Who's Getting the Legal Work as Weinstein, #MeToo Roil Hollywood
A roundup of the lawyers picking up sexual abuse clients on both coasts, and on both sides of the latest abuse claims hitting the entertainment industry.
November 13, 2017 at 05:47 PM
12 minute read
Harvey Weinstein
With new accusations and revelations about sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry still coming fast and furious, it's way too early to predict the lasting effect.
But one consequence of the #MeToo campaign seems certain: It's going to be keeping a lot of lawyers busy—and not just on matters related to Harvey Weinstein.
Here are just some of the legal teams being mobilized so far:
• The accused: Louis C.K., the comedian who masturbated in front of women.
Louis C.K.
His response: It's true.
His lawyer: David Weber of Beverly Hills, California's Sloane Offer Weber & Dern has represented the comedian recently, but Weber didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation that he's on the job. His firm has no shortage of top-tier film industry clients, including Angelina Jolie, Michael Bay, Will Smith, Jack Black, Spike Jonze and Mark Wahlberg.
• The accused: Kevin Spacey, the actor and star of “House of Cards,” who is alleged to have engaged in sexual predatory behavior with underage boys.
His response: Spacey has denied the allegations.
His lawyer: Bryan Freedman of Los Angeles' Freedman & Taitelman. Freedman previously represented a fashion designer who sued singer Courtney Love for libel based on her social media rants.
For the plaintiffs: One of Spacey's alleged victims has tapped Mitchell Garabedian of Boston, who previously obtained roughly $95 million in settlements for victims of Roman Catholic priests' sexual misconduct. (Garabedian was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the movie “Spotlight.”)
Kevin Spacey
• The accused: David Guillod, producer of the movie “Atomic Blonde,” who is accused of raping multiple women.
His response: Denies the allegations and has a defense team interviewing witnesses who contradict the claims.
His lawyer: Criminal defense attorney Philip Kent Cohen of Santa Monica, California, who issued a statement: “Mr. Guillod denies any allegations of nonconsensual sex. His defense team has interviewed multiple witnesses that contradict these accusations and we are confident that his name will be cleared.”
• The accused: Brett Ratner, the director of “Rush Hour” who is accused of sexually harassing women.
His response: Ratner has denied allegations and announced plans to sue his accusers for libel.
His lawyer: Martin Singer of Los Angeles' Lavely & Singer. “We are confident that his [Ratner's] name will be cleared once the current media frenzy dies down and people can objectively evaluate the nature of these claims,” Singer told Reuters. Singer previously represented actor Charlie Sheen, and he previously defended Bill Cosby against sexual assault allegations.
• The accused: Harvey Weinstein, the filmmaker whose alleged conduct has sparked something between a national conversation and a national crisis about sexual assault and harassment. Reporting in the New York Times and The New Yorker suggests that Weinstein engaged in sexually predatory behavior, including rape.
His response: Weinstein denies allegations but has conceded he needs help for his problematic behavior.
His lawyers: Most famously, though no longer, Weinstein was represented by star litigator David Boies. Boies announced that he and Weinstein had terminated their relationship after The New Yorker reported last week that the Boies Schiller Flexner chairman contracted with former Israeli Mossad agents to derail the publication of a New York Times article about Weinstein. The New York Times soon announced it had ended its relationship with Boies and his firm.
Last week Weinstein, who is facing an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, hired criminal defense lawyers Blair Berk of Tarlow & Berk in West Hollywood, California, and Benjamin Brafman of Brafman & Associates in New York. In civil litigation against his former company, Weinstein's legal team is headed by Patricia L. Glaser, the powerful Los Angeles attorney who had previously threatened a wrongful termination suit against The Weinstein Co.
For the plaintiffs: Jeff Herman of Herman Law in Boca Raton, Florida, represents actress Dominique Huett, who has appeared in the television series “Blue Bloods.” Huett filed a complaint against The Weinstein Co. in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that Weinstein sexually assaulted her and that the company knew enough to stop such attacks.
Gloria Allred, well known for pursuing sexual harassment and assault allegations on behalf of women victims, represents Mimi Haley, a former production assistant who alleges Weinstein sexually assaulted her. Notably, Allred is the mother of Lisa Bloom, who drew headlines when she first defended Weinstein, and later quit the filmmaker's legal team. Allred is also representing the fifth woman to accuse Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of preying sexually on teens earlier in his career.
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