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Crisis PR executive Michael Sitrick tried to collect a $7.7 million judgment from Ryan Kavanuagh, but a judge Friday said no. The reason is that Sitrick apparently agreed previously not to seek the money after Kavanaugh, who had been found negligent in overseeing investments, pleaded poverty and agreed to help Sitrick collect from insurers. Kavanaugh now runs Relativity Media, a West Hollywood investment firm that locates hedge fund capital for movies, and co-produced "3:10 to Yuma" and "Evan Almighty," among other films. Sitrick contended that Kavanaugh had money stashed offshore, a claim Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant rejected. The suit ruled on Friday was filed by Kavanaugh. LAT, Portfolio
Backstory: The L.A. Times last week ran an investigative story on Kavanaugh's checkered career, prompting a Page Six attack by Kavanaugh and his lawyer, Marty Singer, alleging that Sitrick had put the Times up to the story through a former editor who now works for the PR firm.
Quasi-related: The Times-Sitrick revolving door has been busy in recent years. Another former LAT editor who left Sitrick last year, Mark Saylor, has been retained by former LAT Business editor Bob Magnuson on the crisis team representing Broadcom cofounder and former CEO Nick Nicholas. Broadcom is facing a federal investigation into stock option backdating. OC Business Journal