Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, passed away this year after a tragic accident at the age of 46. Worth around $850 million dollars at his death, Tony has become well-known for the critical mistakes he made in his estate planning. It turns out Tony died without a will (of course!) and instead left “thousands” [Read More ...]
Kobe Bryant was not only a famous basketball player, but also a businessman, brand-builder, and investor. I wasn’t surprised to learn that he had a well drafted estate plan prior to his untimely death at the age of 41. Kobe had a trust to protect his assets, reduced estate-tax liability, and pass his wealth to [Read More ...]
One of pop-culture’s favorite newsmen, Larry King lived a colorful life (married 8 times!!) and his estate is proving to be just as exciting (Well, at least for me, lol). It turns out that he scribbled down a few sentences during his last divorce. As every reader of this blog already knows, a handwritten last [Read More ...]
Cardi B is heading to court to defend the picture on her first album, Gangsta B---h Music Vol. 1. Kevin Brophy Jr., is suing Cardi B for $5M and alleging that she misappropriated his likeness by using his back tattoo as part of the album artwork. He argues that Cardi B used the tattoo in [Read More ...]
It can’t be easy to have a famous sibling. Both Mariah Carey’s brother, Morgan Carey, and her sister, Alison Carey, have filed lawsuits against Mariah arising from her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. The pop-star’s brother alleges “defamation and the intentional infliction of emotional distress” and her sister states that the novel included “cruel [Read More ...]
After 24 years of marriage, Dr. Dre (is he really a doctor?) and his soon to be ex-wife, Nicole Young, are calling it quits. Dre’s lawyer recently filed legal documents asking for a five-day trial to determine the validity of their prenuptial agreement. It appears that Young wants the prenuptial to be declared invalid as [Read More ...]
Joe Robbie, the former owner the Miami Dolphins passed away in January 1990. The bulk of his estate was tied up in the Dolphins, and he had clearly not been reading my newsletters. Riddled with family fighting, Robbie’s children were forced to sell the franchise at a deeply discounted price in order to pay the [Read More ...]
I guess we all could predict this fracture of union, but as a lover of love (don’t laugh) it’s sad to see. Still, there is so much to learn from these two. We’ve all heard that Kanye’s mental state has been a topic of discussion and while I don’t have an opinion on the matter, [Read More ...]
Tom Carvel (yes, of Carvel Ice Cream), the creator of soft serve ice cream and one of the founding fathers of the franchise system in America passed away in 1990 with an estate valued at $67 million. A sticky mess, with over 18 years of litigation and more than 40 attorneys involved, around $28 million [Read More ...]
Many of us were saddened to hear that the Argentinian soccer star, Diego Armando Maradona, died in November at the age of 60. Arguably the one of the greatest soccer players of all time, after his death, Argentina issued a three-day period of mourning in honor of his passing. Known to live large, Maradona’s estate [Read More ...]
Just a few months ago, Erika Girardi (AKA the pop singer Erika Jayne of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) shocked us all by filing for divorce from her husband of 21 years, attorney Tom Girardi. Mr. Girardi is famous for his 1993 Pacific Gas and Electric Company case; yep, the same case that inspired [Read More ...]
Can you imagine a Court ruling that you’re banned from using your own name and social media accounts due to a dispute with your bosses? (The right answer is, it depends if you’ve had a lawyer review your employment agreement or not). Hayley Paige Gutman, a celebrity wedding gown designer and “Say Yes To The [Read More ...]
This hits a little too close to home. Now y’all know my (not so) secret love of reality TV and my passion for the law, but this story is a troubling mashup. A Miami Judge, the Honorable Carroll Kelly, of the 11th Judicial Circuit, is facing ethics charges for allowing the producers of a reality [Read More ...]
I binged the Crown recently (don’t be so judgy LOL. In episode 4 of Season 4, The Queen sets up meetings with each of her four children to see them, for the first time, as humans and decide who is her “favourite.” This got me thinking about our estate planning and the roles we usually [Read More ...]
Does any good deed go unpunished? That’s what Reese Witherspoon is probably thinking. I'm thinking that maybe she should have paid more attention at her Legally Blond training contracts-course. Back in April 2020, Reese Witherspoon's brand, Draper James, shared an Instagram post inviting teacher to apply for a free dress. The initiative was meant to [Read More ...]
The masterminds behind the series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Ken Spears (age 82) and Joe Ruby (age 87) died within three months of each other of natural causes earlier this year. Of course, their production company produced several other animated series including Alvin and the Chipmunks, Superman and Thundarr the Barbarian, but Scooby Doo is [Read More ...]
There’s so much going on in the world, including a new Real Housewives franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah. Missed the premier? No worries, I’ll fill you in. This story started in 1961, when Rosemary "Mama" Cosby felt a call to preach and set out with her four small children by foot from Indianapolis to [Read More ...]
Did we know Hawaii had a princess? Native Hawaiians consider the 93-year-old heiress a princess because she's a descendant of the family that ruled the islands before the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893. Side note, I wanna be a princess..... Abigail Kawananakoa's $215 million trust has been tied up in a guardianship court [Read More ...]
It may not be a bad idea given today's climate. At least one comedian, Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson, required his audience to sign a $1 million nondisclosure agreement. Whether the agreement is enforceable is a separate topic, just the merefact that it's out there is noteworthy, in my opinion. Not only are fans prohibited [Read More ...]
If you haven't wondered at least once this year, "Did Carole Baskin kill her husband?" we need to talk. In the Netflix show, "Tiger King," we were all introduced to the world of big-cat lovers featuring Joe Exotic and his arch-nemesis, Carole Baskin. (For real, if you haven't seen this show yet, do yourself a [Read More ...]
The headlines caught my eye also. As the story is told, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle filed a lawsuit against Netflix (and others involved in the Enola Holmes movie) for copyright and trademark infringement regarding the Sherlock Holmes material. Conan Doyle wrote 4 novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes and Enola, his [Read More ...]
If you haven't heard what's going on in the world of Soccer, let me tell you, it's more riveting than reality TV these days. Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players E.V.E.R., is (maybe) leaving Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I'm tellin' ya! Messi's departure is a big deal as [Read More ...]
Look what they made her do. Taylor Swift has emerged victorious in a $1 million lawsuit accusing her of screwing over a New York realtor, with a judge siding with the singer and throwing out the case. Swift, in her defense, argued that she never signed a contract. According to Swift, a Douglas Elliman broker [Read More ...]
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, has it in his contract that his character can't a lose fight in the Fast & Furious franchise films. In fact, his contracts specify how badly he can be beaten up on screen. It's clear that these clauses are to avoid looking "wimpy" or changing the narrative without [Read More ...]
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are fighting (again, sigh). What happens when they divorce, they're Florida residents and Kanye's too busy taking over the world and forgets to remove Kim as his beneficiary on his life insurance? According to Florida law, Kim, as the former spouse is not entitled to the benefits. Section 732.703 states [Read More ...]
I'm attempting to negotiate my first family-first approach to a family feud. This is where during the family feud process, specifically the beginning, the family takes a family-first, or rather, business first, approach to their control battle. I see it quite often, and it may actually be a known thing that I'm about to describe, [Read More ...]
Former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) and his ex-brother-in-law, Constantine Scurtis, are joint owners of a Miami-area real estate venture that reportedly owns and operates 5,000 units that are worth $1 billion. Scurtis claims that A-Rod squeezed him out of his ownership percentage and profits and the two have been battling it out in the [Read More ...]
