GBW Secures $55 Million Verdict in Andrews v. Marriott Case
A Nashville, TN jury handed Erin Andrews a unanimous $55 million verdict, finding convicted stalker Michael Barrett 51% at fault and Marriott at Vanderbilt University 49% at fault.
The hotel and Andrews later reached a confidential settlement in April 2016. This high-profile trial, covered extensively by the media, helped shed light on the issue of online trafficking of non-consensual pornography. The case has prompted lawmakers in various states to address stronger protections against stalking and enact heavier penalties against anyone convicted of unlawfully photographing another person for sexual gratification. The verdict also resulted in significant changes to hotel procedures in order to ensure the safety, security and privacy of hotel guests all over America, including California.
The Nashville trial contributed to mobilizing efforts to pass a bill (HB 1779) under consideration in Tennessee that would require people convicted of illegally taking photos or videos of someone for sexual reasons to register as a sex offender. Andrews’ case also helped further efforts to introduce a bill in California called the Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act, or STALKERS. The goal of the legislation is to strengthen anti-stalking laws and empower prosecutors by increasing the scope of existing laws to cover acts of electronic monitoring, including spyware, bugging, video surveillance and other new technologies as they develop.
Helping Our Clients Tell Their Story & Get the Compensation They Deserve
Awards & Associations
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Named in Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms,” Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP ranks as Tier 1 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs in Los Angeles.
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Founding partners Browne Greene and Bruce A. Broillet are both members of the exclusive invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, as two of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in America.
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All of our attorneys are proud to be active members of the Los Angeles County Bar Association or LACBA.
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Many firm members have been honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, including Browne Greene, Christine Spagnoli, and Bruce Broillet, recipients of the Marvin E. Lewis Award. In addition, attorneys Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, Molly McKibben, and Tobin Lanzetta has been honored with the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.
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All 15 of our attorneys have been selected to Best Lawyers® after an extensive peer review process.
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Our attorneys were featured in TopVerdict for having one of the Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts in California in 2019, with $15 million won for the plaintiff in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club.
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Our firm has more attorneys on the Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists than any other law firm in Southern California, with 15 members selected.
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Several partners are active members in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, with attorneys Browne Greene, Bruce Broillet, and Christine Spagnoli named “Trial Lawyer of the Year."
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Firm partners Christine D. Spagnoli and Molly McKibben have both been honored by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and are active members.
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After winning $2.6 million for the plaintiff’s side in a head-on collision case, our victory was named in the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.
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Recipients of this recognition are held up to the same standards as for The Best Lawyers in America, but only legal professionals in the first ten years of their careers qualify. Four attorneys at GBW have been recognized with this award in 2021.
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Several of our partners are members in the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invite-only association consisting of the most experienced trial lawyers.
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Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, was featured by TopVerdict in the Top 100 Settlements across all practice areas in California for 2019.
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Our team includes several Fellows and Associates with the invite-only International Society of Barristers in recognition of their trial advocacy.
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Bruce A. Broillet and Christine D. Spagnoli are Fellows with the invite-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of elite trial lawyers from over 30 countries.
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A preeminent trial lawyers’ organization in North America, the American College of Trial Lawyers have elected firm partners Bruce Broillet, Mark Quigley, and Geoffrey Wells as Fellows.