The author of the popular fantasy novel “The Last Unicorn” has charged his longtime manager Connor Cochran with fraud and elder abuse.
Peter S. Beagle filed the lawsuit in Alameda County Court on November 24th. The court documents allege that Cochran sought to deprive his client, Beagle, of his intellectual property, among other things. The lawsuit also alleges defamation, claiming that Cochran defamed Beagle to his fans, family members, and the public at large.
Cochran replied to the lawsuit by claiming that the lawsuit was frivolous and sought to sabotage everything that Conlan Press, Avicenna, and Cochran himself have sought to build for the author over the past decade and a half.
Beagle’s legal team alleges that Avicenna is a corporation that Cochran created and then compelled Beagle to sign over his intellectual property rights over to the entity.
Also among the allegations in the filing is the “intentional infliction of Emotional Distress.” Beagle states that when he was researching his legal rights, he unintentionally forwarded Cochran an email of discussions he had been having with his attorneys.
Cochran allegedly then emailed Beagle’s family members and even his attorneys claiming that Beagle’s medical condition was “compromised.” This led to Cochran and family members to call for tests of the author’s mental capacity. Beagle initially passed these tests, but the doctor who presided over the testing later used evidence provided by Cochran in her evaluation. This cost Beagle a chance at a life insurance policy.
Cochran alleges that it is Beagle’s legal team and not he, nor any of his enterprises, seeking to take advantage of the author.
If you believe that yourself or someone that you love is a victim of elder abuse, contact the law firm of Schenk Smith & Associates. Our attorneys specialize in elder abuse litigation. Contact us today.