Areas of Practice
Media and entertainment law, including: defamation, invasion of privacy, intellectual property, theft of ideas, and business litigation; access to court proceedings and records; California Public Records Act and Brown Act litigation; reporter’s subpoenas; production, pre-publication, and pre-broadcast counseling; newsrack regulation; and newspaper adjudication
Representative Counseling Experience
Regularly provide production and pre-broadcast advice for television programs, webcasts, and documentary films, including: "South Park," "Drawn Together," "The Showbiz Show," "Lil Bush," "Reno 911," "Too Late with Adam Carolla," "Dexter," "Sleeper Cell," "Rockstar: Supernova" and "Deliver Us From Evil"
Regularly provide pre-publication and pre-broadcast counseling to news organizations, including: the Los Angeles Times, The Press-Enterprise, CNN, and TMZ.com
Representative Litigation Experience
Secured order striking defamation lawsuit against newspaper under California’s anti-SLAPP statute and awarding newspaper its attorneys’ fees
Successfully defended television production company against idea submission lawsuit involving daytime talk show
Defeated application for prior restraint against newspaper and won order awarding newspaper its attorneys’ fees
Successfully defended parody television news program against invasion of privacy and defamation lawsuit arising from broadcast and newsgathering techniques
Successfully defended magazine against multiple claims, including misappropriation, intrusion, and conversion, arising from acquisition and publication of celebrity photographs
Successfully prosecuted California Public Records Act lawsuit on behalf of coalition of print and electronic media to compel Governor Gray Davis to disclose State’s controversial long-term electricity contracts
Regularly provide pre-publication and pre-broadcast counseling to newspapers and television news organizations
Regularly provide pre-production, production, and pre-broadcast counseling to television networks for entertainment programming
Representative Reported Decisions
Defamation
- Thomas v. Los Angeles Times, 189 F. Supp. 2d 1005 (C.D. Cal. 2002)
- DARE America v. Rolling Stone, 101 F. Supp. 2d 1270 (C.D. Cal. 2000)
- Page v. Los Angeles Times, 2004 WL 847527 (Cal. Ct. App. 2004)
Prior Restraint
Los Angeles Times v. Superior Court, 30 Media L. Rptr. 2343 (Cal. Ct. App. 2002)
Idea Submission
Burton v. Dick Clark Productions, 2004 WL 376935 (Cal. Ct. App. 2004)
Copyright
Michaels v. Internet Entertainment Group (Paramount Pictures), 48 U.S.P.Q. 2d 1891 (C.D. Cal 1998)
Access
Los Angeles Times v. Superior Court, 114 Cal. App. 4th 247 (2003)
Brown Act
Los Angeles Times v. Bd. of Supervisors, 112 Cal. App. 4th 1313 (2003)
Public Records Act
Board of Trustees v. Superior Court, 132 Cal. App. 4th 889 (2005) (Copley Press)
SLAPP Statute
American Humane Assn v. Los Angeles Times, 92 Cal. App. 4th 1095 (2001)
Newspaper Adjudication
In re Molz (California Newspaper Publishers Assn), 127 Cal. App. 4th 836 (2005)
Reporter’s Privilege
Wright v. FBI, 385 F. Supp. 2d 1038 (C.D. Cal. 2005) (non-party LA Weekly freelance journalist)
Representative Clients
Los Angeles Times, Comedy Central, CNN, The Copley Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association
Honors
Named as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in Media Law by Woodward/White
Named as one of the Lawdragon “500 New Stars, New Worlds” in 2006
Instructor, “Law of Mass Communications,” University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication, Fall 2000 to present
Named Leading Attorney in Media & Entertainment Litigation by Chambers USA
Selected to “Super Lawyers” in First Amendment/Media Law, Southern California Law & Politics, 2004 – 2008
Named “Southern California Rising Star” by Los Angeles Magazine/Law & Politics Magazine, 2004
Named to “20 Under 40” list by California Law Business, May 2000
Education
J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, 1993
B.S. in History, magna cum laude, Harvard College, 1989
