Features
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the dismissal of a defamation suit by a former bodyguard of the musical artist Madonna who sued over a photograph of a gay man mistakenly captioned with the name of the bodyguard in a book about Madonna.
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
Film Release/Approvals <br>Production Projects/Agreements In Principle
Features
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
Recent cases in entertainment law.
Steven H. Pollak
Lawyers defending a biographer of Otis Redding failed in their effort to use Georgia's anti-SLAPP statute to block a libel suit brought over the book "Otis!".
Sean F. Kane
If not for the infusion of private capital, many independent films ' generally films produced outside the traditional studio system ' would probably never have been made. That's because banks are unlikely to loan money for such an uncertain and risky venture ' the success of which is greatly dependent on the fickle nature of audiences. But most independent film investors are either unaware of, or pay little attention to, the realities of the theatrical film market. Given the limited potential for widespread independent film success and other inherent investment risks, an entertainment attorney must be diligent and proactive to fully protect a client's film investment.
Features
Stan Soocher
Recent developments in entertainment law.
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
Recently filed cases in entertainment law, straight from the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
Highlights of the latest equipment leasing news from around the country.
Features
Stephen Jagusch, Laura Martin
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James Kwan
When faced with a transaction in which the arbitration of potential future disputes would offer advantages over court litigation or other forms of dispute resolution, a critical first step is to create a workable, enforceable arbitration agreement. In most instances, this agreement will be the "arbitration clause" included in the lease. A poorly drafted arbitration clause can create time-consuming and costly delays to the arbitration process. Arbitration agreements must be drafted carefully, and expert advice should be sought on all but the most straightforward two-party, single-contract cases. For U.S. parties involved in cross-border transactions, an arbitration agreement may be more appealing than court litigation because of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (the "New York Convention") under which awards may be enforced abroad with relative ease. The New York Convention currently has 137 signatory countries. No analogous treaty currently exists for court awards rendered in the United States.
ALM Staff
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Law Journal Newsletters
There have been three recent developments in two state courts in the closely watched NorVergence matter. First, a Florida circuit court judge dismissed the State Attorney General's suit against a number of leasing companies, holding that the leasing companies had not violated Florida's laws. Among other things, the court stated that the hell and high water and the waiver of defense and warranties clauses are permitted under Florida law and that the NorVergence forum selection clause is valid and enforceable under Florida law.
