Legal Victory for "Dog" Chapman "Bounty Hunter"

The California Labor Commissioner deems Boris Krutonog an unlicensed talent agent and awards Chapman more than $500,000 in a long-running feud.

The parties have been informed by an attorney for the Labor Commissioner of a ruling that says that “Krutonog’s actions to recover a producer’s fee [on the Program]. . . was a veiled attempt to secure compensation for both managing and representing [the Chapmans]."

The ruling, which awards Chapman and his wife $534,450, comes five years after Chapman submitted his claim and an incredible 34 months after the case was submitted for decision. And according to Krutonog's incredulous attorney, it also comes after the judge who originally heard the case retired, leaving in doubt until now whether a ruling would ever come.

Now that it has, the ruling could impact an ongoing fight in New York court over producer fees from the A&E show and will kick off a new lawsuit to be filed later this week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Ultimately, the ruling by the Labor Commissioner favors Chapman's side. According to the decision that reviewed Krutonog's activities over the past two decades, "These activities reveal a pervasive and on-going effort by Krutonog to develop DDC's entertainment career by securing projects which also involved attempts to procure employment of DDC, and thus, the procurement of such employments constituted violations of the TAA regardless of other non-talent agency activities performed by Krutonog."

Besides the $534,450 award, the commissioner further ruled that Krutonog “be disgorged of all amounts [he] unlawfully received or will receive” from the production company "under the artists' agreement as the portions cannot be reasonably ascertained and apportioned according to the source of compensation."

Heres a copy of the ruling: http://www.scribd.com/doc/112472887/Chapman
Read More: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/dog-chapman-scores-big-legal-387379