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Sorayama dedicates this page to his fellow artists who hopefully will always find themselves in
business relations that care most about artists rather than easy money from their coveted creations.
Prominent International Artist, Hajime Sorayama, Prevails in Fraud and Conversion Case Against Publisher / Gallery of Robert Bane / Tamara Feuer - Bane before the United States Federal Court. A new related ongoing Chapter 7 case has now gone to Federal Bankruptcy Court where the debtor has hired multiple attorney firms to try to discharge the debt(s). Defendants’ business names are being modified and new ones have been created during litigation.
September 6, 2007: Artist Hajime Sorayama represented by Weiner & Laurin, LLP won a significant judgment awarding damages against his publisher Robert Bane Ltd. and Robert Bane personally due to Bane's failure to properly account for the proceeds from sales of 33 original paintings. The court also found that Bane was dumping cut rate Sorayama limited edition prints through Ebay. The United States District Court in Los Angeles found that Bane perpetrated a continuing fraud against the well known artist whose works are part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and Museum of Modern Art in New York. The total award included punitive damages against Bane personally of $1 million and a permanent injunction against further dumping. It was concluded that there was willfull and malicious injury by the defendants who caused harm to the plaintiff / artist.
After plaintiff Sorayama obtained a writ of attachment to secure the artist’s claim, Fabian Perez and Bane submitted a third party claim arguing that Fabian Perez art never belonged to Robert Bane Editions. The District Court denied the third party claim. In trial testimony, the Sales Director testified on behalf of the defendants who lost the case. The complete federal court rulings since September 2007, are available through the federal court system at central district 9 of California Federal Courts. Presiding Judge Florence Marie-Cooper
Link to Los Angeles Business Journal
Link to L.A TIMES Calendar Section Article
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