Famous TV doctor Mehmet Oz—better known as “Dr. Oz”—recently accused his sister, Nazlim, of forging their late father’s will and stealing millions from his estate. A 2008 will left all of Mustafa Oz’s assets to the Mustafa Oz Foundation, a United States organization, and left Dr. Oz in charge of the foundation; however, Nazlim presented a new will dated 2018 after Mustafa’s death, which Dr. Oz claims is forged. Mustafa Oz passed away in Turkey in 2019, and litigation regarding his estate subsequently commenced in Turkey. Turkish prosecutors reportedly followed some of the money to bank accounts in at least three other countries. The Turkish estate dispute is proceeding alongside a…
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A FLORIDA JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKED THE RELEASE OF FULL HOUSE STAR BOB SAGET’S DEATH INVESTIGATION RECORDS—WHAT IF HE DIED IN NORTH CAROLINA?
Famous comedian and actor Bob Saget was tragically found dead in the bed of his Ritz Carleton hotel room in Orlando, Florida, on January 9, 2021, at age 65. As America was reeling from the sudden loss of their favorite TV dad, news broke that Saget died from blunt force head trauma, likely from an accidental fall in his hotel room. As is common in celebrity death cases—particularly where the death is the result of accidental trauma, such as in the case of Kobe Bryant—Saget’s family had concerns regarding the public release of the details surrounding his death. In February, Saget’s widow and three daughters sued the Orange County Sheriff’s…
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NO MORE COURT TIME FOR JORDAN “JUMPMAN” COPYRIGHT DISPUTE
Is there a better time than March Madness to talk about basketball? The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of a claim by photographer Jacobus Rentmeester that sports apparel company Nike infringed a copyright owned by Rentmeester. The Plaintiff created this photograph – Michael Jordan airborne dunking a basketball – for a Life magazine article covering athletes who would soon feature in the 1984 Olympic Games. Jordan, then a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina, would go on to play for the United States Men’s Basketball Team in the Olympics that summer. Nike later utilized a similar photograph of Jordan to create its…
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Congratulations to Trey Lindley and Satie Munn
Lindley Law is pleased to announce Trey Lindley was selected as a 2019 Super Lawyer in Estate and Trust Litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine, making this his eighth consecutive honor from the publication. Lindley Law is also pleased to announce Satie Munn was selected as a 2019 Rising Star in Business Litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine, her first such honor from the publication. Super Lawyers Magazine recognizes outstanding attorneys using a multi-step process that involves soliciting nominations from attorneys across North Carolina (lawyers are not allowed to vote for themselves), a third-party evaluation across 12 key categories, and a peer evaluation by a highly credentialed panel of attorneys. Finalists have attained a high…
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Can North Carolina Employers Compel Drug Testing and DNA Testing?
In December 2018, a Phoenix, Arizona woman, who spent the last fourteen (14) years in a coma, gave birth to a healthy baby. A police investigation concluded that, while in her comatose state, she had been raped multiple times. The staff at the healthcare facility where she was a patient stated that no one knew she was pregnant until she went into labor. In response to a search warrant issued to the employer, the employer requested that all male employees provide a DNA sample to determine whether the individual who impregnated the woman was a staff member. Without question, the facts of this investigation are shocking. However, it does…
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The Buzz About Aldrin’s Competency
On June 7, 2018, Buzz Aldrin, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and the second man to walk on the moon, filed a lawsuit against two of his children, Andrew and Janice Aldrin, and his former business manager, Christina Korp. The lawsuit responds to a May 2018 Florida Court filing in which Andrew Aldrin, Janice Aldrin, and Christina Korp requested appointment as Buzz Aldrin’s legal guardians due to Buzz’s “cognitive decline” and his recent episodes of paranoia and confusion. Buzz Aldrin’s lawsuit claims Andrew Aldrin and Christina Korp took control of his “personal credit cards, bank accounts, trust money, space memorabilia, space artifacts, social media accounts, and all elements of the…
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Stormy Daniels and Uber: How Nondisclosure Agreements Affect Your Rights
Lately the term “non-disclosure agreements” (or “NDAs”) have inundated the news. These secretive agreements are now forefront in headlines about Stormy Daniels’ alleged affair with President Trump and Uber’s evolving corporate culture in response to claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. This has left many non-lawyers wondering: why do parties enter non-disclosure agreements and how do these agreements work? NDAs are contractual agreements designed to keep specified information confidential. Such agreements list and/or describe the information prohibited from disclosure and the punishment for disclosing such information, often, a large sum of money known as liquidated damages. Generally, parties are free to enter a non-disclosure agreement regarding any information, except that…
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Harper Lee’s Estate Sues Aaron Sorkin’s Production of “To Kill a Mockingbird”: When Can Estates Sue and Be Sued?
Famed Hollywood writer, director, and producer Aaron Sorkin is on the defending end of a lawsuit brought by Harper Lee’s estate. The estate alleges that his adaptation of the Pulitzer prize-winning “To Kill a Mockingbird” strays too far in the story and the development of some key characters from the original 1960 best selling book. In case you haven’t read it (spoiler alert), “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a favorite among attorneys and the general public alike. At its heart, it is the story of a wrongfully accused African-American man in 1930s Alabama. With prominent local attorney Atticus Finch as his defense counsel, both men struggle with the prejudice and…
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The Limitations of Subpoenas: When are They Too Much?
Have you or your company ever been subpoenaed by someone and you wonder, “wait, why am I being dragged into their mess?” It seems unfair. Why should you have to take time out of your busy day to help someone else either pursue or defend their own lawsuit? Let’s face it, most people don’t want to be involved in litigation of any kind, let alone someone else’s litigation. There’s nothing to be gained and only time and money to be lost. However, a North Carolina Business Court ruling last year made clear that non-parties to the case should not be unduly burdened with subpoena requests or required to turn over…
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Don’t Let Legal Liability Cast a Shadow on Viewing the Solar Eclipse
You’ve probably heard by now about the total solar eclipse that will pass over the United States on Monday, August 21st, 2017. The path of totality is approximately 70 miles wide and stretches from Oregon to South Carolina, touching fourteen different states. A partial eclipse will be visible in every U.S. state. To see how the eclipse will look in your area, click here. With millions of American expected to travel to the path of totality, it is one of the most highly anticipated solar events in recent memory. What you might not have considered, however, are the legal implications of the solar eclipse. Don’t be an interloper. If…
