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Paramount & Puzo Estate Settle ‘Godfather’ Suit

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday December 21, 2012 @ 1:12pm PSTTags: Bert Fields, Mario Puzo, Paramount, The Godfather

The war is over. Paramount Pictures and the estate of The Godfather author Mario Puzo have reached a settlement in their legal battle over new books and movies based on the Mafia classic. On Thursday, lawyers for both sides submitted a brief joint stipulation (read it here) to the U.S. District Court in New York asking for all claims to be dismissed. “This stipulation of dismissal with prejudice is pursuant to a settlement agreement among Paramount and Puzo and is not an adjudication on the merits of the claims or defenses of either party,” the stipulation said. No details of the settlement were made public.

This week’s deal comes after Judge Alison Nathan ruled on September 26 that Paramount, which released the original Godfather film in 1972 and its subsequent sequels, can make more movies about the Corleone clan if it still wants to. This legal war started in February when Paramount sued the Puzo estate to stop the publication of an “unauthorized” third Godfather sequel/prequel. In its suit, the studio claimed the book blemished the legacy of the films. In March, the estate countersued, claiming that the contract between Puzo and Paramount distinctly excluded book rights. The countersuit claimed that Paramount is in material breach of its contract with Mario Puzo. The two sides reached an agreement in May to allow the publication of new The Family Corleone book while the case went on. Richard Kendall and Nicholas Daum of LA firm Kendall Brill & Klieger represented Paramount in the joint stipulation. The Puzo estate is represented by Bert Fields of Los Angeles’ Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger.

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Weinstein Case Against Kevin Williamson To Proceed After Judge Overrules Dismissal

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday August 23, 2012 @ 12:20pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Kevin Williamson, The Weinstein Company

Hollywood litigator Bert Fields today announced what he called “a key ruling” in the case of The Weinstein Company vs. Kevin Williamson filed last April. He said California Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Murphy of the California … Read More »

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ROUND 2: Lawyer For Relativity Sends Nasty Letter To Lawyer For Weinsteins

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday April 20, 2011 @ 6:21pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Bertram Fields, Relativity Media, The Crow lawsuit, The Weinstein Co



EXCLUSIVE: Weinstein Vs Relativity Lawsuit Over Distribution Of ‘The Crow’ Remake; Relativity Calls Bros On ‘Intimidation Antics’

UPDATE: This just … Read More »

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EXCLUSIVE: Weinstein Vs Relativity Lawsuit Over Distribution Of ‘The Crow’ Remake; Relativity Calls Bros On ‘Intimidation Antics’

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday April 20, 2011 @ 2:38pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Bertram Fields, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Relativity Media, Ryan Kavanaugh, The Crow, The Crow lawsuit, The Weinstein Co

EXCLUSIVE… UPDATE with Relativity reaction below): My day was just made. Right now, there’s a lawsuit being carried to the courtroom clerk in Los Angeles filed by one of the most controversial indie movie moguls against still another most controversial indie movie mogul. Don’t you just love when this happens? Bert Fields is repping Harvey and Bob’s The Weinstein Co against Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media seeking injunctive relief and claiming there’s “a written contract signed by everybody” which gives the Weinsteins exclusive worldwide distribution rights on The Crow reboot. The original was distributed by the Weinsteins at Miramax back in 1994 and grossed $50.6M domestic. The Weinsteins and Kavanaugh went back and forth on “a number of issues” before the lawsuit was filed this afternoon. “Mr. Kavanaugh was not going to honor that contract. Apparently, he’s going to sell these rights to others. He made a bunch of threats,” Fields tells me. “Some people may submit to that kind of arrogant conduct, but we’re not going to do it. If anybody tries to buy these distribution rights in The Crow, they are buying nothing but a lawsuit and they will get sued.”  (The photo above is from Ryan and Harv in happier days…) 

Needless to say, Relativity Media really laid into the Weinsteins in this reaction statement: 

“This is yet another typical litigation stunt from the Weinsteins who have a long history of threatening law suits with the sole purpose of intimidation. If served, Relativity will seek immediate dismissal. While we expect these types of antics from the Weinsteins, we are shocked that a lawyer of Mr. Fields’ caliber would make such false, reckless and intentionally harmful statements to the press about Relativity and Mr. Kavanaugh. We intend to seek appropriate remedies for this misconduct. Clearly this is a feeble attempt to create a press stir and a malicious effort to interfere with Relativity’s development of the project.” 

When I asked Fields why Kavanaugh Read More »

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Weinsteins Hire Legal Pitbulls David Boies And Bert Fields For Ratings War With MPAA

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday November 18, 2010 @ 7:41am PSTTags: Alan R. Friedman, Bert Fields, Blue Valentine Rating, David Boies, Harvey Weinstein, Movie Ratings, Movie Ratings Dispute, Movies, MPAA Ratings, The King's Speech Rating, The Weinstein Co
Mike Fleming

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 18, 2010) – In response to the ratings given to two of its upcoming films, The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that it has engaged a formidable legal team to challenge the NC-17 rating for BLUE VALENTINE and the R rating for THE KING’S SPEECH given by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), according to TWC Co-Chair Harvey Weinstein.

Read More »

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Uma Thurman Settles £6M ‘Eloise’ Lawsuit

By TIM ADLER in London | Friday August 6, 2010 @ 6:41am PDTTags: Bert Fields, Eloise, Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman is keen to get Eloise up and running again. What’s not clear is whether Thurman will continue starring as Eloise’s long-suffering nanny or turn producer. Thurman had hired Bert Fields, Hollywood’s most feared showbiz lawyer, to represent her … Read More »

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Bert Fields Says He Won’t Have To Testify

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday April 17, 2008 @ 5:20pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Courts, Hollywood, LAPD Sgt Mark Arneson, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

trial-logo-smaller.jpgThe entertainment uber-litigator just confirmed to me that he was formally notified today. The lawyer for Pellicano trial co-defendant LAPD Sgt Mark Arneson had intended to put Fields on the witness stand. So Bert spent two days down at the Roybal federal building … Read More »

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Bert Fields To Testify Possibly Friday…

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday April 16, 2008 @ 6:21pm PDTTags: Agents, Bert Fields, Courts, Hollywood, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

bert-fields-roybal-2.jpg

So Hollywood’s uber-litigator Bert Fields keeps getting bumped, and bumped again, so the earliest he could take the witness stand in the Pellicano federal trial is Friday, according to my colleague Steven Mikulan who’s reporting on it for DHD and LA Weekly. Tomorrow, lawyers on both sides … Read More »

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Bert Fields Arrives At Pellicano Trial (…But He Doesn’t Testify)

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday April 15, 2008 @ 10:04am PDTTags: Bert Fields, Courts, Hollywood, Indie, LAPD Sgt Mark Arneson, Law, Media, Pellicano, Scandal

The Pellicano trial’s court session today was cancelled even though Hollywood superlawyer Bert Fields showed up to take the witness stand after being called by the defense attorney for LAPD Sgt Mark Arneson. (See photo below by Jim Stevenson exclusively for DHD.) So while Bert cools his heels, the defense … Read More »

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Defense May Call Bert Fields To Testify

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday April 10, 2008 @ 2:29pm PDTTags: Agents, Bert Fields, Courts, Hollywood, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

bert_fields_pic-smaller.jpgChad Hummel, defense attorney for LAPD Sgt Mark Arneson in the Pellicano trial, just told the court that he reserves the right to call entertainment superlawyer Bert Fields as a witness as … Read More »

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Pellicano Trial: Chris Rock To Testify

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday April 2, 2008 @ 5:17pm PDTTags: Actors, Agents, Bert Fields, Chris Rock, Courts, Hollywood, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

chrisrock.jpgChris Rock testifies Friday at 8 AM. I hear Michael Ovitz, and former journalists Bernie Weinraub and Anita Busch, will probably testify next week.

Very little of this week’s trial so far has focused on mainstream Hollywood business although some testimony … Read More »

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Feds Explain Their Bert Fields Snafu…

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday March 26, 2008 @ 9:23am PDTTags: Bert Fields, Courts, Hollywood, Law, P.R., Pellicano, Scandal

bert_fields_pic-smaller.jpgUPDATE: Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Saunders gave a statement to the media this AM trying to extricate himself from a sticky snafu: why he told federal court yesterday that Bert Fields was taking the Fifth Amendment if called to testify, and why … Read More »

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EXCLUSIVE! BERT FIELDS WILL TESTIFY (…And Won’t Take The Fifth)

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday March 25, 2008 @ 8:23am PDTTags: Bert Fields, Courts, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

bertfields1001.jpg2ND UPDATE: I just got off the phone with top Hollywood litigator Bert Fields who tells me, “I intend to testify. I have nothing to hide. I have not been subpoenaed but if I am, I will show up and testify.” … Read More »

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Brad Grey Heads To Pellicano Trial Thurs

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday March 19, 2008 @ 3:34pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, Garry Shandling, Law, Moguls, Pellicano, Scandal

greyx.jpgI can report that the federal prosecutors in the Pellicano wiretapping trial have told the Paramount chief it’s a very real possibility he’ll take the witness stand tomorrow to talk all about Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano. Because of that, the studio boss is heading to Roybal federal … Read More »

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Pellicano Trial: Michael Fuchs, Brad Grey And Bert Fields Mentioned By Doucett

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday March 19, 2008 @ 12:02pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, Garry Shandling, Law, Linda Doucett, Pellicano, Scandal

2ND UPDATE: Brad Grey May Testify Thursday…

trial-doucett.jpgUPDATE: Garry Shandling’s ex-girlfriend Linda Doucett, who has told the press she was victimized by Anthony Pellicano, left the Roybal federal building today … Read More »

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Pellicano Trial: Brad Grey Crops Up Again; Shandling Lawyer Answers Bert Fields

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Tuesday March 18, 2008 @ 2:21pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, David Boies, Garry Shandling, Law, Pellicano, Scandal

UPDATE: Garry Shandling’s Washington DC lawyer David Boies who represented the comedian in his lawsuit against Brad Grey responded today to Bert Fields’ statement which I posted yesterday. Boies told Allison Hope Weiner at The Huffington Post that Mr. Fields’ comment “misstates what the settlement provides”:

… Read More »

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Bert Fields Defends Brad Grey Against Garry Shandling’s Pellicano Testimony

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Monday March 17, 2008 @ 2:38pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, Garry Shandling, LA Times, Law, Pellicano

Famed Century City entertainment litigator Bert Fields today issued this statement in response to some of the charges leveled by comedian Garry Shandling in his Pellicano trial testimony last week as well as the coverage of it by the Los Angeles Times. Fields defended Grey during Garry Shandling’s conflict of … Read More »

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Brad Grey Replies To Shandling Testimony

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday March 13, 2008 @ 1:18pm PDTTags: Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, Garry Shandling, Law, Paramount, Pellicano, Scandal

Paramount chief Brad Grey has just responded to former management client Garry Shandling’s testimony this morning in the Pellicano wiretapping trial:

bradgrey20.jpg“I am extremely saddened by Garry’s recollection of events dating back more than a decade. His representation is very

… Read More »

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WHAT A MORNING! Garry Shandling Gives Brutal Testimony About Brad Grey And Bert Fields At Pellicano Wiretapping Trial

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday March 13, 2008 @ 8:23am PDTTags: Actors, Agents, Bert Fields, Brad Grey, Courts, Garry Shandling, Hollywood, Journalism, Law, Media, Moguls, Pellicano, Scandal, Studios

garryshandling.jpgHollywood feuds were front and center at the Pellicano trial today. Accusations were flung about former Hollywood manager Brad Grey, now the chief of Paramount, and his pitbull entertainment attorney Bert Fields, during comedian Garry Shandling’s testimony this … Read More »

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