Paris Jackson
Scores Big Win In $$$ Fight With MJ’s Estate …
As Judge Praises Executors
Published
Paris Jackson scored a major win in her battle over money spent by the executors running her late father Michael Jackson‘s estate — while the executors also received praise for their work … TMZ has learned.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles judge ruled that $625K in bonuses — paid by executors John Branca and John McClain to third-party law firms — will have to be returned to the estate.
As TMZ first reported … last year, Paris raised concerns about certain bonuses paid out to third-party law firms that worked on the estate in 2018. Paris claimed the bonuses were excessive and not approved.
At the time, Paris’ lawyer argued the “irregular payments raise serious and substantial questions about Executors’ ability to effectively supervise counsel” and questioned the so-called “wasteful, six-figure gift-giving to themselves and their colleagues.”
In another filing, Paris claimed, “the present records suggest a group of closely-knit, highly-compensated lawyers is exploiting Executors’ lack of oversight to skim money from the Estate, in plain view.”
The executors argued the fees were standard for the industry and claimed they earned the estate a ton of money during the year in question due to massive deals they closed.
The court acknowledged the work the executors did to transform the estate into the financial powerhouse it is today, noting they had created “real and substantial generational wealth” for Paris and her two brothers … but ultimately decided the $625K in bonuses were not approved and needed to be returned to the estate.
A rep for the executors tells TMZ, “We are gratified that the Court itself recognized and praised the work of the Executors and its outside counsel in today’s decision.”
The rep added, “While the Court has previously approved several other bonuses to outside counsel over the years for their extraordinary services, and this was the first time they were the subject of objections, the Executors have always understood that legal fees are subject to court approval and have always required outside counsel to agree to return any funds to the estate if the payments were not approved.” The rep pointed out the bonuses were not paid to the executors themselves but rather to outside law firms.
The rep said that “Ultimately, while we disagree with the decision, we fully respect it and plan to move forward accordingly.”
