Best Lawyers in California, United States for Entertainment Law - Theater
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...
Ivy Kagan Bierman’s practice includes the representation of entertainment and related companies in labor, production, distribution, technology and other business matters. She handles both transactional and litigation matters for clients. Ivy is one of a select few entertainment industry labor lawyers looked to for representation in guild and union matters by film and television production companies, digital companies and networks, cable networks, public broadcasting companies, distribut...
Jacqueline C. Charlesworth is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Copyright Law and Entertainment Law - Music. Jacqueline C., 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 Jacqueline C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Steven Marenberg is the Chair of the firm’s Entertainment and Media Litigation Group and the Chair of the Century City Litigation Group. Mr. Marenberg’s practice encompasses a wide range of commercial litigation matters in various industries, with particular concentrations in the areas of entertainment-related litigation, technology-related disputes, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property litigation, and antitrust and business tort disputes. His clients have included...
Glen G. Mastroberte is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Glen G., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Glen G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jay L. Cooper focuses his practice on music industry, motion picture, television, multimedia and intellectual property issues. He represents individuals and companies on intellectual property matters including recording and publishing agreements for individual artists and composers; actor, director, producer and writer agreements in film and television; executive employment agreements; complex acquisitions and sales of entertainment catalogs; production agreements on behalf of music, televisi...
Daniel G. Stone is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Daniel G., 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 Daniel G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
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.
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.
Greg Akselrud is a founder and Partner of the firm and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He Chairs the firm’s Internet, Digital Media and Entertainment Practice group. Greg advises clients across a wide range of industries, including companies in the entertainment, digital media, Internet, technology, software, mobile, venture capital and consumer electronics industries. Greg Akselrud has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, teaching Busine...
Amy Nickin is partner to our Entertainment Group, representing actors, writers, directors, comics, on-air personalities and television production companies in all business and legal aspects of their film, television and theatrical careers and businesses. A leading advisor to high-profile talent, The Hollywood Reporter has included Ms. Nickin in their "Power Lawyers" list consecutively for the past several years. Variety included her in their 2024, 2018 and 2014 "Legal Impact Report" and their...
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.