LA Lawyer to the Stars to Represent Alex and Ani in Lawsuits with Former Employees
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
Mark J. Geragos has represented the late Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder, Nicole Richie, and singer Chris Brown, and now he is petitioning Rhode Island courts to serve as counsel for Alex and Ani in two lawsuits with former employees.
UPDATED 2:20 PM Geragos' petition was approved and he will represent Alex and Ani before the court when the trial begins. Judge Michael Silverstein is presiding in the case.
The two lawsuits are unrelated— one of the suits was filed by former Alex and Ani COO officer David Medeiros. He is a former Rhode Island State Police Lieutenant and Assistant Adjunct General in the Rhode Island National Guard.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe other lawsuit is with Atom Media’s Mike Mota. According to an article in the Boston Globe, “Mota’s lawsuit also listed a litany of complaints, including that he and other employees were forced to meet monthly with a company psychic, a ‘self-proclaimed Master Intuitive’ named Jocelyn Coleman, who would report back to Rafaelian about their private lives. He said Rafaelian put on the company’s board an astrologer who picked the dates and times of store openings, slowing down the operation.”
But Alex and Ani filed a counter suit against Mota for defamation and claimed he was let go due to his “inappropriate and unprofessional management style.”
Geragos’ Record
Besides representing numerous Hollywood elite, Geragos also represented infamous killer Scott Peterson. “He really used our show to get sympathy for [then accused pregnant-wife killer] Scott [Peterson],” said Wendy Walker of Larry King Live.
“Mark is a master manipulator of the press,” said Walker, about Geragos. The TV ABC series Notorious is based on Geragos and he is an executive producer on the show, according to Deadline.
According to Geragos’ website, “Geragos is the only lawyer besides Johnnie Cochran ever named "Lawyer of the Year" in both Criminal and Civil arenas. California Law Business Magazine named Geragos "One of the 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California" three years in a row, and Geragos has repeatedly been voted by his peers as one of Los Angeles' SuperLawyers.
Mota’s Other Interests
In addition to owning Atom Media, Mota also is one of the managers of the Skyline at Waterplace Park. He is in business with former fired Providence City worker David Pontarelli.
As GoLocal reported in October of 2016:
In 2012, David Pontarelli was fired by the City of Providence for being a “no-show” worker and taking city property for use at a night club that he simultaneously managed, while working for the city.
GoLocalProv has learned that Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration has awarded a multimillion-dollar lease to group of companies - which include Pontarelli - giving him a management interest in Providence’s iconic Waterplace Park.
The contract was issued by the Parks Department and approved by the Board of Contract and Supply, which Elorza chairs.
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