Four partying men brutally beat on brother and sister outside LA restaurant; $72M. Los Angeles County.

Facts and Background

• Facts and Background:

  Twins Alberto Driz and Maurice Driz, owners of eleven Blaze Pizza franchises, celebrated their 60th birthday on April 16, 2015, by renting the private room at Ago with 35 party guests. From there, close friend and business partner, David Koral, invited them to his son Peter's restaurant/bar/lounge, The Nice Guy on La Cienega. Upon leaving the Nice Guy, the defendants – Alberto Driz, Maurice Driz, Maurice's son Shawn Driz and William Joelson, Shawn's close friend – began berating the restaurant's valet for not bringing their car directly to them. A TMZ photographer intervened and was attacked by all four defendants.

  Plaintiffs, brother and sister Anne Greene (model and actress) and Mathew Greene (restaurateur), were on the bar's patio when they heard a commotion outside. Anne looked over the fence to see all four defendants beating the photographer. She climbed the fence, followed by her brother, seeking to intervene. The defendants then attacked both plaintiffs, beating them past unconsciousness. The Driz defendants were later arrested and reached a plea bargain resulting in 45 days in jail for each. William Joelson's identity was not discovered until after the criminal Statute of Limitations had expired and was not criminally prosecuted.

• Plaintiff's Contentions:

  That the four defendants battered Mathew Greene without justification.  Surveillance film captured portions of the beatings by one defendant. That Alberto Driz and Maurice Driz battered Anne Greene, according to the eyewitness testimony of the bar manager and the testimony of a party guest who claimed Alberto Driz admitted hitting Anne Greene during a conversation after the brawl. Although disputed, the bar manager testified that William Joelson and Shawn Driz attacked him when he sought to stop Maurice Driz's ongoing attack on Anne Greene. Further, that William Joelson and Shawn Driz were responsible for the attack on Anne Greene as aiders and abetters.

• Defendant's Contentions:

  All denied having any intentional physical contact with Anne Greene. Shawn Driz and William Joelson denied witnessing any of the model's beating and denied aiding and abetting in the beating. All defendants claimed that Mathew Greene attacked them first and that any intentional contact with Mathew Greene was done only in self defense. Maurice Driz denied having touched Mathew Greene at all but claimed that he was attacked first by plaintiff Matthew.