Jewelry designer accuses L.A. celebrity attorney in ‘fraud’ lawsuit over unpaid fees

A company held by L.A. attorney Mark Geragos, who has rocketed to wider celebrity from representing Lyle and Erik Menendez, is named in the lawsuit. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York, Love and her attorneys are seeking to collect the unpaid money while also alleging that the jewelry brand’s owners — including a company held by L.A. celebrity attorney Mark Geragos — engaged in a “shell game” and orchestrated “a collusive foreclosure” to dodge paying Love and other creditors. Alex and Ani’s ultimate beneficial owners, Lyndon Lea and Mark Geragos, executed a years-old conspiracy to render Alex and Ani judgment proof,” Love’s suit said. In a September email, Geragos indicated that a board member “will be winding up the entity” and that the company’s chief executive, Prita Kumar, had “not worked for Alex and Ani since July when the lender foreclosed.” During the arbitration, independent board member Larry Meyer declared under penalty of perjury that he was “managing the orderly shutdown of the company.” According to the suit, however, Alex and Ani’s online business has continued, and in the fall, Love’s manager was able to purchase a ring that Love designed from the Alex and Ani website. As evidence, Love recounted a conversation with Alex and Ani’s chief creative officer, who told Love that she was “part of a ‘go-forward’ plan.” “‘You would be switched to a different company, and we would all be paid by company,’” the chief creative officer told Love, according to the suit.