Broillet was teed up and ready to take to trial this month a wrongful death suit on behalf of entertainment attorney Milton E. Olin Jr., fatally struck from behind while riding his bicycle in a bicycle lane by a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy apparently distracted by typing on his patrol car computer on Mulholland Highway in Calabasas in late 2013. The trial was set for Sept. 2 in Los Angeles until the court transferred the matter to the Van Nuys courthouse.
"We lost our trial date," said Broillet, who represents Olin's wife and sons. "We now expect a new date early next year." The suit alleges negligence by the deputy and Los Angeles County. Olin, 65, had been chief operating officer at music sharing service Napster from 2000 to 2002 and more recently was a founding partner at Altschul & Olin LLP in Encino. "I feel like I've gotten to know him as a result of this case," Broillet said. "This has been a devastating loss for the Olin family. He was a wonderful husband, a loving father and an outstanding lawyer." Olin v. County of Los Angeles, BC551857 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed July 16, 2014).
Broillet's major win this year was his $55 million jury verdict in March for client Erin Andrews, the Fox Sports reporter who sued the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University after a stalker secretly recorded her in the nude through a peephole. The stalker uploaded the video, and it has been viewed an estimated 17 million times. In April, the defendants settled for an undisclosed sum, a deal that avoided what would likely have been a lengthy appellate process. Andrews v. West End Hotel Partners, 11c-4831 (Davidson County (Tenn.) Cir., March 7, 2016).
Broillet also represents former University of Southern California assistant football coach Todd McNair in a long-running defamation suit against the NCAA. The case centers on sanctions the NCAA imposed as part of its investigation of USC Trojans running back Reggie Bush for accepting improper benefits. At one point, during the limited discovery that has occurred so far, Broillet found an email — which the NCAA tried hard to keep under seal — that described McNair as a "lying, morally bankrupt criminal." McNair v. NCAA, BC462891 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed June 3, 2011).
In March, the state Supreme Court rejected the NCAA's appeals of lower court rulings, allowing the lawsuit to proceed. It is expected to resume soon in Los Angeles County Superior Court, but the NCAA's challenge to Superior Court Judge Frederick C. Shaller, in part because he has a USC undergraduate degree, remains before the 2nd District Court of Appeal. "We expect that to be resolved pretty quickly," Broillet said. "We're looking forward to doing more discovery."
— John Roemer
For reprint rights or to order a copy of your photo:
Email
jeremy@reprintpros.com
for prices.
Direct dial: 949-702-5390
Send a letter to the editor:
Email: letters@dailyjournal.com