Lawyers

Legal Mishap Costs Romantics Band Member Heavily
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

In a recent ruling, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a trial court’s decision to impose triple damages on Mike Skill, a member of the renowned rock band, the Romantics. The penalty stemmed from a legal blunder where Skill’s new attorney inadvertently submitted a document identical to the opponent’s brief. The mishap occurred during a lawsuit accusing Skill of misappropriating royalty payments.

Background and Court Proceedings

The lawsuit, initiated by a company managing the Romantics’ affairs, Master Beat Inc., and fellow band member Walter Palamarchuk (known as Wally Palmar), alleged Skill’s improper diversion of royalties. The trial court, responding to the plaintiffs’ motion for summary disposition, ordered Skill to pay triple damages exceeding $232,300. This decision was upheld by the appeals court in an unpublished opinion issued on February 29.

Skill, recognized for co-writing the hit song “What I Like About You,” found himself in legal jeopardy due to his attorney’s inadvertent submission. Intended as an opposition to the plaintiff’s motion, the June 2022 brief turned out to be a replica of the plaintiffs’ submission. Despite efforts to rectify the error with an amended filing, the trial judge proceeded to grant summary disposition to the plaintiffs.

  
What
Where


Allegations and Financial Transactions

The crux of the lawsuit revolved around Skill’s handling of royalty payments. Allegations suggested Skill diverted payments directly to himself, bypassing the contractual protocol through Master Beat Inc. It was claimed Skill received substantial sums from entities like Sony Music Publishing and K-Tel International without proper authorization. Additionally, a withdrawal of $20,000 from a Master Beat bank account further fueled the accusations of financial impropriety.

Legal Counsel and Arguments

Skill’s legal predicament was exacerbated by a series of unfortunate events involving his legal representation. A change in attorneys, triggered by a previous lawyer’s attempt to withdraw due to unpaid bills, coincided with the filing mishap. The new attorney attributed the error to time constraints, her illness, and the paralegal’s oversight. Despite arguments asserting Skill’s rights to the funds in question, the court upheld the ruling, emphasizing the lack of a timely and properly filed response.

Don’t be a silent ninja! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Get JD Journal in Your Mail

Subscribe to our FREE daily news alerts and get the latest updates on the most happening events in the legal, business, and celebrity world. You also get your daily dose of humor and entertainment!!






 

RELEVANT JOBS

Attorney (civil and family)

USA-CA-Riverside

Trial and Appellate law firm, with social justice philosophy, seeking licensed attorney for litigati...

Apply now

Environmental Attorney

India-Delhi-Delhi

They focus on environmental rights and laws and may work on projects relating to renewable energy, s...

Apply now

Associate Attorney

USA-TN-Liberty

Attorneys advise and represent clients during civil or criminal cases. They provide professional adv...

Apply now

Senior Manager, Corporate Secretary's Office

USA-NY-New York City

Job Title:  Senior Manager, Corporate Secretary\'s Office   A little bit about our t...

Apply now

BCG FEATURED JOB

Locations:

Keyword:



Search Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with ...

Apply Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with 4-...

Apply Now

Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law and public ent...

Apply Now

Most Popular

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

To Top