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Local Attorney Represents Filmmaker in Wiretapping Probe

Attorney Todd Neal of Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel is wrapped up in a case that has all the makings of a great Hollywood flick.

There’s the roll call of celebrity names, familiar faces such as Sylvester Stallone, Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon. There’s the obligatory drama: accusations of illegal wiretapping and a courtroom guilty plea. And there’s even a crucial, nicknamed character: a detective dubbed “P.I. to the stars.”

Enter attorney Neal, who has been hired to represent “Die Hard” movie director John McTiernan, accused of hiring a private detective to illegally tap the phone lines of film producer Charles Roven in the summer of 2000. McTiernan and Roven were working on a remake of the movie “Rollerball,” a box office flop in 2002.

Although it was unclear why McTiernan would have hired private eye Anthony Pellicano to wiretap Roven, the case become a high-profile look into Hollywood’s inner workings.

In May, Pellicano was found guilty on 76 of 77 counts related to racketeering. He was accused of snooping on people who had initiated lawsuits against his clients such as the actress who filed a paternity suit against comedian Chris Rock.

McTiernan was accused of lying to FBI investigators when he told them he had no knowledge of wiretapping by Pellicano and had never discussed it with him.

McTiernan later pled guilty in April 2006 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He said he had lied to investigators when he denied hiring Pellicano, and also lied about hiring Pellicano in an unrelated case involving his ex-wife.

McTiernan later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea after hiring Neal to replace his former counsel, but a judge denied the bid.

Federal District Judge Dale Fischer sentenced McTiernan to four months in prison in September of 2007 for lying about his relationship with Pellicano.

Neal and local attorney Charles Sevilla filed an appeal, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered the case back to the district court for a full evidentiary hearing. There’s a classic twist to this tangled Hollywood plot: Neal said the defense team will argue that the recording that caused federal investigators to look into McTiernan was illegally done, by Pellicano.

“As a result, that recording, and everything that flows from it, must be suppressed,” Neal said.


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Law School Moves To East Village:
Construction began last week on the $68 million Thomas Jefferson School of Law building being erected at 1155 Island Ave. in the East Village.

The eight-story, 177,000-square-foot building designed by architect Fehlman LaBarre is expected to open for the 2010-2011 school year.

Organizers said the new law school, which replaces the school’s Old Town location, is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification as a “green” building.

Its modern design features outdoor terraces and spacious windows. Areas open to the public include a ground-floor caf & #233;, legal clinic and bookstore.

“We plan to be a vibrant part of the East Village,” said Dean Rudy Hasl. “We’re the last piece of the puzzle in this newly redeveloped setting of commercial and residential mixed use.”


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Foley Brings On Heller Clan:
David Kleinfeld, former co-chairman of the complex commercial litigation practice at dissolved law firm Heller Ehrman, said he’s looking forward to rebuilding a practice at Foley & Lardner.

Ten former Heller attorneys and one patent specialist joined the ranks of Foley’s litigation and intellectual property departments late last month.

They include former Heller partners Kurt Kjelland, Dan Silverman, Chad Fuller and Barry Tucker, along with former associates Tammy Boggs, Nicole Cunningham, Sam Hellfeld, Steve Moore and Richard Thill. Bob Palmer also joins the firm as a patent specialist. They will be split between the firm’s offices in Del Mar and downtown San Diego.

“We all had a great deal of appreciation for what we had accomplished at Heller Ehrman for all our clients,” Kleinfeld said. “We believe we can take the best of that experience and build on that.”

Foley’s intellectual property practice, comprised of about 240 attorneys, is consistently one of the top 10 firms nationwide.

Foley’s litigation practice is one of the largest in the country, including more than 450 attorneys who have experience in all aspects of complex litigation, arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution.


Send law-related news items to Heather Chambers, hchambers@sdbj.com.

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