NEW YORK –
An legal professional who has owned New York Knicks season tickets for almost 50 years has sued Madison Square Garden Entertainment claiming that he and almost 60 legal professionals from his agency had been barred from the corporate’s properties.
Larry Hutcher mentioned within the go well with filed in state court docket Thursday that MSG took the motion towards he and his partners at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP after he turned lead counsel for 24 ticket resellers who had been suing MSG for violating New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.
Two weeks later, Hutcher obtained a letter informing him that the attorneys had been barred and that his tickets, which he owned since 1976 and had already paid to resume for this season, had been revoked.
“Even although he faithfully renewed this subscription to his nice expense by means of zero championships, lengthy playoff droughts, postseason failures, and training musical chairs he was nonetheless summarily discarded by MSG with out warning solely as a result of he fulfilled his moral duties to his shoppers,” the go well with says.
MSG mentioned it instituted a coverage in June that precludes attorneys from corporations engaged in litigation towards the corporate from attending occasions at its venues till that litigation has been resolved.
“While we perceive that is disappointing to some people, MSG has each a proper and obligation to guard itself throughout litigation procedures,” an MSG spokeswoman mentioned in an announcement. “We can not ignore the truth that litigation creates an inherently adversarial setting, and an ancillary consequence of that’s our want to guard towards improper disclosure and discovery.”
The ban not solely applies to Knicks and Rangers video games at Madison Square Garden, but in addition concert events on the venue and its properties similar to Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater.
Hutcher’s go well with argues that there isn’t a have to worry any conflicts with attorneys attending occasions as a result of anybody working for MSG at one wouldn’t solely have to have information of any litigation, however would wish to have the authority “to bind MSG to a choice that may influence the topic litigation.”
“How many MSG staff fall into this restricted class?” the go well with says. “The odds of a person plaintiff discussing the topic of the litigation with that MSG worker are astronomical. There are higher odds of being struck by lightning or the Knicks successful the NBA championship this 12 months.”
Bans are usually not unusual at MSG beneath James Dolan. Even former Knicks star Charles Oakley obtained one after he was vital of the staff’s proprietor after which kicked out of the sector whereas attending a sport.
Besides financial damages, the go well with seeks Hutcher’s season tickets to be reinstated in time for this season and the ban towards the attorneys to be lifted instantly.