Epstein Becker Green achieved a victory on behalf of William Brockhaus in his breach-of-contract action against Luis Miguel, a Mexican singer and icon in Latin America.
In August 2011, the defendant invited the plaintiff, a longtime friend, to become his personal manager. The plaintiff agreed, and he and the defendant signed a personal services contract, effective July 1, 2012. The plaintiff quit his job of more than two decades so that he could dedicate himself to the defendant’s career. As a personal manager, the plaintiff helped the defendant cut tour costs, set up new contracts with vendors, and find business opportunities through endorsements and product placement. In February 2015, however, the plaintiff sued the defendant, alleging that the defendant breached their contract by not paying the plaintiff all the agreed amount of money—i.e., 10 percent of the defendant's gross income—for his services between 2012 and 2014.
After the Epstein Becker Green team presented the plaintiff’s case at trial, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the plaintiff on his breach-of-contract claim. The court found that the plaintiff and defendant’s contract, which included a “Payments and Commissions” section that entitled the plaintiff to a commission of 10 percent of the defendant's gross income, was in effect from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2014. Accordingly, in a judgment dated July 9, 2016, the court determined that the defendant owed the plaintiff a commission, attorneys’ fees, and costs totaling more than $1 million.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
