Johnny Depp settles long legal battle with lawyer

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has settled a long-running legal battle with a former lawyer he accused of wrongly collecting millions of dollars in fees.

A lawyer representing Depp said he had won an "eight-figure" settlement from Jake Bloom's firm, Bloom Hergott.

Depp had alleged Mr Bloom improperly collected more than $30m (£23m) over their 18-year working relationship.

A trial had been scheduled to begin in December.

In a statement, Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman said: "Today, Bloom Hergott provided Johnny Depp an eight-figure payment to settle Mr Depp's lawsuit against the firm for fraud, conflict of interest, disgorgement of over $30m in voidable fees and other malfeasance that they engaged in over nearly two decades."

Depp, who has starred in blockbuster films including Pirates Of The Caribbean, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Alice In Wonderland, sued Mr Bloom in October 2017.

He argued their agreement should have been in writing, rather than based on a handshake as is often the case in Hollywood.

Mr Bloom counter-sued and asked a judge to throw the case out. But in August 2018, Depp, 56, scored a key victory when a judge in Los Angeles ruled in his favour.

'Litigation train'

Bloom Hergott's lawyer Bryan Freedman confirmed a settlement has been reached, saying it was for a "fraction" of Depp's original demand.

He added: "While the firm was confident it would prevail at trial, we are nonetheless pleased with this resolution as it expedites the firm's winding down process and allows it to get off the endless Johnny Depp litigation train."

Jake Bloom worked with Johnny Depp for almost two decades

Depp was previously involved in another legal dispute with his former managers, the Management Group.

He accused them of mishandling his affairs and pushing him to the brink of financial ruin.

The group responded by saying Depp had been responsible for his own financial woes, accusing him of spending millions of dollars on luxury homes, wine, art and a cannon used to scatter the ashes of writer Hunter S Thompson. That case was settled in July 2018.

The star currently remains locked in a legal battle with his ex-wife, the actress Amber Heard, who he accused of defamation over a newspaper column in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.