Entertainment & Sports Law

Two US swimmers are pulled from plane; official alleges armed robbery claim was a lie

Updated: An anonymous police official has told news organizations that four U.S. swimmers in Rio were not held up at gunpoint early Sunday, but they were confronted by an armed security guard after breaking a bathroom door. A police official, who asked to remain anonymous, alleged in interviews with the…

Aug 18, 2016 9:29 AM CDT

Brazilian judge orders seizure of passports of US swimmers Lochte and Feigen after robbery report

A Brazilian judge has ordered the seizure of passports for U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen while noting “possible divergences” in their accounts of an armed holdup last weekend. A special tribunal for sporting events confirmed on Wednesday that Judge Keyla Blanc had ordered the seizure, report the…

Aug 17, 2016 1:23 PM CDT

New Jersey loses bet on sports gambling in 3rd Circuit; ‘clever drafting’ doesn’t save the law

A New Jersey law legalizing gambling on sports has been struck down by a federal appeals court. The Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in an en banc opinion, the New York Times and NJ.com report. How Appealing links to additional coverage and the opinion (PDF). The…

Aug 9, 2016 4:34 PM CDT

Alexandra Darraby blends her love for art with her career in the law

Alexandra Darraby really wanted to get to the Rothko. So did I, but we each had our own reasons for making the pilgrimage to the gallery at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where one of the major works of American artist Mark Rothko was on display. For Darraby,…

Aug 7, 2016 7:20 PM CDT

Should ABA take on a greater role in fighting international sports corruption?

The 2016 Olympic Games open Friday in Rio de Janeiro amid concerns about the Zika virus, pollution along the city’s famous beaches, and the city’s readiness to accommodate hordes of visitors. But the deeper problem in international sports goes beyond the immediate issues facing the Rio Games. Widespread corruption threatens…

Aug 5, 2016 11:04 AM CDT

Widespread confusion over the rules of the road for bicyclists leads to clashes

Confusion about and lack of uniformity in the rules of the road for bicyclists lead to clashes.

Aug 1, 2016 3:10 AM CDT

Tom Brady won’t appeal Deflategate suspension; will the players association seek cert?

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has announced he will drop appeals of his four-game Deflategate suspension. Brady said in a Facebook post that he will “no longer proceed with the legal process,” report the Associated Press, the Washington Post, NFL.com, USA Today and the New York Times. Brady and…

Jul 15, 2016 1:59 PM CDT

Tom Brady loses bid for en banc review in Deflategate suspension

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has lost his bid for en banc review of a decision reinstating his four-game suspension in connection with underinflated footballs during a playoff game. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request for an en banc rehearing on Wednesday, report…

Jul 13, 2016 11:01 AM CDT

Pete Rose sues former Akin Gump partner for radio show comments

Pete Rose has sued the former Akin Gump partner who authored the report on Rose’s betting on baseball for comments the lawyer made on a radio show last year. John Dowd, who retired from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in January 2015, is accused of defaming Rose by suggesting…

Jul 7, 2016 9:33 AM CDT

Lawyer who won $5.3M ‘Blurred Lines’ verdict files $20M suit over Ed Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’

A lawyer who represented singer Marvin Gaye’s family in last year’s monster $5.3 million “Blurred Lines” copyright verdict is back in court in another high-profile case over a hit song. This time attorney Richard Busch is seeking $20 million for two veteran California songwriters, contending that Ed Sheeran’s smash song…

Jun 8, 2016 4:46 PM CDT

9th Circuit strikes copyright suit against Madonna over horn sample in ‘Vogue’

Madonna was sued for plagiarism over her 1990 hit “Vogue.” However, a federal appellate court has sided with the Material Girl after finding that the lawsuit had nothing to it. Reuters, the Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter’s THR, Esq. blog reported Thursday that a divided three-judge panel for…

Jun 3, 2016 5:15 PM CDT

Rapper Wiz Khalifa sues to void management and recording contract he signed as a teenager

Rapper Wiz Khalifa has sued his manager and former record company to void a contract he signed as a teenager, the Hollywood Reporter’s THR, Esq. blog wrote this week. Khalifa—a stage name for Cameron Jibril Thomaz—who is now 28, says he was induced to sign a “360 deal” against his…

Jun 3, 2016 3:20 PM CDT

Tom Brady and NFL players union seek 2nd Circuit en banc rehearing of Deflategate ruling

When quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots recently added superstar appellate lawyer Ted Olson to his team, it appeared that he might be anticipating a U.S. Supreme Court appeal of his four-game suspension imposed over the so-called Deflategate incident last year. But, at least initially, Brady and the…

May 23, 2016 2:20 PM CDT

Attorney in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ case asks to compel attendance from Led Zeppelin stars

An attorney suing Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement has asked a Los Angeles judge to compel the attendance of the band’s biggest stars, according to the Hollywood Reporter’s THR, Esq. blog. Attorney Francis Malofiy represents the estate of Randy Wolfe, the former guitarist for the band Spirit, who performed as…

May 20, 2016 2:30 PM CDT

US is investigating Hollywood hiring practices, ACLU says

The United States is reportedly investigating Hollywood hiring practices after a study by the American Civil Liberties Union concluded women were being excluded from directing positions as a result of gender bias and stereotyping. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance have launched “a wide-ranging…

May 12, 2016 7:22 AM CDT