Kendall Jenner turns to Quinn Emanuel in fight with Italian fashion brand - Reuters

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Jenner has hired two practice co-chairs at the litigation firm
Lawsuit claims she breached a modeling agreement when the pandemic led to canceled photoshoot

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Sept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. model Kendall Jenner and her management agency have tapped a pair of practice leaders at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to fend off an $1.8 million lawsuit alleging Jenner breached a contract with an Italian fashion label.

Defending Jenner in the Manhattan federal court fight are Alex Spiro, co-chair of Quinn Emanuel's investigations, government enforcement & white collar defense practice, and Maaren Shah, co-chair of the firm’s art litigation and disputes practice.

Spiro and Shah on Friday moved to dismiss the suit by Italian brand Liu Jo against Jenner, model management company The Society Management, and Elite World Group LLC, The Society's parent company. The Quinn Emanuel lawyers are also representing The Society and Elite World Group.

The case stems from a fashion shoot that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Liu Jo hired Jenner for two photoshoots for its 25th anniversary, its complaint said. The first was completed, but the second one, originally set for March 2020 in London, was derailed by travel restrictions.

The fashion brand, which says it has already paid $1.35 million to Jenner, alleged that it obtained no response from Jenner after trying to re-schedule the second one multiple times.

After Liu Jo filed suit in August, a spokesperson for The Society told Reuters that Jenner had "continually offered Liu Jo alternative dates and locations to fulfill an agreement that was forced to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic."

"This meritless lawsuit is about an Italian clothing brand’s attempts to avoid its contractual obligations after unilaterally terminating a bargained-for agreement in direct contravention of the explicit terms of that agreement," Spiro and Shah argued in their motion to dismiss on Friday.

Shah cites Elite World Group as a top client on her Quinn Emanuel webpage. Her clients have also included the Andy Warhol Foundation. Spiro, meanwhile, is representing rapper Jay-Z in a lawsuit claiming that the photographer who took the photo of Jay-Z for his debut album "Reasonable Doubt" has been misusing his image to sell merchandise.

Spiro also successfully represented Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk in a defamation lawsuit filed by a British cave explorer who Musk had branded a "pedo guy" on Twitter.

Liu Jo is represented by a team of attorneys from Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox. They did not respond to a request for comment.

The case is Liu Jo S.p.A. v. Kendall Jenner, et al.,

For Liu Jo: Byron Pickard, Matt Zuziak and Nicholas Nowak, of Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

For defendants: Alex Spiro and Maaren Shah, of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

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Reporting by David Thomas

David Thomas

David Thomas reports on the business of law, including law firm strategy, hiring, mergers and litigation. He is based out of Chicago. He can be reached at d.thomas@thomsonreuters.com and on Twitter @DaveThomas5150.

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