Firm sues Orlando Bloom in commission row

Orlando Bloom's former management company is suing the actor for allegedly failing to pay nearly £370,000 in commission.

In June 2002, Bloom, whose films include Kingdom Of Heaven, Troy and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, entered into an oral agreement with The Firm to pay the management company 10% commission for work negotiated on the actor's behalf, according to the suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Calls to Bloom's lawyer were not immediately returned. Bloom's publicist, Robin Baum, declined to comment.

Bloom terminated his relationship with The Firm in July 2005 but did not pay money he owed, court documents claim.

Talent manager Aleen Keshishian, a former employee of The Firm who had managed Bloom, left the company around that time and now manages the actor at Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, the suit says.

According to the complaint, Keshishian and BGE, who were also sued by The Firm in a related suit, have wrongfully collected at least £111,000 in commission for the upcoming second and third Pirates Of The Caribbean films.

The Firm argues that it is entitled to that commission because the films were negotiated on Bloom's behalf while Keshishian was at The Firm.

Calls made to Keshishian at BGE after business hours yesterday were not returned.