Sean Hardy

Sean Hardy is a seasoned litigator, routinely handling “bet the company” litigation.  He represents clients in a range of industries across all stages of the litigation process and has a proven record of courtroom success at both the trial and appellate levels, resulting in several published opinions. 

As a dealmaker, Sean draws on his extensive litigation knowledge to close difficult exit packages for high-level executives and talent in the entertainment industry. 

Representative Experience

• Spearheaded the successful defense of a complex federal class action.  After strategic discovery and motion practice, over the course of five years, Sean successfully moved for summary judgment after the class had already been certified.  What little remained of the plaintiffs’ case quickly resolved for a mere fraction of what they had demanded.
• Obtained a preliminary injunction against the heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, preventing them from working for a competing record label until they had recorded their contractually obligated final album for Sean’s client.  Due to Sean’s efforts, the case resolved and Five Finger Death Punch recorded their new album to great acclaim and success.
• Achieved a substantial arbitration award for a well-known Hollywood screenwriter, which he successfully upheld on appeal.  Sean formulated a litigation strategy from inception to verdict against the screenwriter’s former entertainment attorney, who has been unlawfully performing legal services for years without informing his client that his law license was inactive with the State Bar.  The entertainment lawyer attempted to defend himself by claiming he was acting as a “manager” and not a lawyer.  However, Sean was able to marshal irrefutable evidence, including the testimony of his client’s talent agents, to demonstrate the unauthorized practice of law.  As a result, the writer was awarded disgorgement of the legal fees he had paid.
• Successfully obtained summary judgment for his client, a record label, in a multi-million-dollar music royalties dispute.