Law Firm Not Kicked Off Tolkien Case, Despite Contention It “Invaded” Attorney-Client Privilege

The law firm Greenberg Glusker may continue to represent the estate of “The Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien after a federal judge shot down efforts by Warner Bros. and the Saul Zaentz Co. to disqualify the firm for allegedly violating attorney-client privilege. Greenberg Glusker has gone after Warner Bros. and Zaentz Co. for overstepping their merchandising agreements by licensing the “Lord of the Rings” for online games. The estate, along with Harper Collins Publishers, filed a lawsuit in 2012 claiming a 1969 agreement only gave the other companies the rights to sell tangible games, not virtual items. For its part, Warner Bros. claims Greenberg Glusker “invaded” attorney-client privilege by hiring former MGM studio lawyers as expert witnesses.