Oct. 17, 2013
Patricia L. Collins
See more on Patricia L. CollinsADR Services Inc. Los Angeles Specialty: Entertainment law
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Collins often finds herself behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
The mediator and arbitrator for ADR Services Inc. works with studios and talent on entertainment cases ranging from celebrity business disputes and employment claims to idea theft. One such case this year included a dispute over the rights to a famous film so old, it was surprising its ownership was contested, she said.
?There are so many aspects to entertainment,? Collins said. ?It?s kind of an endless array of what?s out there.?
It all goes back to the healthy dose of entertainment disputes she saw during her roughly 16 years as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in Santa Monica, which included cases over the rights to the movies ?Easy Rider? and ?Sheena: Queen of the Jungle.?
Even the most mundane of cases can present challenges when celebrities are involved. This year, Collins worked on a ?run-of-the-mill? real estate nondisclosure matter in which a home buyer accused the celebrity seller of not listing defects on the property. But the case raised additional questions about whether or not the suit was being brought to extort the celebrity, who might rather pay the price than get bad press, Collins said.
?There?s the fine line between wanting to resolve a case because it makes sense for economic reasons and not wanting to be targeted by people who think that you are more likely to settle,? she said.
Collins also tackles labor and employment cases and, mostly recently, trademark and copyright matters ? an area that constantly teaches her about new innovations.
?One of the things about this business is that you really learn a lot about interesting, believe-it-or-not type facts.?
? Kylie Reynolds
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