Brian M. Grossman - Los Angeles, CA

Brian Grossman is a seasoned litigator with a broad range of trial and appellate experience. Brian focuses his practice on entertainment-related and complex business disputes.

Brian was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1968. He graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, and received his Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law in 1993, where he served as Co-Chief Justice on the Moot Court Honors Board.

Significant matters

• Represented Buddy Holly's heirs in a multi-million dollar royalty dispute against MCA Records. On appeal, Brian convinced the Court of Appeal that MCA had unilaterally applied an arbitrary "packaging deduction" to reduce the Hollys' royalties. The Court of Appeal invalidated the packaging deduction, which resulted in additional royalties due.
• Represented the plaintiff in a lawsuit wherein plaintiff alleged that he had co-created the hit television series Criminal Minds. The matter was resolved confidentially and out-of-court, to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.
• Represented the insured in a multi-million dollar insurance claim following a fire a Beverly Hills estate formerly owned by Kirk Kerkorian, Sylvester Stallone and Sonny & Cher. Brian obtained benefits for his client in excess of $11 million.
• Represented a contractor who agreed to construct a sports complex for California City in return for a parcel of land, re-zoned by the City for residential development. The City, however, refused to re-zone the land. Before Brian represented the contractor, the statute of limitations to file a money claim against the City had already lapsed, forcing Brian to sue for specific performance only (i.e., for an order forcing the City to re-zone). When the City later argued that an order forcing it to re-zone was unenforceable because it infringed on the City's sovereignty, Brian immediately asserted a monetary claim for rescission of the parties' contract, based upon the City's new illegality argument. The Court accepted the claim, and Brian tried it successfully, receiving an award of over $556,000, plus an attorneys' fee award of over $124,000.
• Represented the plaintiff and cross-defendant in a partnership dispute involving the purchase and development of land. When Brian was retained, the case had already been thrown out by the trial court. Brian prevailed upon the Court of Appeal to reverse the adverse judgment, and thereafter favorably settled the matter for his client.
• Represented the plaintiff in a breach of contract and fraud case in federal court, where he obtained a jury verdict in excess of $369,000, including more than $107,000 in punitive damages.
• Represented a defendant in a three-week bench trial, in which the court found no liability against his client on a $1.6 million construction project dispute.
• Represented the plaintiffs and cross-defendants in a two-week jury trial on a real estate dispute. His clients were awarded a large verdict that included punitive damages.
• Represented the defendant and cross-complainant in a four-week jury trial involving claims of wrongful termination and embezzlement. On the eve of trial, Brian settled his client's claims for $550,000. At trial, Brian obtained a defense verdict on all claims asserted against his client. Brian thereafter obtained for his client an attorney's fee award of $178,350. In granting the motion for attorney's fees, the trial court wrote that "the hourly rates charged are well-below the market rates for trial counsel of the experience and competence of [defendant's] counsel in this case, particularly counsel with the sophistication demonstrated throughout these proceedings to cogently address the issues presented and to so successfully represent his client in this convoluted and contentious litigation."

Personal

In his free time, Brian enjoys playing the piano, tennis and softball and rooting for his beloved but often heart-wrenching New York Jets.