Taft Entertainment & Sports Lawyers

Russell Sommers is a seasoned transactional attorney who helps individuals and businesses maximize the value of their Intellectual Property (IP) through the strategic application of copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, and other IP laws. The Law Office of Russell Sommers offers quality legal services tailored to meet the specific IP needs of businesses and individuals in the spheres of business, technology & entertainment. The Law Office of Russell Sommers: Creative Legal Practices for Creative Legal Minds. TM

I am an attorney who provides legal services to emerging and established artists. I also cater to the legal needs of entrepreneurs and to businesses which are just starting up or have already been established. In representing these clients, I strive to protect the intellectual property of businesses and creative and technical artists across a wide spectrum of media.

Sindee Levin, ESQ is a veteran entertainment a1orney whose creden7als include business affairs at major film
studios, music publishing, mechanical collec7on and extensive private prac7ce with invaluable contacts with
music publishers and record labels.
• As former owner and past president of American Mechanical Rights Agency, Inc. she handled licensing of
copyrights with record companies: issuing licenses, monitoring accoun7ng and payments; issues
synchroniza7on licenses to film, television, radio, and adver7sing agencies specifying the scope of permission
granted. She offered expert guidance through all emerging technologies and new media formats: website
exploita7ons, digital downloading, ring tones and ring backs before selling AMRA to Kobalt Music Publishing.
• She is...

Robert J. Allan is a barrister and solicitor and an AV rated attorney with over 30 years of international legal experience. Mr. Allan has earned a global reputation for excellence in both the legal and business community, and has been honored with an AV Rating; Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards. He has extensive experience representing the interests of existing and emerging domestic and international businesses and provides insightful legal counsel on matters such as corporate law, corporate governance, global finance and transactional representation. Mr. Allan has considerable expertise in corporate compliance and global corporate...

I have extensive experience in legal, finance, management and company-building.

As an attorney, my focus has been on transactional drafting and negotiation and providing ongoing legal counsel and contract interpretation to numerous private individuals as well as companies in varied fields such as media and entertainment, oil and gas, mining and exploration, virtual reality technologies, private health care, cannabis, and mortgage lending and real estate.

As an entertainment professional, I have acquired, or produced, and distributed dozens of feature films, while usually being active in managing the business and legal affairs of most the companies I have worked for or founded. My...

We are a boutique law firm with attorneys that specialize in personal injury, criminal defense and business law services, as well as entertainment law. We provide aggressive and efficient legal representation for each of our clients and work hard until we get you the results you need and want. Our attorneys will also travel to you if needed.

Ms. Johns is a civil trial lawyer who has tried more than one hundred cases to verdict. She is the managing partner for Hillary Johns, Trial Lawyer which maintains offices in Beverly Hills, the Bay Area and New York City. She graduated from Occidental College in 1990 and Golden Gate University School of Law in 1993 where she graduated with Dean’s List and class honors. She is licensed to practice law in California, the California Southern, Central and Northern U.S. Federal District Courts, the District of Columbia, Montana, New York, and the New York Eastern and Southern U.S....

Brandon Anand is a seasoned business and real estate attorney and Court-appointed Referee. Brandon has advised as to countless matters at each stage of the business life cycle—from formation—to operations (partnerships/joint ventures, IP protection, licensing/sales, and litigation/conflict resolution)—to reorganization, sales, and mergers, with a focus on two primary areas: real estate and entertainment/sports. Brandon's real estate practice centers around the sale, financing, and lease of real property. In addition to private representation, he serves as a Court-appointed Partition Referee throughout California, where he is called upon to streamline sales, accounting, and distribution of proceeds from real property (e.g....

Joseph A. Yanny was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and attended college and law school at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Yanny obtained a B.E. in Engineering in 1975 and his J.D. in 1978. Mr. Yanny began practicing as a patent attorney in Chicago, Illinois where he obtained his first million dollar judgment before moving to California in 1980. Prior to founding his own law firm in 1983, Mr. Yanny worked in the aerospace industry in California.

Mr. Yanny is a member of the Chicago, Beverly Hills, South Bay, Los Angeles County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations;...

Justin Glyer's practice focuses on media, entertainment, marketing, technology and commercial contracts, start-ups, copyright, trademark, content, internet, communications, privacy and general business law.

Mr. Glyer has conducted successful negotiations with digital media start-ups, artists, producers, movie studios, television networks, promoters, talent agencies, multi-channel internet distributors, record labels, publishers, software developers, internet service providers, social media companies, business development professionals, accounting firms, public speakers, job recruiters, universities and academics, advertisers, marketing, telecommunications and technology companies, insurance carriers and a wide range of other individuals and businesses from the very small to the Fortune 500.

As a long-time former business and legal...

Ethan D. Kirschner is an experienced litigator with clients in California, throughout the United States, and overseas. Originally from Wisconsin, Mr. Kirschner was a champion high school and college debater. He has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and received an LL.M. in intellectual property law from the University of California, Berkeley.


Mr. Kirschner has been practicing law since 2005. He is licensed to practice law in California.

With degrees from both UCLA and Loyola Law School, and a specialty from UCLA in Entertainment Studies with an emphasis in Film and Film Finance, Mitra has worked in legal affairs at MTV, has worked on the merger of 2 major record labels, and has been of-counsel to several high-profile copyright infringement cases involving artists and major studios. Her entertainment practice specializes in film and entertainment financing, negotiating and structuring artist and production deals, and all Intellectual Property matters, including rights clearance, licensing, copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Mitra’s film practice specializes in intellectual property, film finance, corporate law, and production...

Attorney Bryan Freedman has a practice dedicated to entertainment, business, copyright, employment, Internet, real estate, and sports law. Bryan represents clients locally in Southern California, as well as throughout the United States and around the world.

Recognized as a renowned entertainment litigator, the Hollywood Reporter named Mr. Freedman one of the “most influential entertainment litigators in the country” for over 10 years in a row. He has also been featured on the publication’s “Top 100 Power Lawyers” list and has been listed in Variety magazine’s 2015 Legal Impact Report, a selective list comprised of only 22 chosen individuals.

Recognized as a renowned...

I practice transactional entertainment and technology law and was a also a journalist at The Hollywood Reporter from 2010-20, where I covered entertainment labor, law and business. A former computer scientist, I was also active in local politics for over a decade. A preeminent expert on Hollywood unions and guilds, I'm the author of several books on the subject. I'm also an adjunct professor at USC and Southwestern law schools, and previously at UCLA Law School, and a non-resident research fellow at Rutgers University. I've worked as a talent lawyer; guild attorney; and as a litigator. I've been a member of the...

Full service entertainment law practice handling corporate, financing, production, marketing and distribution matters worldwide across all media for studios, networks, cable companies and independent producers.

Daniel J. Morse represents creative artists from his offices in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Morse excelled in his studies of contracts, intellectual property, and entertainment law at the Pepperdine University School of Law. After graduating in 2001, Mr. Morse worked as a civil litigator while assisting various visual artist clients. Upon moving to Tennessee, Mr. Morse worked with the firm of Wise & Reeves, representing a variety of individuals and business with transactional and litigation matters. Mr. Morse also represented musicians and literary authors. With licenses to practice in two of America's...

Legal Expertise Brian Fu works closely with major production studios, talent and management agencies, and multinational corporations to devise creative immigration strategies for executives, on-screen talent in film and television, production teams, musicians, athletes, and artists to work on multi-million dollar projects in the United States. As a trusted advisor on global mobility matters for leading companies in such sectors as entertainment, fashion, design, cosmetics, and videogames, Brian counsels on complex labor and employment issues for foreign nationals. Brian has studied law at top schools in the United States, Australia, and Japan – on the prestigious Monbukagakusho Scholarship awarded by the...

Mark Litwak is a veteran entertainment attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Mark Litwak & Associates based in Los Angeles, California. His practice includes work in the areas of copyright, trademark, contract, multimedia law, intellectual property and book publishing. As a Producer’s Representative, he assists filmmakers in arranging financing, marketing and distribution of their films. He also testifies as an expert witness in motion picture industry cases.

Litwak has packaged movie projects and served as executive producer on such feature films as “The Proposal,” “Out Of Line,” “Pressure,” and “Diamond Dog.” He has provided legal...

Mick Longo is an attorney licensed to practice law in the States of California, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon. Motivated by an entrepreneurial desire to change the way law firms operate, Mr. Longo founded Longo & Alach LLP with partner Patrick Alach in 2009. In 2013, Mr. Longo orchestrated and oversaw Longo & Alach LLP’s expansion to Miami, Florida and then in 2015 he expanded the firm again to Charlotte, North Carolina. His practice areas include Entertainment Law, Sports Law, Business Law, Cannabis Law, Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law, Privacy Law and Legislative Advocacy.

Mr. Longo represents a myriad...

Paul’s practice focuses primarily on complex business litigation. He was recently named one of the “Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California” by Los Angeles Magazine, has the highest AV rating in Martindale Hubbell, and is regularly listed in various publications as one of the top attorneys in his field.

His practice areas include business and commercial litigation, False Claims Act cases, corporation and partnership disputes, professional liability litigation, entertainment and intellectual property litigation, defense of non-profit and other charity-based organizations, products liability litigation and all related appellate work.

Michael Machat is one of the few private attorneys that has taken a case to the U.S. Supreme Court and won. His practice covers all aspects of trademark law from the selection and filing of trademarks to fighting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect his clients' rights.

Mr. Machat represents various types of clients, including start ups, artists, entrepreneurs, wealthy businessmen and even other lawyers. In addition to working on transactional matters, he has tried numerous jury trial cases to verdict, most recently winning over $700,000 representing a client suing for trademark infringement. ...

Allan is an Attorney and CPA whose practice focuses on legal and business management services for passionate clients in the entertainment/media and fashion/apparel industries. His unique background allows him to service clients with all aspects of transactional entertainment matters, copyright and trademark matters, licensing, and financial and tax consulting. Allan serves as counsel to musicians, records producers, managers, record labels, music publishers, actors, film and photography production companies, designers and apparel companies. His past professional experience includes EMI Music, Woods & Middleton, LLP, Deloitte (tax, licensing, royalty audits), and Tommy Hilfiger. He also has experience...

5 years experience with a personal injury firm. Solo practice so I will have plenty of time to provide individualized focus to each of my clients. Entertainment contract review and drafting experience. Cannabis brand business formation experience and trademark filings.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tre Lovell has been noted among the elite trial lawyers in the nation, having been named "Lawyer of the Year" Finalist, 2016, by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and further honored by The National Law Journal as one of the Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers in the United States. Mr. Lovell has been recognized among the top 1% of attorneys in the country as a litigator through such esteemed organizations as America's Top 100 Attorneys, Distinguished Justice Advocates, National Academy of Jurisprudence, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Rue's Best Attorneys of America. In addition,...

I am a 25 year veteran attorney specializing in representing music, film and television entertainment industry clients in a variety of intellectual property and complex business related disputes and transactions.

Entertainment lawyer Joshua R. Lastine protects the artistry and livelihood of actors, production companies, writers, producers, directors, animators, social media influencers, and podcasters. A strategic negotiator, a fierce advocate for talent, and a practical problem solver, Lastine strengthens his counsel with an indelible passion for show business, its players, and creators. Lastine understands how to structure and close the deals shaping the future of the entertainment industry. Recent examples include critically acclaimed streaming series, musicians’ NFTs, and mixed-reality productions in the Metaverse. Lastine’s experience in Studio business and legal affairs includes positions with ViacomCBS, Lions Gate, Marvel Studios, Starz, Discovery...

Music and entertainment law was a natural progression given my background. Having had jobs / positions in production, publishing, artist and label management, I have unique perspective. I love helping artists with their business issues so they can focus on developing their craft.