Santa Monica Pictures, LLC, Perry Lerner, Tax Matters Partner - Page 254

                                        -321-                                         
          and for analyzing the deficiencies and discrepancies in the                 
          transfer of the EBD film library from CLIS to SMHC.  With respect           
          to petitioner’s specific concerns regarding Ms. Nemschoff’s                 
          experience in drafting contracts and working on film or film                
          library transfers, we believe those concerns go more to the                 
          weight to which her opinion is entitled than to its admissibility           
          under Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., Inc., supra, and Kumho Tire           
          Co. v. Carmichael, supra.219                                                
               Although we conclude that Ms. Nemschoff’s opinion is                   
          admissible into evidence, we do not need to rely on her opinion             
          to reach our conclusions in these cases.  For the reasons                   
          discussed in more detail above, we find ample evidence in the               
          record to show that the Ackerman group’s investigation of SMHC’s            


               219 In preparing her report, Ms. Nemschoff retained the                
          services of the law offices of Dennis Angel to search the records           
          of the U.S. Copyright Office with respect to the film titles in             
          the EBD film library.  Ms. Nemschoff represents that it is                  
          customary for entertainment lawyers to rely on copyright searches           
          and reports by professionals such as Mr. Angel and his staff and            
          that she has been retaining his services and relying on his                 
          copyright searches and reports for at least 15 years.                       
               Under Fed. R. Evid. 702 and 703, experts are permitted to              
          rely on evidence outside the trial record, which may include                
          hearsay that is otherwise inadmissible.  RLC Indus. Co. & Subs.             
          v. Commissioner, 98 T.C. 457, 499 (1992), affd. 58 F.3d 413 (9th            
          Cir. 1995); H Group Holding, Inc. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.               
          1999-334.  The information that Mr. Angel relayed to Ms.                    
          Nemschoff is admitted to understand or explain the basis of her             
          expert opinion; however, we do not rely on that information or              
          consider it for the truth of the matters asserted therein.  See             
          Engebretsen v. Fairchild Aircraft, Corp., 21 F.3d 721, 728-729              
          (6th Cir. 1994); H Group Holding, Inc. v. Commissioner, supra.              





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