Why ‘Bones’ Victory vs Fox Won’t Result in Copycat Lawsuits – or at Least, Not Winning Ones

February 28, 2019Media Mention
The Wrap

“Bones” stars and executive producers were awarded $179 million earlier this month in a profit participation lawsuit with Fox that ended up in arbitration — but don’t expect a sudden surge of copycat lawsuits, experts tell TheWrap. At least, not successful ones.

Attorney Bert Fields, partner at Greenberg Glusker, offered another theory as to why you won’t see many copycat lawsuits prevail: studios will think twice about letting legal disputes go to arbitration.

“Maybe studios aren’t going to be so anxious to arbitrate in the future,” he said. Fields characterized “Bones” case arbitrator Peter Lichtman’s harsh words in his 66-page ruling — in which he accused three Fox executives of perjury — as “something a judge rarely does.”

“This seems to be a case where somehow these people and the studio side just drove this arbitrator up the wall,” Fields said.

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