Los Angeles is the home of entertainment and media litigation.
Our lawyers are at home with entertainment and media cases.
We have represented studios like NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Entertainment and large media companies like Sega Gameworks LLC and Wasserman Media. We have also represented writers, actors, independent producers, and film financiers in “David v. Goliath” cases against major players in the entertainment industry.
Early in the firm's history, Mark Baute and David Crochetiere handled the Mary Wilson v. RSM Management case, a dispute over rights to The Supremes. Since then, we have handled endorsement contract disputes, wrongful termination, breach of management services contracts and other entertainment matters. We represent a leading talent management agency and some of its celebrity clients: actors, actresses, and professional sports figures. We advise entertainment clients and handle disputes related to talent / production company arrangements, financing, and other production-related agreements. We represented a large distributor of theatrical films against accusations of distributing a film without authorization.
With years of experience handling entertainment matters, our lawyers appreciate the collateral impact the media can have on a client or a project. We have worked with publicists and public relations executives on such cases, understanding that a comprehensive litigation strategy must take into account the full range of “outside the courtroom” concerns. This is just part of the client-centric approach we bring to entertainment, sports, and media cases. We also have flexible billing structures, recognizing that the typical hourly billing approach does not work for all cases.
In addition to representing major studios and talent, we have represented large outdoor media advertisers in commercial disputes involving claims of unfair competition, antitrust, and civil RICO, as well as regulatory issues.