As if you needed further proof of how far the Ford Agency has sunk, read this. But before you do, realize a few things:
1) this is the same law firm that won part of the lawsuit against Microsoft for the government, and,
2) they just won a huge lawsuit and Christies auction house.
These guys wont settle til they win.
Oh yeah, and dont think the sleaze that permeates the modeling industry has to be limited the boys.
Katie Ford, whose incompetence has almost ruined what was once a great agency (are there any bookers whove been with Ford more than a few years - the answer is no because theyre all leaving for the hot new agencies that are eating Fords lunch) loves to flirt with the boys.
Unfortunately, if youve looked at her, youll know why the male models arent exactly lining up to sleep their way to the top.
Unfortunately for poor Katie, she has more of her moms look than her once handsome dads. Pity.
So now Katie, in an effort to keep the struggling company afloat, is selling her soul. Shes planning to license the Ford name on anything and everything she can to make a few bucks. Portfolios, makeup, photographers are all giving kickbacks to Ford for all the models they shoot.
And Ford is notoriously bad about paying their models. A few top models get paid on time, but the rest have to wait weeks and sometimes months after Fords already been paid. Word is that Katie is swindling the money, and if you look deep enough in her past youll know its true.
So Katie fiddles while Ford burns. Nice. Hope she sleeps well at night while models starve waiting for their checks months after the clients have paid Ford.
Heres the intro to the lawsuit..
Posted by: director
Please pass on to all models!
Antitrust Class-Action Lawsuit v. NY Modeling Agencies
Amanda Masters, Justin Klentner, Carolyn Fears, Lorelei Shellist,
Barbara
Cheeseborough, and Carla Gross (d/b/a / Sebastian Cardon), on their own
behalf, and on behalf of a class of similarly situated persons,
Plaintiffs,
V.
Wilhelmina Model Agency, Inc., a/k/a Wilhelmina Artist Management LLC,
Ford
Models, Inc., f/k/a Ford Model Agency, Elite Model Management, Inc.,
Click
Model Management, Inc., Next Management Company, The MFME Management
Company, Ltd., a/k/a Company Management, Boss Models, Inc., and Zoli
Management, Inc.,
Defendants
PLAINTIFFS are represented by Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP, and
Johnson &
Rishwain, LLP.
It is an antitrust class action lawsuit against all of the major New York modeling agencies, including Ford, Wilhelmina and Elite, on behalf of all models who have ever worked in New York.
It seeks the return of all commissions paid to these agencies as well as all expenses reimbursed to these agencies for the past 30 years as a result
of their massive violations of the law.
Our NY co-counsel on the case, the law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner
LLP, recently settled an antitrust case against auction houses
Christie's
and Sotheby's for $512 million. They also represented the US Government
in
victory in its antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft.
— Attorney Brian Rishwain, Johnson & Rishwain, LLP
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