Celebrity Justice
Birkhead/Opri Settle Epic Billing Battle

Larry Birkhead has settled his $620,492.84 billing dispute with attorney Debra Opri.


You'll recall -- how can you forget -- that Opri billed Birkhead for repping him in his battle with Anna Nicole Smith back in 2007. Birkhead fired Opri, then got a Fed Ex present -- a bill that included $2,467.75 for a dinner that Birkhead didn't even attend. And there was $600 for 4 trays of lobster from Seafood World.

Birkhead sued Opri and she countersued him. TMZ has obtained legal docs which show the case has been dismissed with prejudice -- i.e., it settled.

The settlement is for an undisclosed amount.



Tags: anna nicole smith, AnnaNicoleSmith, debra opri, DebraOpri, larry birkhead, LarryBirkhead, lobster, lobster dinner, LobsterDinner

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(Page 1 of 4) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. Opri is an ambulance chaser.

Posted at 7:40PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Larry

2. Nasty Opri claimed she would never settle; she would air all the dirty laundry and ruin LB. What a fine example to lawyers everywhere.

Posted at 7:42PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Only swim in the Ocean

3. I hope he pd her pennies...... that is all she is worth to represent people.

Posted at 7:43PM on Oct 28th 2009 by that attorney is a JOKE

4. Opri got off easy. That was far more than a 'Billing' dispute.

LB had sued Opri for fraud (she represented herself as an expert in family law), malpractice (bad legal actions taken - multiple filings in the wrong courts in the wrong country) and conversion (snatching his Bravo networks big paycheck).

Opri claimed she was hired by LB primarily to trash talk ANS and HKS and arrange big photo-ops and that she was entitled to a cut of the LB/DL action until DL was eighteen. The Trial and Appeals Courts both declared no such 'media-whoring' contract was in effect and had ordered her to trial on LB's substantive allegations.

Posted at 7:54PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Only swim in the Ocean

5. Birkhead only refused to pay her after his buddy Howard told him to stiff her after their backroom deal! Opri had Stern's back against the wall and he hated her for check mating him at every turn regarding the baby. The irony is that Howard tried to go after Opri's license and the Bar found no wrong doing. Now Stern will lose his license and go to prision. Karma? Good always wins over evil. Larry settled because Opri had all the documentation and evidence. and Larrys word means nothing in a court of law anymore.

Posted at 8:00PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Sam Diego

6. He's a pig of a client... Some may have perceived her as a pitbull but without her assistance he would never have accomplished the DNA due to Mr. Stern and his lawyers' ferocious attempt to get her body buried without it so Stern could continue his pretense of being the baby daddy when in all probability Anna-Nicole would never have let the creep touch her with a 10-foot pole. Debra Opri deserves the entire amount charged! Did Birkhead lie in Florida or did he just recently lie on the witness stand in California?

Posted at 8:03PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Finally

7. I have a bridge to sell to the poster named "Finally". How much did you get paid for posting this?

5. He's a pig of a client... Some may have perceived her as a pitbull but without her assistance he would never have accomplished the DNA due to Mr. Stern and his lawyers' ferocious attempt to get her body buried without it so Stern could continue his pretense of being the baby daddy when in all probability Anna-Nicole would never have let the creep touch her with a 10-foot pole. Debra Opri deserves the entire amount charged!

...blah blah blah go cash your check now.

Posted at 8:09PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Jill

8. Good for Larry! Finally paid his bill! BTW... Howard tried to have have the California Bar investigate Opri and they found no grounds. Now Howard will lose his attorney license and go to prison. While Howard is eating SOS in jail, Opri will be eating Lobster! Good always prevails over EVIL!

Posted at 8:15PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Floridians know best

9. Larry is a pig of a client. Pigs need good lawyers. Opri cleaned LB up good and he got what he wanted, to be the golden boy in the media. Now he is a skag. Dresses like a skag. Talks like a skag. Amy Winehouse can tell a few tails, eh larry...videos are a bitch, eh?
Hey, larry. Why do you live off of your daughter? STOP effing with her hair! It's falling out! creep.

Posted at 8:26PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Your Name

10. I thought women were paid less than men? Sounds like this woman is making some serious coin.

Posted at 8:54PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Women Demand Respect Now

11. What a crook. Who would be so stupid to hire her after this?

Posted at 9:05PM on Oct 28th 2009 by cookie

12. Just for historical perspective

LB fired nasty Opri and THEN started a custody hearing in The Bahamas. LB quickly got an order from that Court for DNA testing of himself and DL and when the results were known, HKS dropped his custody claims and the rest is history.

Nothing good for LB happened until he fired Opri. Before then Opri was one of a group of people who deliberately and maliciously harassed ANS at her greatest time of need; inflicting unknown pain and grief on top of what ANS was already feeling when her son Daniel died a tragic and accidental death.

The only successful 'image' LB ever had was when he got rid of Opri and spoke for himself.

Posted at 9:06PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Only swim in the Ocean

13. She should pay HIM for all of the publicity SHE got! She's an ass and he's SOOOOO HOT! I'd love to his baby's mama!!!!

Posted at 9:22PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Cheri

14. TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS - Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1512, makes it a Federal crime or offense for anyone to use intimidation or physical force to threaten another person with intent to influence the testimony of a witness in any Court proceeding.

A person can be found guilty of that offense only if all of the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt: First: That the witness was scheduled to be a witness in court; Second: That the person used intimidation/physical force against such witness; and Third: That the person did so knowingly and willfully with the intent to influence the testimony of the witness.

To act with intent to "influence" the testimony of a witness means to act for the purpose of getting the witness to change or color or shade his or her testimony in some way; but it is not necessary to prove that the witness' testimony was, in fact, changed in any way.

----------------------------------

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/florida-inmate-facing-imminent-execution-despite-evidence-witness-tampering-prosecution

"Justice Harry Anstead dissented from the court's ruling, noting that jailhouse informants are often unreliable, and in this case the informant was apparently prompted to lie. He wrote, "Indeed, if the claim is true, we have a state prosecutor who committed a criminal act in tampering with a witness. Surely, common sense would tell us this is the kind of 'bombshell' disclosure that could change the jury's entire evaluation of the case." Tompkins' attorney Martin McClain cited numerous concerns about the state's case. "This is one of the most troubling cases that I have," he said. "The evidence against Mr. Tompkins is just absurd." Tompkins' stay of execution expires on Nov. 18."

Posted at 9:22PM on Oct 28th 2009 by Howard Supporter

15. Sorry--wrong thread. :-)

Posted at 9:23PM on Oct 28th 2009 by OOPS

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