VAN NUYS, Calif., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MGA Entertainment owns the rights to the popular Bratz dolls and Mattel will have to pay it damages, according to a ruling Thursday from the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. The jury unanimously rejected all of Mattel's claims to the dolls and ordered Mattel to pay MGA $88.5 million for "willfully and maliciously" misappropriating trade secrets.
Jennifer Keller of Jennifer Rackauckas LLP, a four-person firm that specializes in criminal law, represented MGA in the trial. Ms. Keller and her team - including attorneys Allison Shalinksky and Annette Hurst and Thomas McConville of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe successfully beat Mattel's attorneys at Quinn Emanuel, which included named partner John Quinn, William Price, and Susan Estrich.
Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, said he turned to his entrepreneurial instincts in picking Ms. Keller after Mattel disqualified his existing counsel three weeks before trial.
"Can you imagine - she came to this case three weeks before trial, compared with Quinn Emanuel who has been on this case for about seven years - and she still won. I have seen many great trial lawyers in my life and Jennifer Keller stands right up there with the greatest. I highly recommend Ms. Keller as a lead trial lawyer for any complex litigation," Larian said. "I would also like to thank all of the attorneys at Orrick who worked with Jennifer for a job well done."
The ruling gives MGA Entertainment the undisputed right to continue making and selling the Bratz line of dolls that it conceived of and created.
Contact:
Susan Hale
MGA Entertainment
818/221-4326 shale@mgae.com
SOURCE MGA Entertainment