Attorneys lining up civil suits stemming from Pellicano probe.Criminal indictments have drawn most of the attention in the probe surrounding private investigator Anthony Pellicano, but that may be changing. Many of those whose names came up in the federal investigation are considering civil cases against Pellicano, phone companies and municipalities. The cases could involve as many major Hollywood players and unseemly acts as the criminal case has and take years to wend Wend Any member of a group of Slavic tribes that by the 5th century AD had settled in the area between the Oder and Elbe rivers in what is now eastern Germany. They occupied the eastern borders of the domain of the Franks and other Germanic peoples. their way through the legal system. "The civil cases will have their day in court." said Brian S. Kabateck of Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP LLP - Lower Layer Protocol . "These people were very upset by what happened, and they remain very upset." Several of the town's most high-powered trial lawyers are lining up to take the cases, betting that the outrage of those named could turn into major payoffs. The most high-profile case at this point has been brought by Kabateck, who is well known as a class action attorney who has pressed cases against Hewlett-Packard Co. and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. He's representing Erin Finn, whose former boyfriend, record producer Robert Pfieffer, has been indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. for allegedly hiring Pellicano to wiretap wiretap n. using an electronic device to listen in on telephone lines, which is illegal unless allowed by court order based upon a showing by law enforcement of "probable cause" to believe the communications are part of criminal activities. her. Kabateck is seeking class action status for the case, and if it is approved in Los Angeles Federal Court, it could include all others who Pellicano allegedly wiretapped. With individuals directly tapped and others who conversed with people whose phones were wiretapped eligible for the suit, the number of plaintiffs could rise into the thousands. A class certification ruling is pending. Meanwhile, three attorneys are working together and are planning to consolidate a handful of individual cases. Brian Panish of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, Lawrence C. Ecoff of Ecoff Law & Salomons LLP and Neville L. Johnson of Johnson & Rishwain LLP have together filed civil suits against Pellicano, AT&T Inc. and SBC (1) (SBC Communications Inc., San Antonio, TX, www.sbc.com) A large, national telecommunications company that grew from a multitude of local and regional companies, including Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell, into a single, unified brand by 2002. Telecommunications Inc. on behalf of Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, whose divorce case against Kirk Kerkorian resulted in the indictment of both Pellicano and L.A. lawyer Terry Christensen. The trio plans to bring other suits seeking damages on behalf of centerfold cen·ter·fold n. 1. A magazine center spread, especially a foldout of an oversize photograph or feature. 2. a. The subject of a photograph used as a centerfold, often a nude model. b. Monika Zibrista, former nanny Pamela Miller and members of her family, Ami Shafrir, and Aaron Rousseau. Some will be filed against Beverly Hills and some against the City of Los Angeles
Close to home An attorney who was himself wiretapped has brought another case. Gregory Dovel of Dovel & Luner LLP represented producer Bo Zenga in 2000 in a dispute over proceeds from the film "Scary Movie" with Brad Grey, who ran the talent company that brought him the project. Grey has since gone on to become the head of Paramount Studios. "At the time it was scary how much they knew about everything," Dovel said. "The thought went through my mind to check with someone, and they said it was impossible. So we dismissed it." Zenga's credibility crumbled in the middle of trial. And his complaint against Grey, which Dovel said could have been worth between $3 million and $5 million for Zenga, was dismissed. Dovel is representing Zenga in a case against Pellicano, LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. detective Mark Arneson, the City of Los Angeles, AT&T and Grey. Also named are Grey's lawyer, Bert Fields, and his firm, Greenberg Glusker LLP. Dovel's complaint is largely based on a federal prosecutor's allegations and claims that Pellicano listened to nearly 2,000 calls, allegedly at the request of lawyers at Greenberg Glusker. State law dictates the suit is worth no less than $5,000 per incident, but with the potential for punitive damages Monetary compensation awarded to an injured party that goes beyond that which is necessary to compensate the individual for losses and that is intended to punish the wrongdoer. , the defendants could be on the hook Adj. 1. on the hook - caught in a difficult or dangerous situation; "there I was back on the hook" dangerous, unsafe - involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm; "a dangerous criminal"; "a dangerous bridge"; "unemployment reached dangerous for up to $10 million. More fallout In addition to his class action against AT&T, Kabateck is also pressing a handful of individual cases. Kabateck represents actor Keith Carradine and his fiance Carradine claims that he was wiretapped when he was in the process of divorcing his ex-wife, actress Hayley DuMond. In his suit, Carradine accuses Pellicano and two former Pacific Bell employees of conspiring to tap his phone calls. |
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