Glaser Weil Represents Owners of Marilyn Monroe House in Newly Filed Litigation

Glaser Weil’s Peter C. Sheridan, Christopher Dacus and Jake Ragan are representing Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank, owners of a Los Angeles home that Marilyn Monroe owned for six months before committing suicide there 61 years ago, in newly filed litigation against the City of Los Angeles.

Among other allegations, the complaint focuses on the City invoking an unconstitutional “stay” of City-issued and vested construction permits, and its working with third parties (including for-profit tour operators and a local conservancy organization) to assure its desired outcome of “designating” the house an “Historic Cultural Monument.” The City is alleged to have also coordinated with an admittedly biased person to “act” as if she were an authorized agent of the City (though she was not and could not be) and prepare the required “nomination” for the historical designation. The City violated its own Municipal and Administrative code and other applicable laws with regards to the quasi-judicial process required for evaluation of alleged historic cultural monuments.

The litigation has been covered widely in the media, including The New York Times, L.A. Times, CBS News, NBC Los Angeles, The Washington Times, Business Insider and Law360, among others.