Julien’s Wins Suit Against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

In an award issued July 27, 2016, by the Honorable Charles W. McCoy (ret.), Julien's Auctions, has been awarded a major victory by the Arbitrator in a case against former NBA basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his companies.

The Arbitrator has awarded Julien’s Auctions $907,601.77, as well as continuing interest and attorneys’ fees and cost. Julien’s Auctions filed the arbitration proceeding against Abdul-Jabbar and his companies when he entered into a valid and enforceable written consignment agreement with Julien’s Auctions, agreed to sell his one-of-a-kind and unprecedented memorabilia collection with Julien’s Auctions and, after receiving a donation to his purported charity, the Skyhook Foundation, in the amount of $300,000, refused to go forward with the auction and refused to refund the amount of the donation.

Julien’s Auctions is entitled to recover at least 152 of the items consigned under the Consignment Agreement, and will be able to pursue the remaining 248 items consigned under the Consignment Agreement to satisfy its Award and Judgment against Abdul-Jabbar and his companies. Julien’s Auctions has also pursued a separate action against Abdul-Jabbar’s manager Deborah Morales, for numerous fraudulent misrepresentations. The Court found that Morales engaged in numerous acts of fraud against Julien’s Auctions, for which Julien’s Auctions must be compensated including monies presented to be used specifically in support for the Skyhook Foundation charity, which had been found to have never been used for such charitable work.

"We are quite pleased with the judgment and the award granted Julien's Auctions regarding this case. It is very unfortunate that it had to come to this, as we tried everything to come to an agreement with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Ms. Morales outside of the courts. Unfortunately they refused to return monies paid to them in advance by Julien’s Auctions. We had no other option but to pursue this legally," said Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions. "We appreciate the Arbitrator’s decision and all of the support we have received since we began this deliberation over three years ago. We cannot allow such actions to be accepted when it is fundamentally wrong and dishonest on the part of the defendants."