Paul Laurin

Representative Commercial Litigation and Trial Experience

• Lead trial counsel for an internationally renowned fine artist in a bench trial before a federal court against a publisher, agent and gallery owner resulting in a favorable judgment, including a seven-figure punitive damages award that resulted in multiple bankruptcy filings and successfully prosecuted personal non-dischargebility claims.*
• Lead trial counsel for a partner and co-owner of a sound engineering studio in a one-week jury trial that resulted in a winning verdict, including a six-figure punitive damages award by the jury.*
• Lead trial counsel for a television producer/screenwriter in a dispute arising over the development of a film project in which tort claims were asserted and successfully defended in a one-week jury trial.*
• Lead trial counsel for a cable network in the successful defense of claims of breach of production and distribution agreement and recovery of improper payments and distributions by the producer of lifestyle motorsports television programming.*
• Lead counsel for an international direct response advertising agency in the successful prosecution of claims arising pursuant to personal guaranties of multi-million dollar media purchase obligations.
• Lead trial counsel for a cellular phone billing software licensor in multiple arbitrations under service contract disputes resulting in the successful recovery of sums due under contract.*
• Lead counsel in an arbitration for an independent television producer in a dispute with a joint venturer independent production studio regarding the slate of development projects resulting in a successful negotiated resolution.*
• Lead counsel for a bank in a successful lawsuit and arbitration with a Beverly Hills landlord regarding a rental rate adjustment clause.*
• Lead trial counsel in the successful defense of an informal class of more than 40 Ponzi scheme victims in dozens of fraudulent transfer lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in recoveries.*
• Lead trial counsel for dozens of parties in federal and state actions for the recovery of fraudulent transfers under state and federal bankruptcy law.*

Representative Bankruptcy and Creditors Rights Experience

• Lead bankruptcy counsel in multiple representations of major media companies as executory contract counter-parties in contested chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of professional sports franchises.*
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for an entertainment programming streaming company in the bankruptcy of a cross-promotional partner in which it served as chairman of the Creditor’s Committee.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for a film development and production investor in a successful breach of fiduciary duty and fraud action in bankruptcy court, including a non-dischargeabilty action against the control persons.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for a media company and celebrity rights holder as executory contract counter-parties in the chapter 11 bankruptcy of an ecommerce platform provider.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for multiple affiliated cable and broadcast channels in the bankruptcy of three affiliated advertising planning and brokering companies action in which they served as a member of the Creditors Committee and subsequent avoidance.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for cable and broadcast channels in multiple chapter 11 proceedings in which cable affiliate operators filed for bankruptcy.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for a broadcast company in the chapter 11 bankruptcy of a brand licensee for a multisite restaurant business.*Lead bankruptcy counsel for a manufacturer of consumer products in post-judgment reorganization plan disputes and a contested confirmation with the judgment debtor found liable for bad faith trademark infringement.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for a personnel leasing company in disputes arising from theft of trade secrets and unfair business practices alleged against a former officer and employee who filed bankruptcy.
• Lead bankruptcy counsel for an international bank as secured lender in the confirmation of the successful creditors’ plan of reorganization of an Oscar® award-winning film production company.*
• Lead counsel for a secured lender and controlling shareholder in the successful sale of collateral assets of a medical services company through assignment for the benefit of creditors under California law.
• Lead counsel in an action to recover balances owed to a cable network arising from breach of a multiyear time-buy commitment by a producer of television programming, resulting in the successful contested assignment for benefit of creditors.*
• General receivership counsel for a court-appointed receiver of a 23-unit luxury condominium in Beverly Hills, California.
• Lead counsel in numerous cases for unsecured creditors in obtaining writs of attachment and temporary protective orders against account debtors, contract counter-parties and guarantors in a variety of industries, including real estate, lending, manufacturing, media and entertainment.*

*These matters occurred prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg.