Bobby Samini

Last updated
Bobby Samini
Bobby Samini, 2017.jpg
Samini in 2017
BornOctober 12, 1970 (1970-10-12) (age 54)
Education University of Southern California
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (JD)
Occupation Trial attorney
Website Bobby Samini on Twitter

Babak"Bobby"Samini (born October 12, 1970) [1] is an Iranian-American trial attorney and the managing partner of the Samini Firm. Samini has been described as a "celebrity attorney". [2] He has represented many high-profile clients, including serving as lead counsel to former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in the highly publicized litigation with the National Basketball Association, TMZ, and V. Stiviano. [3] Samini has also represented Grammy Award winning rapper T-Pain and DJ Paul of the Oscar winning hip hop group, Three 6 Mafia. [4]

Contents

Background

Samini graduated with a degree in political science at the University of Southern California in 1992 and received his J.D. degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1995. [4] Samini has been admitted to practice law in the State of California since 1996. [1]

Notable clients

Donald Sterling

Samini received national media coverage after serving as lead counsel to former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, in litigation with the NBA, TMZ, and Sterling's ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano. In April 2014, website TMZ released an audio recording of a man reported to be Sterling making racial remarks to V. Stiviano, following an Instagram post featuring Stiviano and basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. [5] In the recording, the man believed to be Sterling, is heard saying: "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?" and "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." [6]

If you're going to come after Sterling, maybe it's time for the NBA to take a close reflection on their own conduct.

— Bobby Samini, The Today Show , June 10, 2014

Following a public outcry, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling would receive a lifetime ban from the NBA, fined $2.5 million by the league, and forced to sell the team. [7] On August 14, 2014, after an unsuccessful appeal attempt by Sterling, the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer for $2 billion was finalized. [8] In response to the NBA's decision, Samini called the NBA a "band of hypocrites", citing previous discriminatory conduct by the NBA, and suggested the organization "take a close reflection on their own conduct." [9]

In addition, Samini also served as co-counsel to Sterling in his probate and divorce proceedings with wife Shelly Sterling. [10] In March 2016, Samini informed the Los Angeles Times that "notwithstanding all the difficult events of the last two years, the Sterlings have resolved their differences" and decided not to proceed with their divorce. [11]

On November 6, 2015, a Los Angeles judge granted TMZ's request to be dismissed from the case, ruling that TMZ had a right to release the tape because it concerned an issue of public interest. [12] On March 22, 2016, a federal judge dismissed Sterling's antitrust lawsuit against the NBA. [13] The judge concluded that Sterling could not "show that the NBA parties deprived him of a constitutionally protected interest." [14] In response, Samini released a statement, stating that "it is impossible to believe that, in any other circumstance, a private conversation could be recorded and distributed without an individual's consent or that private medical information could be made public in this manner all without consequence." [14] Despite the setback, Samini announced that Sterling "remains committed to the cause." [13]

Representation of royal families and sovereigns

In 2019, Samini represented Kuwait Interior Minister Khaled Al-Sabah, a member of Kuwait's royal family, when he was defrauded out of a $163 million investment while purchasing a Beverly Hills mountain. [15] Al-Sabah alleged that the previous owner "duped him into thinking he would get a 50 percent cut from his years-long investment in the property." [16]

On July 16, 2020, the United States Justice Department filed a forfeiture complaint against the 157-acre undeveloped hilltop. The Justice Department accused Al-Sabah of illegally transferring more than $100 million to invest in and buy the assets. [17] "My client denies any wrongdoing whatsoever. Any suggestion that my client was involved in any illegal activity is incorrect. Mr. al-Sabah will continue to pursue his legal claims against Mr. Noval in the civil action", said Samini. [18]

Noteworthy cases

Cher lawsuit

Samini represented financial management firm SAIL Venture Partners LLC against a breach of contract action by singer and actress Cher [19] in June 2016. According to the complaint, her trust invested $1.3 million for clean technology partnerships and claimed SAIL misrepresented the companies' performance to accrue additional fees. [20] Cher claimed that SAIL made "risky and unsound" financial investments through "malicious and fraudulent" business decisions. [21] The allegations included breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and professional negligence claims. [22] The lawsuit was dismissed January 2018. [23]

Zillow class action

Zillow is a "modern day Animal House."

—Bobby Samini,—Bloomberg Television, December 4, 2014.

Samini represented several class action plaintiffs against online real estate database Zillow, alleging violations of California Labor Code and California Business and Professions Code. Among numerous allegations, Zillow was accused of failing to pay wages, failing to pay overtime pay, and failing to provide meal and rest breaks. [24] On February 26, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California certified the class to include anyone who worked as an inside sales consultant at Zillow between November 2010 and January 2015. [25]

Along with attorney Mark Geragos, Samini also represented a former Zillow employee in a sexual harassment action against the company, alleging "sexual torture" [26] and "the most heinous acts of sexual harassment imaginable." [27] According to the lawsuit, Zillow's Southern California office represents an "adult frat house where sexual harassment and misconduct are normalized, condoned, and promoted by male managers." [26] [28] On May 5, 2016, Zillow settled the action for an undisclosed amount. [29]

Mitsubishi class action

Samini served as lead counsel for a Mitsubishi dealership owner with four locations in Southern California in a multimillion-dollar litigation against Mitsubishi Motors North America. [30] Among the allegations, the lawsuit alleged that Mitsubishi forced dealerships to stock more cars than could be sold, resulting in millions of dollars in extra finance charges. [31] Samini claimed the increased inventory cost his client $10 million and that the "impermissible increases in new car inventory at Cerritos Mitsubishi continue to this day." [32]

Media appearances

On-air commentary

Samini has appeared on multiple national news television programs to provide legal commentary, including Anderson Cooper 360° , NBC's The Today Show with Matt Lauer, and FOX Business Network's Cavuto: Coast to Coast with Neil Cavuto. [33] [34]

In addition, Samini has appeared as a guest on Good Day L.A. , CNN's New Day with Chris Cuomo and Bloomberg Television's Street Smart with Trish Regan. [35] [36]

Publications

Samini has published articles and contributed legal commentary for multiple news websites including The Huffington Post , [37] Law360, [38] and LawNewz by Dan Abrams. [39] In addition, Samini has been interviewed by ESPN, the Los Angeles Times , Slate , and Forbes . [40] [41] [42]

In April 2018, Samini appeared in Modern Luxury Magazine. [43]

Charitable organizations

Samini currently sits on the board of directors of the UC Berkeley School of Law Civil Justice Research Initiative [44] and the board of directors of the Orange County Gang Reduction & Intervention Partnership. [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Clippers</span> National Basketball Association team in Inglewood, California

The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The team plays at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, as of the 2024–25 NBA season. Previously, the Clippers played their home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 1999 to 2024, which they had shared with NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elton Brand</span> American basketball player (born 1979)

Elton Tyron Brand is an American former professional basketball player and the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball for Duke, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, and later played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. He was a two-time NBA All Star and an All-NBA Second Team selection in 2006.

Mark John Geragos is an American criminal defense lawyer and the managing partner of Geragos & Geragos, in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doc Rivers</span> American basketball coach and player (born 1961)

Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NBA All-Star and was named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History.

Michael Joseph Dunleavy Sr. is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and former general manager of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers. He was most recently the head coach of the Tulane University men's basketball team. Dunleavy is the father of former professional basketball player Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Donald T. Sterling is an American attorney and businessman who was the owner of the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball franchise of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zillow</span> American real estate website

Zillow Group, Inc., or simply Zillow, is an American tech real-estate marketplace company that was founded in 2006 by co-executive chairmen Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, former Microsoft executives and founders of Microsoft spin-off Expedia; Spencer Rascoff, a co-founder of Hotwire.com; David Beitel, Zillow's current chief technology officer; and Kristin Acker, Zillow's current technology leadership advisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Lynam</span> American basketball coach

James Francis Lynam is an American former college and professional basketball coach. He coached at the college level for Fairfield University from 1968 to 1970, American University from 1973 to 1978, and St. Joseph's University from 1978 to 1981. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), Lynam coached the San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers from 1983 to 1985, the Philadelphia 76ers from 1987 to 1992, and the Washington Bullets from 1995 to 1997. Lynam compiled a 158–118 record at the college level, and 328–392 in the NBA. He was also Philadelphia's general manager from 1992 to 1994.

James F. Goldstein is an American businessman who attends a large number of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, typically in courtside seats, including many home games for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. He also travels to watch games, especially during the NBA playoffs, and often attends post-game press conferences. His passion for the NBA has been featured in USA Today, the Detroit Free Press, the Canal Street Journal, the Arizona Republic, and ESPN The Magazine.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has faced a multitude of criticisms from sports publications, fans, and its own players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Silver</span> American businessman and NBA commissioner

Adam Silver is an American lawyer and sports executive who serves as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the league, becoming chief operating officer and deputy commissioner under his predecessor and mentor David Stern in 2006. When Stern retired in 2014, Silver was named commissioner.

Carl Edwin Douglas is an American civil rights, wrongful death, personal injury, employment, and criminal defense attorney specializing in police misconduct cases. He is best known for being one of the defense attorneys in the O. J. Simpson murder case, who were collectively dubbed the "Dream Team". Douglas was the managing attorney at the law office of Johnnie Cochran Jr., before leaving to establish The Douglas Law Group in 1998. The practice is now known as Douglas / Hicks Law. Douglas' other notable clients have included: singer Michael Jackson, actors Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah, former NFL safety Darren Sharper and rappers Tupac Shakur and Sean "Puffy" Combs.

Irving H. Levin was an American film producer and business executive with the National General Corporation. He was also the owner of the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers.

Richard Andrew Roeser is the former president of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He also served as the alternate governor of the Clippers, representing the team in league matters among the NBA's Board of Governors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James T. Butts Jr.</span> American politician and retired police chief

James Thurman Butts Jr. is an American politician, currently serving as the mayor of Inglewood, California. He rose through the ranks of law enforcement in Inglewood during the 1970s and 1980s, eventually becoming a Deputy Chief. He then worked as the Chief of Police in Santa Monica, California from 1991 to 2006. Butts then took a public safety position with Los Angeles World Airports in 2006. He was elected mayor of Inglewood in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 with an 84% vote. He led efforts to renovate and reopen The Forum and develop a plan for SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Hollywood Park.

Kasowitz, Benson & Torres is a New York law firm founded in 1993. It employs 350 lawyers and maintains offices in several states. The firm focuses on product liability litigation, corporate, family and employment law, as well as intellectual property, bankruptcy and creditors' rights. The firm's notable clients have included Donald Trump, Robert De Niro, Celanese, ArvinMeritor, Liggett Group, Enron, WorldCom and Mia Farrow.

The 2013–14 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 44th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), their 36th season in Southern California, and their 30th season in Los Angeles. The team finished with a franchise record of 57–25, earning them the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. It was also the last season under Donald Sterling's ownership, as after the regular season ended and during their trip to the Playoffs, a leaked conversation with him that happened before the season began came to light involving controversial and racial remarks against black people, especially toward that of former Lakers player Magic Johnson.

The National Basketball Association has undergone several rounds of expansion in the league's history, since it began play in 1946, to reach 30 teams. The most recent examples are the additions of the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in 1988; the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic in 1989; the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995 ; and the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. In September 2024, Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the NBA would have discussions about a potential expansion of the league sometime during the 2024–25 season though not during the league's 2024 fall meetings, with an ESPN article stating that a number of factors including the potential sale of the Boston Celtics has led the league to go slower with the expansion process. In addition, the article stated that the potential expansion teams may begin play in the 2027–28 season should one occur.

The 2018–19 Los Angeles Clippers season was the 49th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), their 41st season in Southern California, and their 35th season in Los Angeles.

Clipped is an American sports drama television miniseries, created by Gina Welch and based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs. The series premiered on June 4, 2024, on FX on Hulu. It focuses on the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, amid the team's drive to win a championship under coach Doc Rivers. The miniseries received generally positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 "Babak Samini (aka Bobby Samini) #181796". State Bar of California . Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  2. ↑ "exclusive-celebrity-attorney-bobby-samini-retained-by-holli-hartman-vs-taryn-manning".[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "TMZ dismissed from Donald Sterling lawsuit". Daily News . 6 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  4. 1 2 "Bobby Samini". Samini Scheinberg PC. Archived from the original on 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  5. ↑ Price, Satchel (2014-05-30). "The complete Donald Sterling saga timeline". SB Nation . Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  6. ↑ "NBA investigates alleged Sterling racist talk". ESPN. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  7. ↑ "NBA Bans Donald Sterling 'For Life' After Racist Rant". Time . Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  8. ↑ "Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling and wife decide not to divorce". Los Angeles Times . 11 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  9. ↑ Wills, Kerry (10 June 2014). "Donald Sterling attorney: The NBA is 'a band of hypocrites'". Today . Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  10. ↑ "Donald Sterling Can't Call Foul In Clippers Sale To Ballmer". Law360. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  11. ↑ "Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling and wife decide not to divorce". Los Angeles Times. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  12. ↑ "TMZ dismissed from Donald Sterling lawsuit". New York Daily News . 6 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  13. 1 2 "Donald Sterling's legal battle with the NBA will continue despite setback, his attorney says". Los Angeles Times. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  14. 1 2 "Judge Dismisses Donald Sterling's Case Against Wife, NBA". Los Angeles Business Journal . 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  15. ↑ "Kuwaiti royal was defrauded of $160M investment in Mountain of Beverly Hills: lawsuit". The Real Deal . 9 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Kuwaiti royal was defrauded of $160M investment in Mountain of Beverly Hills: lawsuit". The Real Deal. 9 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Stolen Kuwaiti Money in Beverly Hills 'Mountain,' U.S. Says". BloombergQuint. 16 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "$100-million forfeiture claim puts the Mountain of Beverly Hills back in the spotlight". Los Angeles Times. 17 July 2020.
  19. ↑ "Courthouse News Service Entertainment Law". Entertainment Law Digest. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  20. ↑ "Cher's Trust Calls Investment Co.'s Promises 'Hogwash'". Law360. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  21. ↑ "Cher sues financial firm over bad investments". Complete Music Update . Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  22. ↑ "Cher Sues Financial Firm for Fraud After $1.3 Million in Investments". The Hollywood Reporter . 8 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  23. ↑ "Payment Services - Online Services". LA Court. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  24. ↑ "Zillow Escapes Worker's $5M OT Class Action Under Landers". Law360. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  25. ↑ "Class Action Certified As to Zillow Consultants for Unpaid Overtime - Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog". 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  26. 1 2 "Mark Geragos: More Zillow employees victims of sexual harassment". HousingWire Magazine. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  27. ↑ "Zillow settles sexual harassment lawsuit". HousingWire Magazine. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  28. ↑ "Zillow Is a 'Modern Day Animal House': Attorney Samini". Bloomberg.com. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  29. ↑ "Zillow settles lawsuits regarding employees at Irvine sales office". L.A. Biz . Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  30. ↑ "Dealer Claims Mitsubishi 'Channel Stuffing' Cost Millions". NBC News. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  31. ↑ "California dealer sues Mitsubishi over inventory". The Washington Times . Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  32. ↑ "California car dealer sues Mitsubishi over inventory". Uncover California. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
  33. ↑ "Sterling's attorney on private investigators - CNN Video". CNN . 14 June 2014.
  34. ↑ "Today : KNTV : June 10, 2014 7:00am-11:01am PDT". 10 June 2014.
  35. ↑ "Zillow Is a 'Modern Day Animal House': Attorney Samini". Bloomberg.com. 2014-12-04. Archived from the original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  36. ↑ "Attorney Bobby Samini on ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca's corruption case". FOX 11 Los Angeles. 2 August 2016.
  37. ↑ "Bobby Samini". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  38. ↑ "Secret Tape Recordings: State Law Can Seal Your Fate". Law360. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  39. ↑ "Legal Implications of Samsung's Huge Recall of Galaxy Note 7 Phones". LawNewz. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  40. ↑ "Bobby Samini, Donald Sterling's Lawyer". ESPN. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  41. ↑ "Donald Sterling's legal battle with the NBA will continue despite setback, his attorney says". Los Angeles Times. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  42. ↑ Vardi, Nathan. "How Rochelle Sterling Got Donald Sterling's Medical Records To Claim Control Of The Clippers". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
  43. ↑ "RVOC April 2018 Page 101". Modern Luxury Magazine.
  44. ↑ "Board". Civil Justice Research Initiative. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  45. ↑ "Board of Directors – OC Grip" . Retrieved 2019-06-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.