Law Firm Is Fined in Shandling Suit

A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday fined a law firm representing comedian Garry Shandling in his bitter conflict-of-interest lawsuit against his former manager, Brad Grey, after a Shandling lawyer tried to get one of Grey’s executives to answer questions about Chris Rock, Bill Maher, Cher and other clients Grey has represented.

The $4,500 fine was levied against Howard, Smith & Levine of New York by Superior Court Judge Ralph W. Dau, who said the questions were “calculated to harass.” It stemmed from a December deposition in which lawyer Theodore R. Posner questioned Marc Gurvitz, co-president of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, about the firm’s termination of relations with Rock and Cher.

Shandling sued Grey last year for more than $100 million, alleging that his friend and business partner for 18 years improperly used his relationship with Shandling to make sweet deals for himself. Grey countersued for $10 million. A trial is scheduled for June 30.