Claire Maglica

Claire Maglica broke down on the witness stand Friday, tearfully remembering the day when the flashlight magnate who was her companion of 23 years told her she was neither his wife nor his business partner, but merely his "employee." After returning from a business trip in January, 1992, Claire Maglica said, she inadvertently learned that Anthony Maglica was trying to transfer company stock to his children from a previous marriage.

Ending one of the nation's most contentious and costly palimony battles, flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica has agreed to pay $29 million to his former companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, a woman he never married but who claims to have helped him build his multimillion-dollar company. The settlement reached last week represents a fraction of the $84 million awarded to Claire Maglica by an Orange County jury in 1994.

His voice hoarse and straining, flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica said Tuesday that he loved Claire Maglica and was always generous in their 23 years together as an unmarried couple, but that he never "made any commitments" to her. He asked jurors to "listen to his heart" as they judge him in the couple's palimony trial, where more than $150 million is at stake.

Ending one of the nation's most contentious and costly palimony battles, flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica has agreed to pay $29 million to his former companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, a woman he never married who claims to have helped him build his multimillion-dollar company. The settlement reached last week represents a fraction of the $84 million awarded to Claire Maglica by an Orange County jury in 1994.

Sex, loads of money, spurned lovers. There's nothing quite like a star-studded palimony case. The term "palimony" was coined in the 1970s when Michelle Triola sued actor Lee Marvin, her former lover, contending that she was promised a share of his earnings in exchange for her wifelike duties over the years they lived together. A judge found there was no agreement to share Marvin's income, but a jury awarded Triola $104,000 to help her get back on her feet. Marvin appealed and won.

An attorney who once handled Anthony Maglica's wills testified Tuesday that Claire Maglica was well aware a decade ago that she did not own any part of the multimillion-dollar flashlight empire she now says is half hers. * Attorney Bernard P. Simons said that Claire Maglica talked to him in the early 1980s about an agreement that the Anaheim Hills couple signed in 1977 vowing never to merge their assets, and told him that she had sought legal advice about the agreement.

Ending one of the nation's most contentious and costly palimony battles, flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica has agreed to pay $29 million to his former companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, a woman he never married who claims to have helped him build his multimillion-dollar company. The settlement reached last week represents a fraction of the $84 million awarded to Claire Maglica by an Orange County jury in 1994.

Ending one of the nation's most contentious and costly palimony battles, flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica has agreed to pay $29 million to his former companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, a woman he never married but who claims to have helped him build his multimillion-dollar company. The settlement reached last week represents a fraction of the $84 million awarded to Claire Maglica by an Orange County jury in 1994.

A state appeals court Monday overturned an $84-million palimony award to a woman who lived, worked and shared a name with flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica, saying that her work in building his business did not entitle her to a share of it. But the 4th District Court of Appeal ordered a new trial on the dispute, saying that the jury that made the award in 1994 was given erroneous instructions on how to value Claire Maglica's services.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for the second round in one of the nation's highest profile and most expensive palimony battles, one involving Orange County flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica. The court denied a request by Maglica's attorneys for a hearing, sending the long-running case back for a new trial. In 1994, an Orange County jury ordered Maglica to pay his companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, $84 million.

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for the second round in one of the nation's highest profile and most expensive palimony battles, one involving Orange County flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica. The court denied a request by Maglica's attorneys for a hearing, sending the long-running case back for a new trial. In 1994, an Orange County jury ordered Maglica to pay his companion of 20 years, Claire Maglica, $84 million.

A state appeals court Monday overturned an $84-million palimony award to a woman who lived, worked and shared a name with flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica, saying that her work in building his business did not entitle her to a share of it. But the 4th District Court of Appeal ordered a new trial on the dispute, saying that the jury that made the award in 1994 was given erroneous instructions on how to value Claire Maglica's services.

A state appeals court Monday overturned a $84-million palimony award to a woman who lived, worked and shared a name with flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica, saying her work in building his business did not entitle her to a share of it. But the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana ordered a new trial on the dispute, saying the jury that made the award in 1994 was given erroneous instructions on how to value Claire Maglica's services.

In a palimony award believed to be the nation's largest, an Orange County jury ruled Friday that flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica must pay $84 million to a woman he lived, worked and shared his name with for more than 20 years but never married.

In a palimony award believed to be the largest ever made, an Orange County jury ruled Friday that flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica must pay $84 million to a woman he lived, worked and shared his name with for more than 20 years, but never married. The Superior Court jury determined that Maglica, 64, and his former companion, Claire Maglica, 60, had no oral or written agreement to equally share earnings from a former machine shop the couple successfully turned into Mag Instrument Inc.

Move over, Luke and Laura. These days, daytime television watchers are glued to the real-life drama of Claire and Tony, the high society Orange County couple whose bitter palimony battle is being broadcast live from Santa Ana on Court TV. That's the cable network that broadcasts trials from all over the country, and this week network officials say they have been swamped with hundreds of calls from viewers hooked on Maglica vs.

The attorney for an Anaheim Hills woman seeking the largest palimony verdict ever urged jurors Tuesday to award Claire Maglica half of a $400 million flashlight empire, while the attorney for her former companion called her a liar who should get nothing. The final statements came after more than six weeks of testimony in a case brought by Claire Maglica, 60, who shared a home and name with Anthony Maglica, 64, for more than 20 years, although they never married.

In a palimony award believed to be the largest ever made, an Orange County jury ruled Friday that flashlight mogul Anthony Maglica must pay $84 million to a woman he lived, worked and shared his name with for more than 20 years, but never married. The Superior Court jury determined that Maglica, 64, and his former companion, Claire Maglica, 60, had no oral or written agreement to equally share earnings from a former machine shop the couple successfully turned into Mag Instrument Inc.

Move over Luke and Laura. These days, daytime television watchers are glued to the real-life drama of Claire and Tony, the high society Orange County couple whose bitter palimony battle is being broadcast live from Santa Ana on Court TV. That's the cable network that broadcasts trials from all over the country, and this week network officials say they have been been swamped with hundreds of calls from viewers hooked on Maglica vs.

The attorney for an Anaheim Hills woman seeking the largest palimony verdict ever urged jurors Tuesday to award Claire Maglica half of a $400 million flashlight empire, while the attorney for her former companion called her a liar who should get nothing. The final statements came after more than six weeks of testimony in a case brought by Claire Maglica, 60, who shared a home and name with Anthony Maglica, 64, for more than 20 years, although they never married.