Prominent Hollywood lawyer Terry Christensen on Wednesday has become the first attorney to be indicted in association with former private detective Anthony Pellicano on charges including wiretapping and conspiracy.
Christensen is charged with paying a minimum of $100,000 to place wiretaps that gave him a strategic advantage in a lawsuit, according to a statement released by the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. The indictment alleges that Pellicano listened to private phone calls of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s ex-wife Lisa Bonder Kerkorian during a dispute over child support and shared the information with Christensen. Christensen has represented Kirk Kerkorian for decades.
Lisa Bonder Kerkorian was seeking $320,000 a month. A judge eventually ruled that the child was entitled to $50,316 a month.
Tracinda Corp., Kerkorian’s Beverly Hills-based investment firm, issued a statement on behalf of the billionaire, praising Christensen: “Terry Christensen is a paragon of integrity who has always done the right thing throughout the 35 years I have had the privilege of knowing him.”
Patricia Glaser, Christensen’s partner at Christensen Miller Fink Jacobs Glaser Weil & Shapiro denied any wrongdoing in a statement. “Mr. Christensen has never hired anyone to conduct wiretapping or any other illegal activity,” the statement said. Glaser stated that Christensen’s only involvement with Pellicano “was a short period in 2002 when repeated death threats were being made against a four-year-old girl and against Mr. Christensen’s long-time client.” The firm did not detail Christensen’s involvement with Pellicano other than to say that “when the authorities were unable to protect his client and the little girl” that he took “lawful action to protect them.”
According to the firm’s Web site, Christensen and his firm represent City National Corp., the City of Los Angeles, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc., CKE Restaurants Inc., Fidelity National Financial Inc., The Walt Disney Co., Paramount Pictures Corp. and Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
In 1987, Christensen left his firm and became president of Kerkorian’s Tracinda. Under Christensen’s tenure, Tracinda owned the controlling interest in MGM/UA Communications and was involved in the formation of MGM Grand Air and the planning and formation of the new MGM Grand Inc.
Pellicano was indicted last week for wiretapping a number of actors including Garry Shandling and Sylvester Stallone, business owners such as Robert Maguire and various journalists.
Christensen is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. The charges against him carry a maximum jail sentence of 10 years.
