Better Than A Reality Show: Mark Burnett and Conrad Riggs Duke It Out Over Millions

By Eriq Gardner

In a matchup fit for "The Contender," a big legal brawl has broken out between producer Mark Burnett and his long-term attorney and business manager, Conrad Riggs.

Three weeks ago, Riggs sued in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking $70 million from Burnett ("The Apprentice," "Survivor," "The Contender") because the producer hadn't paid him 10 percent of the profits as allegedly owed from a 10-year-old oral agreement. Riggs said he had helped Burnett negotiate deals for Burnett’s shows and helped him along as an integral business partner. Last year, Riggs was terminated and evicted from the company’s offices.

Now Burnett has counter-punched with a lawsuit in the same court that claims Riggs got his 10 percent, which Burnett adds up as being $25 million. "Even though Riggs has already been paid the staggering sum of more than $25 million by Burnett, Riggs seeks still more," the lawsuit said.

Burnett claims that Riggs and his company, Cloudbreak Entertainment, have been "scheming to appropriate an even larger share of Burnett's earnings." Examples given include going around Burnett to get TV networks to pay additional producer fees directly to Riggs rather than to Mark Burnett Productions and filing an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a would-be reality show that Burnett says was his idea. Burnett seeks a declaration that neither Riggs nor Cloudbreak has any interest in any of Burnett's companies.

Burnett is represented by Steven Marenberg of Irell & Manella. Riggs is represented bv Bart H. Williams of Munger Tolles & Olson.