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Glaser Weil Partner Sean Riley is a veteran litigator representing a wide array of clients in high stakes cases in the fields of entertainment, healthcare, intellectual property, real estate, securities, insurance coverage and bad faith. He is sought after for his consistent success as a commercial litigator in attaining favorable outcomes in complex and contentious cases.
Mr. Riley has a track record of winning the pretrial stages with compelling and persuasive briefs or, where the need arises, at trial or arbitration, through aggressive presentation of the client’s case.
Mr. Riley received a Bachelor’s of Economics and a Bachelor of Law degree from Sydney University. He was a civil litigator in Sydney prior to coming to the United States and being admitted to the California State Bar.
He has been selected for inclusion in Southern California Super Lawyers for nine consecutive years, has been featured in Best Lawyers in America for seven consecutive years and was named a local “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation for five consecutive years.
Represented Revlon in defending and successfully resolving national consumer class action lawsuit involving labeling and marketing of their cosmetic products.
Represent Prime Healthcare, the largest for profit hospital group in Southern California, in multiple complex consolidated litigation cases against licensed health plans seeking recovering of tens of millions of dollars of unpaid hospital services charges.
Represented Prime Healthcare, in pursuing an arbitration recovery of acquisition-related payments owed by a previous owner of a hospital. Successfully obtained a judgment for Prime in the total amount claimed of $2.7 million, including recovery of all attorneys fees and costs.
Represented former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Tenet Healthcare in defense of a securities class action lawsuit against Tenet and certain of its officers and directors asserting claims for securities fraud, insider trading and making false statements in registration statements. After extensive discovery and motion practice, the case settled on favorable terms for the client.
Represented former CEO and chairman of the Board of Tenet Healthcare, in connection with an SEC investigation concerning disclosures in financial reports and alleged improper trading in Tenet’s securities. At the conclusion of its investigation, the SEC declined to initiate any action against the client.
Represented the County of Los Angeles in its successful fight to stop oil drilling, in violation of Proposition A, in a local city. Successfully obtained permanent injunction against this project.
Trial counsel for cartoon character owner Marsu BV in a U.S. District Court action against Disney for breach of contract, fraud and breach of implied covenant. Case was tried to a verdict in favor of the client for $10.4 million, plus attorneys fees and interest. Verdict affirmed on appeal. Disney hired the Glaser Weil firm based upon this result.
Represented major gaming company MGM Mirage in U.S. District Court action alleging breach of contract and bad faith claims against its insurance carrier arising from tens of millions of dollars in losses and damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Miss. After obtaining key discovery rulings and following extensive depositions, the case was favorably settled for the complete mid-eight figure amount claimed.
Represented Fidelity National Title Company in defense of a U.S. District Court class action claim asserting unfair competition claims in connection with Fidelity’s role as a settlement and escrow agent for mortgage transactions for a four-year period. Following successful motions to dismiss the plaintiff class complaints and attacks on class certification, the case settled on favorable terms.
Representing self-help legal services company LegalZoom.com in defense of a class action case asserting claims for alleged unfair and deceptive business practices related to disclosures and the form of contract utilized by LegalZoom. After motion practice and discovery related to class certification, we were able to reach a settlement for the client.
Represented television producer Endemol in defending class action litigation asserting unfair competition claims involving text games featured on the show “Deal or No Deal.” With briefing on class certification issues pending, the case settled on favorable terms to the client.
Representing FremantleMedia Australia, producer of The X Factor Australia, in a tortuous interference and unjust enrichment lawsuit brought by a music company over performer Samantha Jade’s involvement and win on the show. Successfully argued for a motion to dismiss based on jurisdictional and forum non conveniens grounds.
Represented Baby First TV in defending U.S. District Court action brought by Israeli and European children programming networks, asserting copyright and trademark infringement claims related to BFTV’s 24/7 children’s programming broadcast in the U.S. After extensive fact and expert discovery and in the face of our summary judgment motion, the case settled on favorable terms to the client.
Represented the producer of a TV network in defending copyright and trademark infringement claims by a Japanese network related to a successful reality show series. Following the filing of our summary judgment motion, the case settled on favorable terms to the clients.
Represented the owners of a large Los Angeles hospital in an arbitration action against pharmacy defendants asserting breaches of an acquisition agreement for defendants’ pharmacy business. Case settled favorably with a settlement payment to the client of $2.25 million.
Represented plaintiff Bank of America in action for breach of insurance contract and insurance bad faith involving a major insurance company’s refusal to contribute to the settlement of six underlying complex securities and real estate cases across the country. Multi-million dollar settlement achieved for the client prior to trial.
Represented former chairman and co-chairman of telecommunications company Global Crossing in defense of action brought by JPMorgan Chase Bank, on behalf of a consortium of lenders, alleging fraud in connection with Global Crossing’s borrowing of $1.7 million. After extensive motion practice and discovery involving approximately 50 lender banks, the case settled on favorable terms to our clients.
Represented former co-chairman of Global Crossing in connection with an SEC investigation related to Global Crossing’s alleged accounting practices and procedures. After extensive document discovery and depositions, the SEC ultimately closed its investigation and determined not to file any criminal or civil charges or complaints against our clients.
Represented former chairman and co-chairman of Global Crossing in this action brought by the Global Crossing Estate Representative alleging, among other things, claims for breach of fiduciary duty arising out of the bankruptcy of Global Crossing. The case settled on favorable terms to the clients.
Lead counsel for Carolco Pictures in binding arbitration of audit claims against electronics company, Pioneer based upon the distribution in Japan of certain Carolco films (including “Terminator 2” and “Basic Instinct”). Case favorably settled for multi-million dollars.
Represented German television distributors in defense of an action for breach of contract, fraud, interference with contract and related torts brought by the alleged creator of a television series. Won summary judgment for the clients.
Represented TV host Bob Barker in defense of employment claims. Successful in obtaining summary judgment in favor of Mr. Barker and this ruling was upheld on appeal.
Defended new company, California Slim, in defense of U.S. District Court action for false advertising, unfair competition and injunctive relief brought by major dietary company, Slim Fast, and countersued Slim Fast for anti-trust violations. Case settled favorably to the client before trial.
Represented the Australian National University and several of its linguistics professors in defense of a U.S. District Court action for copyright infringement brought by the competing author of a treatise on linguistics. Our motion to dismiss the action against our clients was granted in full in a published decision.
Injunction Granted in Oil Drilling Case
500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, 2022
Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star, 2015-2023
Best Lawyers in America, 2013-2023
Southern California Super Lawyers
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Rated
"FDA Publishes New Warning Letters to Cosmetics Manufacturers Echoing Last Year's Uptick in Scrutiny," March 10, 2017