Entertainment Litigation

Glaser Weil’s attorneys are respected for the results they achieve in high-profile entertainment-related lawsuits and arbitrations, as well as for their successful outcomes in behind-the-scenes, confidential resolutions. Entertainment industry publications, such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, often recognize the Firm’s attorneys for their important cases and influence in the field.

Our attorneys are skilled at trial and leave no stone unturned. In fact, many clients seek Glaser Weil’s representation after engaging unsuccessful counsel. We have proven consistently that we are the team to bring matters to a swift and full conclusion on terms that far exceed our clients’ expectations.

What We Do

• Breach of contract litigation
• Copyright, trademark and idea theft litigation
• California Talent Agencies Act matters
• Employment litigation
• False advertising litigation
• Licensing disputes
• Ownership disputes
• Profit participation disputes
• Right of publicity matters

A sampling of matters includes the representation of:

• Bill Nye in his long-running lawsuit relating to claims for recovery of revenues and damages owed by The Walt Disney Company and affiliates based on their distribution and exploitation of the TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy.
• An executive in successfully dismissing a case related to his removal from a multinational media and entertainment corporation over an affair and an extortion attempt against him.
• Film producer Victoria Alonso in connection with her termination as one of the three founding members of Marvel Studios.
• A former Creative Artists Agency agent in a high-profile case against CAA claiming that it owed him more than $5 million in bonuses and vacation pay.
• Freddie Roach, a hall-of-fame professional boxing trainer, in connection with a lawsuit filed by a former actor and waiter who claimed to have arranged a meeting that led to the widely publicized 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match, one of the most lucrative fights in history.
• IMAX Corporation in an arbitration brought by a former executive claiming entitlement to $7+ million in commissions.
• Karyn McCarthy in a wrongful termination lawsuit with Star Wars producer Lucasfilm after her discharge from the Disney+ series The Acolyte.
• A leading entertainment and media company in an enforcement action regarding the contractual right to co-develop and produce a project.
• Media firm Infillion (formerly PaeDae, Inc.) in defeating a former employee’s $25+ million claims in a three-year-long legal battle involving arbitration, federal and state court actions, and a Ninth Circuit appeal.
• Entertainer Miley Cyrus and her holding company in securing the dismissal of a class action lawsuit seeking $4 million in damages.
• One of the leading female executives in Hollywood in connection with her termination as president of a leading studio.
• American media personality and producer Ryan Seacrest and his company, Seacrest Productions, in successfully defending against idea theft claims.
• The Lemieux Group, a partnership that owns and operates the Pittsburgh Penguins National Hockey League franchise, in a third-party ownership dispute related to Lemieux’s sale of a controlling interest to the Fenway Sports Group.
• The Yucaipa Companies LLC in litigation arising out of the attempted purchase of the assets of The Weinstein Company.

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