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Tag: Lisa Kudrow lawsuit

  • Lisa Kudrow Loses In Court; Must Pay Ex-Manager

    It certainly hasn’t been former Friends star Lisa Kudrow’s day, week, month, or even her year.

    After testifying in court about owing millions to her ex-manager, the verdict came back against the 50-year-old actress.

    In a 10-2 decision, the jury awarded the plaintiff Scott Howard $1.6 million. Howard had sued Kudrow over claims that she had reneged on a verbal agreement made in 1991. The agreement was that Howard would continue to receive a percentage of royalties earned by Kudrow even after they parted ways.

    Howard was fired in 2007, but took Kudrow to court a year later when she refused to pay the ex-manager over $50,000 in fees. Despite being together for 16 years, Howard said that Kudrow moved to immediately cut him off shortly after they dissolved their professional connection.

    According to court documents, Kudrow’s lawyers argued that the money sought was not something she was required to pay as Howard had been a manager, not an agent. They said that because of this distinction, Howard was not entitled to a commission on income earned after his firing.

    The jury didn’t agree, siding with Kudrow’s manager. Unless Kudrow wins on appeal, she will be out $1.6 million.

    Kudrow’s attorney Gerald Sauer dismissed the outcome as, “merely one step in the legal process.”

    “This case ultimately will be resolved at the appellate level,” said Sauer. “Ms.Kudrow has faith in the judicial system, and she believes that the eventual outcome of this contractual dispute will be in her favor.”

    Howard’s lawyer Mark Baute remains confident that the decision will stand even beyond Kudrow’s impending appeal.

    “What generally happens now with unsophisticated actress clients is they overpay for filing a frivolous appeal that has no chance for success. The verdict is rock solid, and we look forward to collecting 10 percent, 16,000 dollars a month, in post-judgment interest while their frivolous appeal is pending.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lisa Kudrow Loses Battle Against Ex-Manager, Plans to Appeal

    Lisa Kudrow finds herself in an unfriendly battle with her ex-manager Scott Howard. Howard claims Kudrow and he made an oral agreement that ensures that he still gets paid a percentage of her earnings from Friends’ residuals. Howard states that he was owed  five percent of Kudrow’s continued payments from Friends reruns. He argues that because she obtained the job while still being represented by him, he deserves some of those residuals. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles County jury agreed. They ordered Kudrow to pay Howard $1.6 million in residuals from starring in the hit NBC sitcom.

    Howard managed Kudrow for 16 years (1991-2007), and received over 11 million dollars from her. The trial originally began in 2008; the judge ruled in favor of Kudrow. However, in 2012, during the appeals trial, it was determined that the judge excluded some important testimony. One of Howard’s witnesses, Martin Bauer, a Hollywood agent, testified that managers continue to receive payment on any work their clients take while still being managed by them. He stated that the only money a manager should not acquire from an ex-client is any obtained by the client after the manager’s termination.

    Kudrow claimed that she only agreed to pay commission on the first round of residuals. The trial mainly focused on whether it is standard practice for a manager to continue to get residuals even when his relationship with the client ends. Originally Howard believed he could obtain as much as 8 million dollars from Kudrow in post-termination fees. Eventually, the jury ruled he should only receive 1.6 million. However, Kudrow’s attorney Gerald Sauer plans to file an appeal.

    In an Inside Edition video, Howard’s legal team believe that he won the case because the jurors concluded he was more “creditable than Ms. Kudrow.” They went on to further state that Howard was very honest and never changed his testimony or demeanor.

    When asked about the dollar amount, he said he was “very pleased.”

    Image via Lisa Kudrow, Facebook

  • Lisa Kudrow Loses Lawsuit, Must Pay $1.6 Million

    Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame lost the civil lawsuit her former manager filed against her. The jury awarded the plaintiff in the case, Scott Howard, $1.6 million. Howard filed the suit, claiming he was owed residual payment from Kudrow’s days on Friends.

    In a 10 to 2 decision in favor of Scott Howard, the jury determined the actress is liable for breach of contract.

    Howard was Lisa Kudrow’s manager from 1991 to 2007. He said during a court hearing that after 16 years of working together, she simply stopped paying him. His attorney argued on his behalf, saying he was owed a percentage of what she earned on Friends as well as from additional projects.

    Lisa Kudrow’s lawyer Gerald Sauer made the following statement once the jury’s decision was read.

    “The jury’s verdict is merely one step in the legal process. This case ultimately will be resolved at the appellate level. Ms. Kudrow has faith in the judicial system, and she believes that the eventual outcome of this contractual dispute will be in her favor.”

    Scott Howard’s attorney Mark Baute made a statement as well.

    “What generally happens now with unsophisticated actress clients is they overpay for filing a frivolous appeal that has no chance for success. The verdict is rock solid, and we look forward to collecting 10 percent, 16,000 dollars a month, in post-judgment interest while their frivolous appeal is pending. We will collect that interest for two years, which is how long it will take for the Court of Appeal to affirm this jury’s righteous verdict.”

    Lisa Kudrow’s attorneys fought Scott Howard’s charges, saying she was responsible to pay him following the end of their professional partnership because he had been her manager and not her agent. That meant he was no longer entitled to any commission.

    When Kudrow debuted in her role as Phoebe Buffay on Friends in 1994, she was one of the lowest paid of all the Friends actors, making just $13,500 per episode. When the show ended in 2004 she was earning more than $1 million per episode. It sounds like Scott Howard has just been cut a decent sized piece of that pie.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons