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Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP partners Tony Bisconti and John Littrell, with a crucial assist from paralegal Garrison Giali, scored a complete defense verdict last week in a personal injury trial against NBA All-Star James Harden.

The plaintiff, a self-proclaimed paparazzo, claimed that Harden “angrily smacked” him as he attempted to videotape Harden outside a nightclub in Hollywood. The plaintiff alleged that he suffered “serious physical damage” and “permanent disability,” and claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, in addition to seeking punitive damages.

Harden completely denied the plaintiff’s claims. John and Tony dismantled the plaintiff’s story, revealing key inconsistencies and outright lies, and demonstrated that Harden could not have been the cause of his injuries. The jury agreed and came back in less than an hour with a unanimous verdict in favor of Harden.

As a perennial All-Star and former league MVP, Harden is one of the most popular and recognizable players in the NBA. Unfortunately, people with that level of success and visibility become easy targets for frivolous lawsuits by plaintiffs hoping for a quick payoff. BKLW has a successful track record defending high-profile clients against these types of actions, whether by intervening early enough to avoid a lawsuit altogether, obtaining pretrial dismissal of a case, or, where necessary and as was the case here, prevailing at trial.

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Tony Bisconti

Tony Bisconti

Tony Bisconti is an experienced trial attorney representing businesses and individuals in all aspects of litigation.  His main practice areas include bankruptcy, complex civil and insolvency litigation, investigations, and white-collar criminal matters.  He has substantial experience leading cases in all phases of litigation, including trials, contested matters, evidentiary hearings, arbitrations, […]

John L. Littrell

John L. Littrell

John represents individuals and businesses in high-stakes disputes. A specialist in white collar defense and investigations, John has handled all types of fraud cases as well as public corruption and bribery offenses, violations of international trade and export laws, anti-kickback statutes and regulatory offenses.  He also represents both relators and […]

Garrison Giali

Garrison Giali

As an experienced litigation paralegal, Garrison supports attorneys in all phases of litigation, trials, and appeals in federal and state jurisdictions across the United States.  As a member of BKLW’s criminal defense practice, Garrison has confidently navigated pre-indictment investigations, government enforcement actions, and white-collar criminal cases from inception through trial.  […]

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