Steven Tyler's lawyer mostly beats lawsuit against her brought by his former manager
Steven Tyler. Featureflash
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A lawsuit charging that an attorney for legendary rocker Steven Tyler botched his American Idol deal was mostly dismissed Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter’s Hollywood Esq. reports.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court case was brought by Kovac Media Group, the singer’s former management company. According to the article, lawyer Dina LaPolt and Allen Kovac disagreed on how to handle negotiations for Tyler for the show’s 11th season, and LaPolt’s team objected to Kovac’s refusal to stop interfering with the proposed deal. Eric Sherman, who worked for Kovac and managed Tyler day-to-day, agreed with LaPolt, and when he left the management group, Tyler went with him.
The lawsuit alleges that LaPolt’s work in the negotiation cost Tyler between $6 million and $8 million and led to him leaving the show. Tyler submitted a declaration, stating that he was unhappy with Kovac’s services and conduct. Kovac also sued Sherman for interfering with Idol negotiations, and that case settled.
The defense argued that LaPolt’s actions demonstrated her duty as a lawyer to protect Tyler’s interest in a litigation context. The judge dismissed claims against the West Hollywood lawyer for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of confidence and interference with prospective economic advantage. A tortious interference claim about an allegation that LaPolt interfered with Kovac’s contractual right to get money from Tyler’s touring was allowed to go forward.
