Fantastic Results in Hannah Montana Case

The firm represented NAACP Image Award winner Morris Taylor “Buddy” Sheffield in a breach of contract lawsuit against defendant ABC Cable Networks Group concerning the creation of the hit television show Hannah Montana. The firm beat defendant every step of the way, starting with early depositions of defendant’s development executives concerning the creation of Hannah Montana. The client later won tens of thousands of dollars in monetary sanctions related to a successful motion to remand the case from federal court (defendant had strategically removed the case based upon a copyright preemption theory). Upon remand to state court, the firm obtained an order requiring defendant to provide detailed financial discovery for Hannah Montana and defeated defendant’s motion to delay the trial. Defendant settled the matter on confidential terms less than four weeks before the jury trial was scheduled to commence in Los Angeles Superior Court.