Paramount Threatened with Prosecution Over Conspiracy

Responding to Paramount's allegations of a financial conspiracy, Hollywood power lawyer Marty Singer has a warning for investors: "If co-financiers want to make deals with Paramount, this is what is going to happen."

Marty Singer, the attorney representing Content Partners in a huge lawsuit against Paramount over alleged profit participation cheating, tells The Hollywood Reporter that he will be looking to file malicious prosecution claims against Paramount and its attorneys.

On Thursday, as THR reported earlier, Paramount filed counterclaims in a three-year-old lawsuit that alleged that JPMorgan colluded with an asset management company to interfere with the studio's rights in a series of film-financing transactions. The court papers say that JPMorgan provided insurance-backed financing for a slate of late 1990s film and after realizing that the loans weren't risk-free, came to a secret arrangement with Content Partners.

"In last two months, we've uncovered approximately $100 million that hasn't been reported," he says. "In response, they filed this absurd, ridiculous cross-complaint that we believe will subject Paramount and its attorneys to malicious prosecution."

Singer says he's been practicing law for 35 years. "This is the most absurd thing I've ever seen," he says.

He says that Paramount has known about the transaction between JPMorgan and Content Partners for years. "We have documentation," says the attorney, adding that Content Partners was a competitor when Paramount engaged in negotiations to buy back financial participation on hit films like The Truman Show, Face/Off and Runaway Bride. The suggestion of a conspiracy is an "absolute lie," says Singer.\
He says that even if Paramount is correct with its new allegations, the studio won't be able to recover money, as the funds would then be due to JPMorgan.

"This is chutzpah," says Singer. "It would be like someone robbing a bank and then suing the victim."

Not stopping there, Singer issued a warning to any financier who would do business with Paramount.

"I think for co-investors, this is an important wake-up call.

Read  the third amended complaint... http://www.scribd.com/doc/146354943/Content-Partners-3rd-Amended-Complaint

Read More... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/paramount-threatened-malicious-prosecution-conspiracy-564762

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Lawsuit Principal Tried to Get Rid Teacher by Writing a Fake Letter

A Manhattan principal tried to get rid of one of his teachers by concocting — and misspelling — a letter from a “conserned” parent accusing the educator of pedophilia, according to a lawsuit.

The May 2012 missive, allegedly received by the principal and placed in teacher Jennifer Levy’s personnel file, charged her with “improper flirtations with students,” making inappropriate remarks on her Facebook page, and “act[ing] sexy in front of her class.”

But the letter actually was penned by Independence HS Principal Ron Smolkin, Levy claims in a $2 million Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit filed last week.

It’s the second time Smolkin, 48, has been accused of writing a fake letter to sandbag a teacher.

Michael McPherrin, who retired from the school last year, claims the principal targeted him after McPherrin, a teachers-union rep, tried to suggest improvements at the school.

Smolkin allegedly sent an anonymous, handwritten letter to McPherrin’s co-op board, accusing the teacher and his partner, Andre Lopes, of “lur[ing] young boys” to “infect them with AIDS,” according to the couple’s 2011 Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit. Handwriting analysis later confirmed Smolkin had written the letter, McPherrin charges.

“It’s shocking that this man has not been removed,” said McPherrin, who’s seeking $2 million.

A city Department of Education spokesman said Levy’s allegations are under investigation. The city says McPherrin’s complaint was “unsubstantiated.”

Read More.... http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/boss_faked_letter_to_ax_me_teacher_c2qvthPJlbfvcxZE9hDkYN