Lisa Kudrow Ordered To Pay $1.6 Million To Former Manager

Lisa Kudrow has lost a lawsuit against her ex-manager, Scott Howard, and has been ordered to pay him $1.6 million. The Friends star was sued in 2008 by Howard after he was terminated from his position as her manager in 2007.

Howard claimed that he was owed 5% of Lisa Kudrow’s earnings relating to continuing residuals and pre-agreed arrangements during the time when he represented her. Due to the fact that all the said agreements were verbal Kudrow disputed them, claiming there were no such understandings in place.

The verdict against Kudrow only came after the case was taken to appeal. The original judge had ruled in favor of Kudrow, but in 2012 an appeals court claimed that the judge had not properly taken into account the testimony of Howard’s expert witness Martin Bauer.

When on the stand, the expert witness testified that mangers are paid perpetually on all events related to their clients during their tenure as their manager. Bauer told the jury that in Hollywood it wasn’t considered etiquette for managers not to be paid commissions when they were fired.

Bauer told the jury: “I would never make that deal. The only consequence of a termination is on future projects.”

From her side, Lisa Kudrow said that she had indeed demanded from Howard that he agreed to only be paid commissions on the first round of residuals. She said that Howard replied: “I can’t agree. I don’t do that for any of my clients,” but, she claimed, Howard relented, subsequently.

Lisa Kudrow was represented by Gerard Sauer who spoke to reporters about the fact that his client intends to appeal the decision: “The jury’s verdict is merely one step in the legal process. This case ultimately will be resolved at the appellate level. Ms. Kudrow has faith in the judicial system, and she believes that the eventual outcome of this contractual dispute will be in her favor,” he said.