As the final chapter in Bird Marella’s successful representation of residents in a lawsuit against celebrity developer Mohamed Hadid, the Los Angeles Superior Court recently awarded the firm’s clients over $3 million in attorney’s fees and costs following arguments from senior counsel Shoshana Bannett and principal Elliot Harvey Schatmeier. Ms. Bannett and Mr. Harvey Schatmeier, along with principals Gary Lincenberg and Ariel Neuman, have represented the clients in the long-running and highly publicized litigation since 2019.
Contrary to Hadid’s post-trial spin, the March 2023 ruling stated:
“[I]t is easy for the Court to conclude that Plaintiffs prevailed in this action against Defendants, as a jury verdict was rendered in their favor. Further, the Court has already concluded on many occasions that the structure presented an immediate danger to Plaintiffs, surrounding neighbors, and a main access road to Bel Air, i.e., Stone Canyon Road. Thus, the Court finds… that Plaintiffs were the prevailing party in an action which resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest, specifically the public’s right to safety and the public’s interest in governmental enforcement of statutory regulations relating to construction projects and building safety.”
The ruling follows Bird Marella’s trial victory in 2021, in which a jury awarded millions in damages to the firm’s clients. Prior to the trial, the firm obtained an order for the demolition of the mega-mansion, which the California Court of Appeal affirmed in March 2021. Bird Marella also secured the complete dismissal of a specious counterclaim suit valued at nearly $30 million.
Click here to view the Court’s ruling.
