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Personal Jurisdiction Determined in Suit for Legal Services

By Stan Soocher
January 29, 2010

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California determined, in a case transferred to it from a New York federal court, that the New York court properly exercised jurisdiction over California defendants, who had hired the plaintiff, a New York lawyer, for entertainment matters. Gurvey v. Legend Films Inc., 09-CV-942-IEG (JMA).

Defendants Barry Sandrew and Jeffrey Yapp first hired plaintiff Amy Gurvey for personal legal services, then to act as general counsel for their San Diego-based Legend Films, a restorer and colorizer of black-and-white movies and TV programs for re-release. But Legends terminated Gurvey's services in November 2002. She later filed suit in New York federal district court, in October 2008, alleging the defendants owed her stocks, $125,000 in salary and $100,000 in severance pay, as well as for her legal work for the individual defendants. The suit parties then stipulated to a transfer of the case to California.

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