A New York court ruled that Madison Square Garden Entertainment can’t exclude lawyers from events. MSG plans to continue barring lawyers while appealing Monday’s order.
Judge Lyle E. Frank decided that MSG’s policy discouraged attorneys from suing.
In October, MSG prevented Larry Hutcher and other lawyers from attending performances at the Garden, Hulu Theater, Beacon Theatre, and Radio City Music Hall because they represented a group of ticket resellers suing the organisation over an improper termination of season ticket accounts.
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Hutcher told East County Gazette that the provision was meant to discourage litigation. “Not with Dolan.” People who have a right to something hire a lawyer to fight for it, and it is against the law to try to stop them.
Ruling Impacts Firms That Sued MSG
Hutcher: “It hurts our business.” “Policy is unenforceable, they know.” Ebenezer Scrooge outlawed Christmas parties and performances. Thief shin-kicked.
MSG Entertainment put cold water on any notions of that type, noting the restricted nature of the injunction and the organization’s remaining right to refuse to sell tickets to attorneys involved in litigation against them or withdraw tickets previously issued to them.
Today, the Court affirmed our jurisdiction to deny Mr. Hutcher and other attorneys in an active lawsuit against the company entry and revoke any tickets they receive. “Additionally, we’ll defend this policy and our right to apply it, even if we have to appeal a “small carve out.”
Honour Valid Tickets
It is illegal to prohibit MSG from being used in concerts and plays. Venues must honour valid tickets when events start. But if a lawyer the organisation doesn’t want in the building buys a ticket, they may refuse to sell it or cancel it until the doors open.
During litigation, MSG seeks to avoid improper disclosure and discovery. “That’s why we made this rule, and we’ve said again that affected lawyers can come back after a court case.”
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The ruling had no impact on Hutcher’s clients or MSG. 24 ticket resellers say that MSG and its affiliates broke New York’s Arts & Culture rules by cancelling resellers’ season ticket accounts or tickets.
New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs rules protect purchasers from having their event tickets revoked for reselling them in-state. This year, Live Nation and MSG opposed it. Hutcher’s organisation represented ticket resellers in a similar action against the New York Yankees and obtained a settlement.
Days after the lawsuit was filed, Hutcher and his colleagues were banned from all MSG stadiums, sparking legal proceedings that ultimately led to this judgement.