Location: Culver City, California

Phone: 310-821-9000

Fax: 310-943-2764

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Leon Gladstone provides litigation and transactional expertise to the entertainment industry and also maintains a highly specialized entertainment insurance coverage practice.

Leon is one of the very best lawyers that I had the honor and privilege of having before me in the Los Angeles Superior Court.  He is in the top 10 of all the lawyers I have seen in trial in 27 years.  He was nothing short of magnificent – Retired Superior Court Judge

High Profile/High Stakes Litigation

Leon handles jury and court trials and arbitrations in and outside of the entertainment industry. Recent notable matters include:

• Tried a five-week jury trial to a defense verdict in a case brought by Media Rights Capital (MRC) against Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company arising out of the firing of Kevin Spacey from House of Cards (see below).

• Represented Britney Spears’ father in a lawsuit by her former manager claiming assault. Two week jury trial ended in a nonsuit against the plaintiff.

• Successfully represented Don Johnson’s former business managers in arbitration, securing a large award against the actor for breach of contract.

• Represented musician Chris Daughtry in a suit brought by his former bandmates over the ownership of several musical compositions.

• Won summary judgment in bad faith case against entertainment insurer arising of accident on set of the film Midnight Rider in which camera assistant was killed by a train, the court finding that the “criminal acts” exclusion in the policy barred coverage.

• Successfully represented film completion guarantor in arbitration brought by producer claiming breach of delivery obligations.

Representation of Entertainment Insurers and Guarantors

Leon represents the major insurance carriers and completion guarantors that provide coverage for features, television productions and concert tours. Leon is known throughout the industry as the “go to” lawyer when a film, television production or concert tour runs into trouble due to a loss. He regularly advises and litigates on behalf of companies that insure productions, touring acts and vendors. His expertise covers such issues as production interruption, cast losses, loss and damage of footage, sets and equipment, budget overruns, distribution and delivery issues, and related claims.

Leon recently made headlines when he successfully represented Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in a high-profile case involving the actor Kevin Spacey. The lawsuit arose out of the suspension and firing of Mr. Spacey from the Netflix show House of Cards. In late October 2017, an article appeared in Buzz Feed in which actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of making unwanted sexual advances on him 30 years prior. In the midst of this bad press, Media Rights Capital (“MRC”), the House of Cards producer, suspended Mr. Spacey, and Mr. Spacey checked into a rehabilitation facility for “sex addition.”

MRC made a claim to Fireman’s Fund under a cast insurance policy that covered extra expenses caused by production delays due to a covered cast member’s illness, eventually filing a suit against Fireman’s Fund seeking $29 million. After a five-week trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Fireman’s Fund, finding that the predominant or most important cause of MRC’s loss, was MRC’s business decision to distance itself from Mr. Spacey, not Spacey’s alleged “sickness.”

Entertainment Transactions

In addition to his representation of executive producers and other principal creatives of several animated TV series, Leon works with actors, directors, producers, writers, financiers and distributors, as well as a host of below-the-line talent, negotiating and documenting financing, production, distribution, talent, publishing, touring and live event agreements, sales of businesses, and related transactions.

Leon has achieved a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating. He was recently honored as one of America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators. Leon has been recognized by his peers as a Southern California Super Lawyer each year since 2008. Fewer than five percent of California lawyers receive this distinction.

A father of three, Leon enjoys surfing, skiing and martial arts, having earned a black belt in karate. He is also a student of yoga and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.