KHIKS attorneys Michael Kump, Jonathan Steinsapir and Aaron Liskin, and paralegal Janet Glick, represented long-time KHIKS client Starz Entertainment in a jury trial against defendant DISH Network that commenced on April 22, 2013.
KHIKS filed the lawsuit in May 2011 in Douglas County District Court in Castle Rock, Colorado, asserting that DISH breached the parties’ Affiliation Agreement when DISH in February 2011—without Starz’s permission—gave away Starz’s premium programming free of charge for an entire year to over 10 million DISH customers. After more than a year of discovery, including numerous depositions of percipient and expert witnesses, and after extensive motion practice, including DISH’s unsuccessful efforts to preclude Starz’s expert witness on damages from testifying, the jury trial commenced on April 22, 2013 with Starz seeking damages of over $100 million.
Michael Kump presented Starz’s opening statement, and then Starz called several witnesses from both Starz and DISH to establish DISH’s breach of contract. While Starz was still presenting its case in chief, the parties settled the action during the second week of the jury trial. As a result, the jury was discharged and the action dismissed.
