These models need a white knight.
Nearly 30 catwalkers who are suing top modeling agencies in a $30 million class action over compensation are searching for a new lawyer after their’s suddenly died.
“The problem is finding the right person,” said Laurent Pingaud, husband of lead plaintiff and former L’Oreal stunner Louisa Raske.
Their 63-year-old attorney Skip Taylor died of a heart attack last year. Then his colleague Mark Seitelman, who primarily handles personal injury cases, was granted permission to quit the case by a Manhattan judge Tuesday.
Justice Peter Sherwood — who wrote to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman last year recommending that he investigate wage theft in the modeling industry — stayed the case for 90 days until the 27 models can find new counsel.
Pingaud, former head of Race Model Management who’s been married to Raske for nine years, said the suit’s involves more than a paycheck.
“The case is about changing the system,” Pingaud said. “All of these models have been robbed of their money, or part of their money. There’s no control over where the money is going.”
The crusade began in 2012 when Raske stumbled on her image plastered on L’Oreal hair-color boxes in a Florida CVS after her agency dropped her for not bringing in enough business.
The 5-foot-9 blond then recruited fellow stunners, including male model Alex Shanklin, to take on the agencies including Wilhelmina Models, Ford Models Inc., Next Inc. and Click Model Management.
Shanklin, a brown-eyed looker who’s worked for top fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana, says he was dumped by Wilhelmina only to learn that the agency was still using his mug without paying him.
“It is against equity and good conscience to permit the modeling agency defendants to retain the funds paid for usage that are owed the model,” Shanklin’s and Raske’s suit charges.
The 2013 case is still in the initial stages.