Irvine, CA – May 26, 2023 — Less than two hours after the parties finished their closing arguments, a federal jury in the United States District Court for the Central District of California returned a complete defense verdict in Rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris’s battle against toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment. Mr. Harris and his family sought $100 million for their claims MGA infringed the trade dress of his daughter’s band, the “O.M.G. Girlz,” when it created its hugely successful L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls.
MGA’s team of Keller/Anderle attorneys Jennifer Keller and Chase Scolnick made quick work of the Harris Parties’ witnesses. Mr. Scolnick’s blistering cross-examination of Tameka “Tiny” Harris forced her to concede she falsely accused MGA of publicly announcing its intention to create a line of dolls based on the O.M.G. Girlz, and forced her to recant her claims she entered licensing negotiations with MGA, admitting during cross-examination that the negotiations never happened.
In her closing argument on Friday, Ms. Keller, a prominent, nationally recognized trial attorney, sealed the Harrises’ fate by dismantling their alleged trade dress, which they claimed included “millions” of distinct looks. Ms. Keller stressed that MGA’s original and innovative dolls were expressive works deserving of First Amendment protection. The jury agreed. Shortly before they returned their verdict for MGA, the jury asked the judge if they were allowed to award MGA its attorneys’ fees.
Keller and Scolnick’s resounding win follows their trial victory on behalf of actor Kevin Spacey in the Southern District of New York in 2022. Keller/Anderle LLP is among the premier boutique trial firms in the United States, handling high-stakes jury trials of all types, including commercial, intellectual property, securities, bad faith, white collar, real estate, antitrust, entertainment/sports, legal malpractice, and insurance recovery/bad faith. The firm represents individuals, closely-held corporations, and some of the nation’s largest corporations.