Vittorio Cecchi Gori - Producer Cecchi Gori Wins Damages Against Nunnari

The court war stems back to May 2008, when Nunnari served as president of the Rome-based Cecchi Gori Pictures, while also heading up his own firm in Los Angeles, titled Hollywood Gang Productions.

Nunnari was accused of taking advantage of film opportunities offered to Cecchi Gori and undertaking them as his own via his U.S. company. The projects involved include war epic 300, the Robert De Niro movie Everybody's Fine, and an upcoming film by Martin Scorsese, called Silence.

The case was heard in a bench trial last summer (10) and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Amy Hogue delivered her decision on Friday (25Mar11), ruling in Cecchi Gori's favour, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Judge Hogue claimed Nunnari breached fiduciary duties and engaged in concealment and constructive fraud, citing his failure to recognise a "conflict of interest". Cecchi Gori was handed interest on top of the $14 million (£8.75 million) damages, boosting the figure to an estimated $18 million (£11.25 million).

Niels Juul, a representative for Cecchi Gori Pictures, says, "I'm very pleased that after two years of litigation, all this hard work has ended and Vittorio can now go back to producing movies."

As part of the ruling, Scorsese will now direct Silence for Cecchi Gori Pictures.