The sons of late concert promoter Bill Graham were denied a stake in music memorabilia and a trademark that they allege was stolen by the executor of their father’s estate. The dispute arose from an early 90’s settlement which ended a battle over Graham’s estate and ultimately sold the company that Graham founded. The sons claim the items were the personal property of their father and were rightfully theirs under the will. However, the trial court held that the disputed pieces of property belonged to the company, particularly since they were all paid for by company funds, and were legally purchased by the successor entity which bought the bought the business in 1994. Lawyers for the sons stated they were disappointed in the ruling and planned to appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
See Bob Egelko, Judge dismisses suit by Bill Graham’s sons over inheritance, San Francisco Gate, October 12, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
