Dodgers Star Ohtani Moves to Dismiss Lawsuit
HONOLULU – Last month, Los Angeles Dodgers standout Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Valero, sought to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that a Hawaii real estate investor was terminated from a $240 million luxury home project on the Hapuna Coast.
The suit was filed in Hawaii Circuit Court for the First Circuit on August 8 by developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. along with property owners from West Point Investment Corporation and Hapuna Estate.
Hayes and Matsumoto were reportedly removed from the development agreement by Kingsbarn Realty Capital, the majority stakeholder in the joint venture.
Ohtani’s legal team stated that in 2023, Hayes and Matsumoto acquired rights to a joint venture which held a minority interest using Ohtani’s name and likeness. They claimed Ohtani was a “victim of the violation.”
“Unknown to Ohtani and Valero, the plaintiff exploited Ohtani’s name and images to attract attention to a website promoting the plaintiff’s own development project,” the lawyers wrote. They argued that this self-serving endeavor was done without compensation to Ohtani, aiming to capitalize on his fame as a prominent baseball player.
The attorneys also alleged that Hayes and Matsumoto pressured Valero to overlook this misuse, while asserting the right to protect their client through potential legal action against what they described as blatant misappropriation. Valero’s actions were characterized as “clearly protected speech.”
In a statement following the lawsuit’s announcement, Kingsbarn condemned the accusations as “completely frivolous and without merit.”
Ohtani, who has received the MVP title three times, is a key player for the current World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Valero has consistently prioritized Ohtani’s best interests, especially regarding the protection of his name, image, and likeness,” the legal team stated. They described the lawsuit as a desperate attempt to divert attention from the plaintiffs’ significant failures and misuse of Ohtani’s rights.
As of now, no immediate response has been provided from Hayes and Matsumoto’s legal representatives.
