sport news Madison Square Garden CAN ban lawyers from concerts and theatrical ... trends now
Lawyers suing Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. can be banned from concerts and theatrical shows at the arena and other company venues, even if they purchased valid tickets, according to an appeals court ruling in New York on Tuesday.
The decision overturning a preliminary injunction is a victory for MSG chairman James Dolan, owner of the NBA's Knicks and NHL's Rangers, in his various ongoing legal battles with ticket re-sellers and the state liquor board.
The ruling doesn't apply to Knicks and Rangers games, where lawyers suing MSG were already banned.
The public controversy began after attorney Larry Hutcher filed a lawsuit against MSG on behalf of season-ticket holders, whose passes were banned by the company after they were accused of improperly re-selling tickets.
Hutcher, a Knicks season-ticket holder for 47 years, discovered in September that he was banned from MSG, along with 60 lawyers from his form.
Lawyers suing Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. can be banned from concerts
The ruling is the latest win for Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan (center)
Other lawyers have come forward with stories about being blocked from concerts, sports events and shows including the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular.
The policy potentially affects thousands of lawyers at scores of firms and is being enforced through the use of technology that scans the faces of people entering venues owned by MSG and checks them against a databank of lawyers from banned firms.
Hutcher and the firm sued MSG in October, arguing that he had already paid $18,000 for his 2022-23 season-ticket package.
In November, Manhattan Judge Lyle Frank granted a partial victory to Hutcher and other lawyers from Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, who were given the right to attend musical and theatrical performances at the Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater if they show up with a valid ticket.
'The Court takes judicial notice that there is only one Radio City Music Hall, one Beacon Theater, and only one Madison Square Garden,' Frank wrote. 'As such, the plaintiff is entitled to injunctive relief.'
Frank added: '… there appears to be no rational basis for the policy instituted by [Madison Square Garden] except to dissuade attorneys from bringing suit against them.'
The ruling did not apply to lawyer bans at Knicks or Rangers games at the Garden, but Hutcher is appealing that
