Best Lawyers in California, United States for Entertainment and Sports Law
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Michael Hobel is recognized as a leading authority in the legal profession on entertainment transactions across digital, television and film. Described by clients as "a tremendous thought partner who provides practical, sophisticated advice," Michael is trusted by entertainment and media companies to represent them on deals involving some of the entertainment industry’s most successful properties for more than 25 years. As the head of Katten's Entertainment and Media Practice, Michael h...
Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, a boutique entertainment and business litigation firm in Santa Monica. She began her career as a Los Angeles County Public Defender, handling hundreds of serious criminal cases from inception to trial. She was the Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm and the head of its national Criminal Defense Section. With more than sixty trials to her credit, Ms. Holley is the rare trial attorney who pra...
Julia R. Haye’s entertainment practice includes successful resolution, at trial and in arbitration, of complex business disputes involving profit participation, motion picture production and distribution, rights ownership, copyright and trademark infringement, idea submission, and other entertainment-related conflicts and contractual disputes. Her counsel and interests encompass every genre of entertainment and media, including studio and independent motion pictures, television, music, ...
Stephen E. Tsoneff is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Stephen E., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
John V. Berlinski is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television and Litigation - Intellectual Property. John V., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kristen Spanier is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Kristen, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Schuyler Moore practices entertainment, corporate and tax law. He has been practicing in the entertainment industry since 1981, represents producers, sales agents, foreign distributors and financiers, and has handled some of the largest financing transactions in Hollywood. He is Chair of Stroock’s Entertainment Practice Group.
Jason Karlov is the Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group Chair at Barnes & Thornburg. He represents a variety of clients in the music, entertainment, live events, advertising and technology industries. Client highlights include individuals, such as Bob Dylan, as well as institutions that work and invest in entertainment and technology, including such well-known brands as, Feld Entertainment, UrbanOne, Twitch, Beachbody and throughout the Olympic Movement since 1998, He also acts...
John T. Frankenheimer's practice is centered in the entertainment and media industries, with emphasis on both institutional and talent clients. This includes advising on the acquisition, sale and restructuring of companies, including financing, valuation, securitization and due diligence issues, as well as representing companies, artists and executives in all aspects of the music industry, including all forms of talent contracts, distribution, licensing, technology-related issues, publishing,...
Some of the most prominent companies in the entertainment business turn to Joel Weiner to handle disputes across a broad range of subject matter. With nearly 30 years of litigation experience and vast industry knowledge, he has been trusted by companies like NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Endemol Shine Group, Telemundo and Excel Sports Management with high-profile lawsuits involving series, films and other valuable entertainment properties. The entertainment industry is a magnet f...
Time and again, major recording artists, their key advisors and core industry companies trust Zia Modabber, the managing partner of the Los Angeles offices, to handle legal issues they face in the creation and protection of their assets. With decades of experience in the music and entertainment industry, he has an ability to not only address his clients' pressing legal issues, but also their long-term artistic and business interests. Zia is a sought-after litigator of intellectual property, F...
Vincent H. Chieffo is an entertainment and media litigator with significant trial and appellate experience. His practice also includes entertainment transactional work. His litigation experience encompasses disputes throughout the entertainment business, including those involving copyright and trademark infringement, right of publicity, defamation, the rights of estates and heirs in copyrights and other entertainment assets, idea submission, royalties and participations, and distribution and ...
Susan Williams is a partner in the Entertainment and Media practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Century City office. She is chair of the firm’s Entertainment and Media Finance group. Highly regarded as one of the entertainment industry’s top dealmakers, Ms. Williams is frequently sought to represent clients on some of their most significant finance and restructuring transactions. Ms. Williams represents financial institutions, senior, mezzanine, and equity fu...
Jason D. Russell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Securities and Sports Law. Jason D., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jason D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.