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2 More Attorneys Join RIAG
April 27, 2012. RIAG is delighted to announce that Julia Scott has joined us as a partner, and Neil J. Fraser has joined us as Of Counsel. More details to follow.
RIAG Adds IP Team
January 25, 2012. Alan M. Kindred and Ivan M. Posey are joining RIAG as Of Counsel. The addition of Alan and Ivan provides the firm with additional capabilities in the areas of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. They are experienced litigators and transactionalists in the field of intellectual property. The firm can now offer its clients new services to obtain patents, register trademarks, register copyrights and enforce those important rights in court and/or before the International Trade Commission and before the Trademark and Patent Trial and Appeals Boards. Firm clients with issued patents, registered trademarks and registered copyrights will also be able to have their intellectual property recorded with U.S. Customs to assist in blocking counterfeit and pirated copies of their products. Their experience with intellectual property transactions, licensing is substantial as well. Both Alan and Ivan have extensive experience developing, managing and enforcing intellectual property portfolios for businesses and individuals. Alan is also a trained mediator of intellectual property disputes from the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution, the top school in the country. Both Alan and Ivan were formerly with the oldest intellectual property firm in the country and have worked together for at least ten years.
When asked about joining Rufus-Isaacs, Acland & Grantham, LLP, Alan and Ivan commented, “We are very excited to join up with such an experienced, polished and capable team at Rufus-Isaacs, Acland & Grantham. It will enable us to provide more services to our clients with greater resources.”
Co-founder and managing partner Alexander Rufus-Isaacs commented, “We are delighted to welcome Alan and Ivan to the firm. Their high levels of success both inside and outside the courtroom will greatly benefit our clients.”
RIAG Files Suit For Producer Against Sales Agent
September 2011. Our client, Initiate Productions, produced 2 films, entitled “Sweet Smell of Success” and “Stay Cool.” It employed a sales agent, American Cinema International, to exploit the films worldwide. Initiate has filed suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court seeking damages for breach of fiduciary duties, unfair trade practices and conversion, arising out of ACI’s failure to remit license fees to Initiate. Click here for an article regarding the lawsuit.
RIAG Wins Court Of Appeal Case In Published Decision.
July 16, 2011. Our client, Stafford Bailey, produced reality show entitled Blacks Without Borders, about African Americans who moved to South Africa. The cameraman he employed, Michael Brewer, sued Bailey, claiming that he was either Bailey’s partner or that he owned the footage he shot, and lost. Bailey licensed the show to Showtime, but Brewer wrote to Showtime, claiming that he owned the show, and thereby caused Showtime to refuse to pay Bailey the license fee until the dispute had been resolved. Brewer also wrongfully interfered with other opportunities to market the film. We filed suit on Bailey’s behalf against Brewer seeking damages for wrongful interference. Brewer filed an anti-SLAPP motion, arguing that Brewer’s statements to Showtime were not actionable because they were covered by the litigation privilege. Bailey argued that Brewer could not show a good faith intent to litigate because he had lost his small claims court action and was therefore barred from re-litigating the matter. The trail court agreed and denied the anti-SLAPP motion. Brewer appealed. The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s decision for the same reason, and awarded costs to Bailey. Its published opinion (197 Cal.App.4th 791) has already been cited at least once by other courts. Click here for the full opinion.
RIAG Celebrates First Anniversary.
July 1, 2011. The form celebrated its first anniversary. We have had a very successful first year, during which we have taken offices in the landmark William Morris Endeavor building at 9601 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, and have been joined by two prominent attorneys and barristers: Jacqueline Perry Q.C., a top litigator who divides her time between Los Angeles and London, and David Lewis, one of the most experienced and respected real estate lawyers in Los Angeles.
RIAG Files Copyright Infringement Lawsuit for Carsey Werner.
June 2011. We filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement in federal court for our client, The Carsey Werner Company, LLC, to prevent several episodes of its hit show, That 70’s Show from being posted on You Tube. The case has been successfully resolved. See here for an article on the case.
RIAG Retained To Handle Financing and Production Counsel Work For Freaky Deaky.
June 2011. We have been retained as film finance and production counsel for the producers of Freaky Deaky, a film based on the Elmore Leonard novel. The film is directed by Charlie Matthau, and stars Christian Slater, Michael Jai White and Crispin Glover. See here for imdb entry.
Bill Grantham Speaks At Middle East Conference.
May 2011. Bill Grantham was invited to speak at a conference, which took place in Doha, Qatar entitled Enriching the Middle East’s Economic Future VI.