ... read more

Court Dismisses Trademark Infringement Allegations Against Early Sullivan Clients
Early Sullivan clients Sayam Sotelo and J. Frank Sotelo, represented by Bryan Sullivan and Zachary Hansen, were granted a motion to dismiss in a case brought by church organization Abundant Living Family Church (ALFC) for allegations involving trademark infringement on ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Pens Forbes Article on Defamation Lawsuits In Light of Johnny Depp/Amber Heard Trial
Bryan Sullivan recently wrote an article for Forbes on the nature of defamation lawsuits in light of the highly publicized defamation trial involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. In the article, Bryan shares that defamation lawsuits are generally very difficult ... read more

Early Sullivan Obtains Complete Defense For Sun West in Wrongful Termination, Disability Discrimination Case
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Diane Myint Luczon, Padideh Zargari, Cameron Aronson, D’Metria Bolden, and Jackie Hosey obtained a complete defense for its client Sun West Mortgage Company, Inc. (“Sun West”) against ... read more

Devin McRae Speaks with New York Times About Lawsuits in the Aftermath of Popular Home Makeover Shows
In a recently published New York Times article exploring what goes on behind the scenes of popular home makeover television shows, Devin McRae weighs in on the construction lawsuits that have become increasingly common in their wake. The article describes ... read more

Devin McRae Attends Variety’s “Power of Law Breakfast”
On April 20, 2022, Devin McRae attended Variety’s “Power of Law Breakfast,” an invitation-only event honoring attorneys selected to Variety’s annual “Legal Impact Report.” Attendees of the event and honorees of the “Legal Impact Report” are considered top attorneys in the entertainment ... read more

Eric Early Named to Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” List
The firm is pleased to announce that Eric Early was recently selected to the Los Angeles Business Journal‘s inaugural “Top 100 Lawyers” list. The coveted list recognizes the region’s outstanding legal community by profiling Los Angeles’ top 100 lawyers for ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Comments on High-Level Executive Departures Following Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to TheWrap regarding the news that MGM Studios’ motion picture group chairman, Michael De Luca, and president, Pam Abdy, are departing their roles. The announcement comes approximately one month after Amazon closed an $8.5 billion acquisition ... read more

Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae Recognized in Variety’s 2022 “Legal Impact Report”
The firm is pleased to announce that Bryan Sullivan and Devin McRae were recently selected to Variety‘s annual “Legal Impact Report,” which honors the top in-house attorneys, litigators, and transactional lawyers in Hollywood. In this year’s exclusive list, Variety spotlights ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to TheWrap on Bob Chapek’s Second Year as Disney CEO
Bryan Sullivan was recently quoted in Diane Haithman’s TheWrap article “Why Disney CEO Bob Chapek Gets Both an A and an F on His 2nd-Year Report Card.” The article focuses on the past year at Disney and evaluates Chapek’s leadership ... read more

Devin McRae Sheds Light On Possible Legal Ramifications of Will Smith’s Oscars Slap in The Washington Post
In an article published in The Washington Post, Devin McRae weighed in on the recent Oscars incident in which Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face on stage after Rock made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Comments On Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM For TheWrap
In a recent article for TheWrap, Bryan Sullivan shared his thoughts on Amazon’s recent acquisition of MGM. In addition to outlining the logistics of the $8.5 billion deal, the article notes the contrasting cultures of Amazon and MGM, and it ... read more

Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Newsy About Studios Purchasing Individuals’ Life Rights
In a recent segment by Newsy, Bryan Sullivan shares extensive insight on the legalities of purchasing an individual’s life rights to create art. The segment exemplifies this practice by detailing Netflix’s purchase of Anna Sorokin’s life rights, resulting in its ... read more

Devin McRae Quoted In Los Angeles Times On Violence Concerns Surrounding Kanye West’s “Eazy”
In an article published in the Los Angeles Times, Devin McRae weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the release of Kanye West’s “Eazy” music video. The music video depicts a cartoon version of West kidnapping and burying celebrity Pete ... read more

Early Sullivan Prevails on Behalf of Lenders in Quite Title/Fraud Claim
A trial team of Scott Gizer and Lisa Zepeda prevailed on behalf of its lender clients the Morris Boren Living Trust and Creative Investments, Inc. in an action where Christopher Jordan, the heir to a triplex property in Los Angeles, sought to invalidate the deeds of trust of Early Sullivan’s clients that totaled approximately $1.25 million. The loans at issue were taken out in 2015 by an individual named Angela Fawn Wallace who represented herself to be the trustee of Mr. Jordan’s grandmother’s trust after the grandmother passed and had prepared the trust documents. Ms. Wallace was concurrently being prosecuted on various criminal charges for taking advantage of her clients. Mr. Jordan did not learn of his rights under the trust until the criminal action against Ms. Wallace was filed in 2019. After a two-day bench trial, the trial court ruled in favor Early Sullivan’s clients finding that Ms. Wallace was the proper trustee or, alternatively, the grandmother was negligent for entrusting Ms. Wallace and failing to inform her grandson of his rights under the trust prior to her death such that Ms. Wallace was able to act as the trustee for years without challenge.

Early Sullivan Prevails At Bench Trial Recovering Client’s Stolen Funds
Early Sullivan Senior Associate Brett Moore successfully obtained a judgment in favor of client Plaintiff Cleredene Sheriff in a breach of contract and conversion matter against Defendant Pamela Azmi-Andrew. Ms. Sheriff retained Early Sullivan for the limited purpose of representing her in a bench trial to recover funds stolen by her late-daughter’s roommate. In 2017, Colleen Mayne, Ms. Sheriff’s daughter and only child was suffering from breast cancer and had a seizure that ultimately left her in a coma. In the weeks and months following Ms. Mayne's seizure, Defendant Azmi-Andrew volunteered to help Colleen manage her expenses. Ms. Mayne gave Ms. Azmi-Andrew her credit cards, owned jointly between Ms. Sheriff and her daughter, for that purpose. Defendant ended up using the credit cards to obtain cash advances for herself and to pay for flights, car rentals (including a Lamborghini), and other items. These charges were made without permission from Ms. Sheriff or Ms. Mayne. When Ms. Azmi-Andrew was confronted about the charges, over text messages, she agreed to repay them. At trial, Defendant contended that the charges were gifts and that Ms. Mayne agreed to loan a large sum of money to Defendant, which she intended to repay. She claimed that she never had possession of Ms. Mayne's credit cards. She further denied having entered into an agreement to repay the amounts she stole. Notwithstanding Defendant’s defenses and stories explaining the charges made on the cards, on cross-examination by Mr. Moore, her defenses and stories completely unraveled. Ultimately, the Judge stated that he found Defendant’s credibility “wholly lacking” and rendered a verdict in favor of our client. Ms. Sheriff will get nearly everything that was stolen from her, plus interest.

Early Sullivan Client Prevails at Bench Trial Against Adverse Possession Claim
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP trial team of Scott Gizer, Padideh Zargari and Brett Moore successfully defended firm client AVTWO Homes LLC against an adverse possession claim in a bench trial before Judge Hammock in Los Angeles Superior Court. Plaintiffs claimed to be the owners of certain real property in Los Angeles County through adverse possession based on a grant deed they received from Fannie Mae purporting to convey fee title to the property. However, Fannie Mae did not own fee title to the property, but only owned a leasehold interest in the land. Fannie Mae had made a loan to AVTWO Homes’ tenant to purchase a leasehold interest in the property and the loan was secured against that leasehold interest. The tenant’s leasehold interest was documented through a recorded 40-year Ground Lease. Fannie Mae ultimately foreclosed on its deed of trust and its borrowers’ leasehold interest, but then sold the property to Plaintiffs as if Fannie Mae owned fee title. The Early Sullivan team presented evidence and argued that due to the recorded Ground Lease, Plaintiffs became tenants under the Ground Lease by operation of law and, thus, were precluded from claiming adverse possession under Code of Civil Procedure section 326. Plaintiffs argued that they could not be deemed tenants unless they had actual knowledge of the Ground Lease and consented to its terms. The trial court ruled in favor of AVTOW Homes finding that Plaintiffs took title subject to the Ground Lease and, thus, were in privity of estate with AVTWO Homes under the Ground Lease. Accordingly, under CCP section 326, Plaintiffs could not assert a claim for adverse possession.

Early Sullivan Obtains $4.85 Million Jury Verdict for Client in Wrongful Foreclosure Case
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Rebecca Claudat and Zachary Hansen obtained a $4.85 million jury verdict on behalf of their clients Cashera Plaza, LLC and Tony Khodadad regarding a wrongful foreclosure on vacant land in Hanford, CA. Cashera Plaza had obtained a $1.13 million construction loan from Defendants to build a self-serve car wash and auto repair facility. The Defendants entrusted the construction funds to a fund control agent, but then secretly used those same funds for a gold refining venture without Plaintiffs’ knowledge or consent. When this gold venture failed, Defendants tried to hold Cashera Plaza responsible for the entire $1.13 million despite Cashera only receiving approximately $140,000, asserting that the fund control agent was under Cashera Plaza’s control and then trying to hide evidence of Defendants’ secret gold venture. Liability was found and the critical issue at trial became whether Plaintiffs could establish damages for lost profits since Plaintiffs’ car wash and auto repair facility was never built due to Defendants’ breaches and fraud. The jury unanimously found that Plaintiffs had established lost profits with reasonable certainty and awarded Plaintiffs the entire amount of lost profits claimed as well as emotional distress damages for Defendants’ fraud.

Court Dismisses Trademark Infringement Allegations Against Early Sullivan Clients
Early Sullivan clients Sayam Sotelo and J. Frank Sotelo, represented by Bryan Sullivan and Zachary Hansen, were granted a motion to dismiss in a case brought by church organization Abundant Living Family Church (ALFC) for allegations involving trademark infringement on behalf of their company, Live Design, Inc. (Live Design). The claims surrounded Live Design’s refusal to give up rights to the website domain name “www.alfc.church” to ALFC. ALFC had previously contacted Live Design to inquire about purchasing the domain name, and the entities entered into two contracts (signed by J. Frank Sotelo) whereby ALFC would pay a monthly fee to Live Design in exchange for the domain name. Live Design did not perform under these contracts. Early Sullivan argued in defense of the Sotelos on the ground that their actions were on behalf of Live Design and therefore were protected by the fiduciary shield document. ALFC could not prove their burden that the defendants were the primary participants in the wrongdoing or the direct force of the infringement. The Court ultimately granted the motion to dismiss the Sotelos and deny ALFC’s request for limited jurisdictional discovery. With the Sotelos being dismissed, the case will now continue with ALFC’s claim against Live Design Inc.

Early Sullivan Obtains Complete Defense For Sun West in Wrongful Termination, Disability Discrimination Case
An Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae trial team, comprised of Scott Gizer, Diane Myint Luczon, Padideh Zargari, Cameron Aronson, D’Metria Bolden, and Jackie Hosey obtained a complete defense for its client Sun West Mortgage Company, Inc. (“Sun West”) against claims asserted by a former employee for wrong termination, disability discrimination, retaliation and wage and hour violations allegedly in response to the employee’s cancer diagnosis. Specifically, the employee claimed that after he revealed his cancer diagnosis to his supervisor, he was denied leave, forced to work from the hospital, had support staff taken away and his compensation structure changed all in an effort to force him to quit. After a week-long arbitration, involving numerous fact witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, the Early Sullivan team convinced the arbitrator that the former employee was provided with all accommodations requested, that the employee elected not to go on leave so that he could maintain his full salary, that the changes in support staff were based on performance issues within his department, and that his change in compensation, and his ultimate termination, were due solely to financial issues Sun West was experiencing in 2018 and 2019. As a result, the arbitrator held that the former employee was to take nothing on his arbitration complaint, and that Sun West prevailed on all claims, entitling it to its costs.

Early Sullivan Obtains Preliminary Injunction For Its Clients Preventing Neighbors From Blocking Property Access
Early Sullivan obtained a Preliminary Injunction for their clients Carl and Laurie Madsen preventing efforts by their neighbors to bar them from using a roadway to their otherwise landlocked home. The Madsen’s property, purchased with intentions to build a home, was left inaccessible after several neighbors blocked the sole road necessary for entry. The neighbors also allegedly harassed vendors and work crews efforts to enter and exit the property. All homeowners and lenders on the road were listed in the lawsuit brought by Early Sullivan attorneys Diane Myint Luczon and Zachary Hansen. Early Sullivan’s motion for Preliminary Injunction and reply were supported by multiple declarations as were the oppositions that were filed. The detailed Order of the ruling determined that the Madsens have satisfied their burden of showing “the likelihood of suffering irreparable harm unless the conduct attributed to defendants including but not limited to Westlunds, their agents and/or others acting in concert with them, is enjoined.” The Madsens can now enjoy their property and their neighbors are prohibited from obstructing access.

Court Sides With Early Sullivan Client After $1M Loan Scheme
In a major bench trial victory, a Court found in favor of Early Sulivan client Cashera Plaza which, in hopes to build a car wash and auto repair center, entered into a $1.13 million construction loan with defendant lender Bian Liao Living Trust. Corporate Asset and Science was appointed as the lender’s fund control agent in the promissory note, with the loan broker named as the trustee of that entity. After receiving only $140k of the $1.13 million towards entitlement efforts, it was discovered that the fund control agent schemed against Cashera, absconding the rest of the money. The lender then foreclosed without giving proper notice to the client, using an incorrect address and claiming the full loan amount of $1.13 million was due plus interest. Early Sullivan sued the lender, the fund control agent, and others for breach of contract and fraud, moving to set aside the foreclosure and cancel the foreclosure documents. At Early Sullivan’s request, the Court bifurcated the equitable claims and tried them first. Ultimately, the Court found in Cashera’s favor on the equitable claims of set aside and cancellation of instructions, holding that the fund control agent was the agent of the lender and that fund control and the lender both engaged in fraud and acted with malicious intent by sending the foreclosure notices to a known bad address. The Early Sullivan team will now try the fraud claims before a jury, bound by the Court’s findings on agency and that the defendants engaged in fraud and acted with malice, leaving the amount of compensatory and punitive damages as the only issues for the jury to decide. The Early Sullivan team was led by Scott Gizer.

Early Sullivan Prevails in Jury Trial Regarding Restaurant Sale
Scott Gizer obtained a unanimous verdict in favor of Early Sullivan client Dion Rottman following a two-week jury trial in Los Angeles. The lawsuit arose out of the sale of a West Hollywood restaurant by defendant Michael Kesler to Mr. Rottman. It was alleged that Mr. Kesler failed to disclose a restriction that affected the ability to operate a restaurant at the location at issue, resulting in a loss of value for the restaurant. Mr. Kesler denied knowing about the restriction, but Scott was able to convince the jury otherwise, and as a result, Mr. Rottman was awarded full damages for the lost value.

Bryan Sullivan Reps AJ Mendez in ViacomCBS/Women of Wrestling Distribution Deal
ViacomCBS has signed an exclusive multi-year distribution deal with WOW - Women of Wrestling that will provide the women’s wrestling league with distribution opportunities across the U.S. and abroad. ViacomCBS plans to air past seasons of WOW on its CW Seed and Pluto TV platforms beginning in December of 2021, with new episodes launching in weekend syndication later in 2022. As part of the deal, former WWE Champion AJ Mendez, represented by Bryan Sullivan, will provide commentary during each broadcast. She will also serve as an executive producer. Mendez is the author of Crazy Is My Superpower and is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. Read more about the deal in The Hollywood Reporter.

Early Sullivan Secures Major Victory for Shannen Doherty in Woolsey Fire Case
Early Sullivan scored a major victory for client Shannen Doherty in a lawsuit filed against State Farm insurance company, which refused to pay for repairs, following the 2018 Woolsey fire, under a policy on Ms. Doherty’s Malibu home. After an intense legal battle during which Doherty revealed that she had stage 4 terminal cancer, a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded Doherty $6.3 million to cover damages to her home and personal property, emotional distress, and attorneys’ fees. Lead trial counsel Devin McRae and partners Peter Scott and Lisa Boswell tried the case, with support from associate Cory Ray. After the trial, Devin commented: "We thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful consideration of Shannen's case.” He continued, "We are happy they saw the case the way we do. This should send a message to State Farm and other institutions that they should not forget they are dealing with human beings." Hundreds of outlets covered the victory including The Associated Press, TMZ, and RadarOnline.