Lincoln Bandlow Speaks at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent Theater on Documentary, Free Speech
June 24, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA) — Lathrop & Gage attorney Lincoln Bandlow appeared along with documentary film director Fredrik Gertten as part of a one-night theatrical screening engagement of the film BANANAS!* which centers on the issues surrounding the treatment of banana workers in Nicaragua and covers one of the many lawsuits filed by these workers against Dole and other companies regarding the adverse health effects suffered as a result of the use of the pesticide DBCP in banana fields. The film was screened in June 2009 at the Los Angeles Film Festival to sold out audiences even after Dole had tried to stop its screenings. Shortly after the festival, Dole filed a defamation lawsuit against the filmmakers and then withdrew the lawsuit last fall.
"One year later after the turmoil at last year's LA Film Festival, I am glad that the public can see the film that Dole Food Company didn't want anyone to see," Mr. Gertten told the web site LA.com. "With Chevron coming down on my fellow filmmaker Joe Berlinger for his film CRUDE and Dole suing us for BANANAS!*, it's become even more difficult for documentary filmmakers to defend ourselves and continue to make non-fiction stories about those who have been wronged. Despite all of Dole's effort to halt our film, to date we have screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and sold the film to over 10 countries for television and theatrical exhibition."
After improperly interfering with the Los Angeles premiere this past June of the documentary film and then attacking the film with a defamation lawsuit, Dole Food Company last fall voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit in response to the anti-SLAPP motion filed by the filmmakers and the outrage expressed in Europe and elsewhere over Dole’s lawsuit. The hearing on the legal team's anti-SLAPP motion and motion to be awarded attorneys' fees has been set for August 19.
Mr. Bandlow has litigated and tried cases in both state and federal court matters involving claims for copyright infringement, defamation, right of publicity, right of privacy, trademark infringement and related claims. In addition to practicing law, Lincoln has been a visiting professor at the Annenberg School of Journalism at the University of Southern California since the Spring of 1995, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Communications, Media and Entertainment Law.
About Lathrop & Gage:
A leading full-service law firm, Lathrop & Gage LLP has approximately 300 attorneys in 11 offices nationwide – from Los Angeles to New York. In 2010, Chambers USA ranked Lathrop & Gage’s corporate, environmental, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and labor and employment teams among the best in their regions. For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com.
