Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a leading media and entertainment litigation practice which spans both the East and West coast of the US. The practice covers the full range of media and entertainment litigation from contractual disputes involving profit participation and film finance to IP, employment, discrimination and union litigation. The team boasts a strong client base including major and independent motion picture studios, TV networks, newspapers, video game publishers, production companies and more. The firm also represents celebrities and other notable individuals in court. The team regularly litigates in US and federal courts as well as arbitrates before guilds and the Independent Film and Television Alliance. The New York practice is led by Brian Ascher who represents individuals and corporate clients in media-related commercial litigation as well as First Amendment cases. Co-head Ilissa Samplin leads the Los Angeles team and excels in representing clients in copyright, trade mark, contract and profit participation disputes. New York-based Orin Snyder is the go-to for complex commercial disputes and is sought out by major media companies, celebrities and executives. Scott A. Edelman handles a mix of antitrust, class actions and employment disputes from Century City, while Los Angeles-based Jay Srinivasan defends entertainment companies in content distribution and competition cases.

Latham & Watkins LLP‘s Los Angeles entertainment, sports and media group’s litigation and trial team excels in handling Hollywood litigation for media and entertainment companies, notable individuals, technology start-ups and investment banks. The firm handles a range of media and entertainment cases including defamation, SLAPP and contractual disputes. Entertainment specialist and practice head Marvin S. Putnam represents entertainment companies and investors, producers and talent before trial and appellate courts. Jessica Stebbins Bina is instructed by film, TV, music, radio and internet clients in notable media and entertainment-related IP and contractual disputes. Sports and media clients seek out Robert Ellison for representation in sensitive government and internal investigation and entertainment litigation  and arbitration. In San Francisco, Joe Wetzel is the go-to for music litigation, often advising internet companies, social media platforms, streaming companies and other music industry entities.

O'Melveny is a premier entertainment and media law group which handles complex disputes within the film, TV and music industry. Clientele of the firm include motion picture studios, TV and cable networks, production and distribution companies as well as streaming giants and game developers. The team stands out for its prowess in handling bet-the-company litigation where it has assisted domestic media and entertainment giants. IP litigation is also a core part of the group which represents clients in copyright, trade mark and patent cases. Antitrust and unfair competition as well as contractual litigation and class actions are also handled by the team. Molly Lens spearheads the Century City-based practice and excels in entertainment litigation involving employment, IP, business tort and unfair competition. She also aids clients with sensitive internal matters such as misconduct and discrimination. Daniel Petrocelli leads a national trial practice where he represents clients in entertainment and sports litigation, often advising Hollywood studios, artists, executives and large corporations. David Marroso is a first-chair trial lawyer and is well-versed in representing live event and music clients in high-profile litigations.

Kendall Brill & Kelly is a Los Angeles-based boutique firm specializing in entertainment and media litigation. The firm was founded by practice heads Richard Kendall and Philip Kelly and is known for its expertise in media and entertainment law, representing clients before federal and state trial and appellate courts. The team regularly represents clients in notable Hollywood cases, from copyright lawsuits to contractual breaches and licensing issues. Kendall is sought out for representation in high-stakes litigation for major production and distribution companies, cable television channels and other key media players. Litigation specialist Kelly handles multi-million dollar disputes for the media industry related to film finance, copyright infringement, profile participation and film and TV distribution agreements. Co-founder Laura Brill is key to complex civil litigation and appeals within the media and entertainment space. Patrick Somers acts as lead counsel to entertainment cases involving sensitive issues such as misrepresentations, fraud, breach and discrimination. Also noted is Nary Kim who excels in winning favorable judgements and arbitration for film studios.

Loeb & Loeb LLP has longstanding expertise in the entertainment industry, assisting film and TV, music, digital media, theatre and sports clients in contentious matters. The team is comprised of entertainment and IP specialists who are well-equipped to tackle complex copyright infringement cases, trade mark and dress infringement, piracy, false advertising and individual rights of privacy and publicity. Clientele of the firm consist of motion picture studios, TV networks, production companies, artists, music publishers and record labels. Other litigation matters include profit participation, licensing, royalty, financing and contractual disputes. IP specialist Barry Slotnick leads the New York practice alongside litigation co-head Christian Carbone. The Los Angeles litigation practice is led by David Grossman who is well-versed in commercial disputes and regularly advocates for motion picture and TV studios, production and distribution companies and music rights holders. Tal Dickstein sits in New York and is experienced in defending copyright infringement cases for music publishers, record labels, artists and songwriters. Lauren Fried and John Gatti often work together on entertainment litigation in Los Angeles.

Pryor Cashman LLP is a go-to firm for music publishers, record labels, songwriters, recording artists and entertainment companies. The team has extensive experience in handling complex music litigation across the United States, both defending the rights of creators IP through copyright infringement lawsuits. Royalty disputes, contractual breaches and copyright termination claims are also key pillars of the practice. Alongside its music expertise, the firm is also strong in representing content owners and content creators in complex rate proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Board. Donald Zakarin is sought out by recording companies and their senior executives as well as music publishers to represents them in media litigation. Ilene Farkas is a copyright litigation specialist who has represented a large number of notable musicians and performers. Frank Scibilia represents copyright owners in contentious matters, while Benjamin Semel handles cases involving streaming. The aforementioned lawyers all reside in New York and co-lead the practice. In Florida, James Sammataro leads the team and is known for his work litigating in the Latin music space as well as film and TV.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP fields a strong entertainment litigation practice which is well-versed in handling high-stake cases for prominent media clients. The firm is often turned to for its expertise in entertainment law by big media companies and players to take over critical trials. The team represents a slew of recording and music studios and both sues and defends against defamation cases. The team is well-versed on new issues facing the music industry and keeps up-to-date on technology developments in digital music that could potentially affect clients. Robert Schwartz leads the team from Los Angeles and mainly represents motion picture studios and broadcast networks, film production companies, record companies and notable individuals in IP, unfair competition, royalties and participation cases. Carey Ramos chairs the New York and Hong Kong team, focusing on defending cross-border IP disputes, while Los Angeles team co-lead Gary Gans is the go-to for motion picture financing, production and distribution litigation. Moon Hee Lee assists the Los Angeles team with pre-litigation and trials for media cases.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is sought out by clients for its knowledge in handling music licensing and rate court proceedings. The team excels in handling music copyright matters, representing broadcast and digital media companies in copyright infringements and representing clients against record companies and music publishers for rate-setting litigation. It also provides support to clients with pre-litigation music license and copyright counselling. Other than its strong music practice, the firm also handles disputes involving content distributors and content providers such as consumer litigations, carriage and licensing disputes and antitrust litigation. Contributory liability claims for e-commerce and social media platforms are also handled by the team. Team lead Benjamin Marks focuses on copyright, trade mark, music licensing and first amendment disputes. He is also well-versed in AI issues and has been handling litigation related to how AI affects trade mark and copyright laws. Todd Larson is the name to note for music licensing litigation, David Yohai is experienced in handling IP cases and Yehudah Buchweitz often serves as counsel to media companies in contentious matters. The aforementioned lawyers are all based in New York.

Williams & Connolly LLP is a leading First Amendment practice, representing newspapers, magazines, television networks, publishers, motion picture studios and individuals in high-profile defamation cases. Other than its strength in First Amendment cases, the team has also been active in libel and copyright infringement litigation. The team is based in Washington DC with practice head Thomas Hentoff handles a mix of IP disputes, First Amendment and media law and civil litigation. Co-chair Joseph Terry largely advises media companies, financial services clients and law firms in both civil and criminal litigation. The go-to for clients who require defending against First Amendment cases is co-lead Stephen Fuzesi who has defending major news organizations in defamation lawsuits related to both traditional and digital media as well as represented journalists and media companies. Nicholas Gamse is also well-versed in First Amendment and media law, while Gloria Maier represents media and technology clients in investigations and litigations brought by the Department of Justice and state attorneys general.

Ballard Spahr LLP is instructed by clients to handle media and First Amendment cases in the US. The team has advised a myriad of traditional and digital media clients from newspapers, broadcasters, cable TV, and internet companies to journalists, advertisers and authors. Defamation cases are the focus of the group, alongside invasion of privacy, infringement of the right of publicity and content-related claims. Team lead Charles Tobin utilises his previous experience as a journalist to defend media clients in libel and privacy lawsuits. He sits in Washington DC alongside Seth Berlin who excels in handling First Amendment cases and has represented clients before federal trial and appeal courts throughout the US. The practice group has numerous litigation specialists equipped to handled defamation and First amendment cases all over the US, including New York, Chicago, Phoenix and Philadelphia.

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is known for its expertise in handling antitrust cases for media and entertainment clients. The firm has won a number of significant antitrust cases for entertainment companies, challenging acquisitions and mergers up to Supreme Court level. The team also handles IP, securities and commercial litigation alongside contractual disputes. The practice advises media and entertainment companies through government investigations and competition agency clearance for M&As. The East Coast team is led by litigation specialist Wes Earnhardt who resides in New York. Earnhardt has been key to major media and entertainment litigations involving copyright and antitrust issues. David Korn is experienced in handling antitrust, securities and commercial litigation for the media sector.

King & Spalding LLP's business litigation practice is spearheaded by music litigation heavyweight Kenneth Steinthal and entertainment specialist Arwen Johnson from San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. The practice is a leading force in the music copyright infringement space under the leadership of Steinthal who is praised as a 'supreme legal talent in the copyright music field'. He is the go-to for digital audio and audio-visual content distribution expertise.  The firm also represents entertainment companies in theft of idea disputes, defamation, First Amendment, music contract and licensing disputes. Johnson mainly advises Hollywood studios on commercial litigation, including copyright infringement, contractual disputes and idea theft. In Washington DC, David Mattern is experienced in representing media and technology companies in cases involving user content, rate court disputes and copyright litigation.

The media and entertainment litigation practice at Kirkland & Ellis LLP is notable for its expertise in handling bet-the-company cases. The firm is fully equipped to support clients in these cases such as supporting them with crisis communication and advising on how to manage internal and external communications. Media-related IP litigation is another key part of the New York-based practice. Practice head Dale Cendali leads on copyright, trade mark, false advertising and defamation cases for media and entertainment clients. Claudia Ray advises on pre-litigation issues and IP litigation, while appellate and trial court litigator Joshua Simmons handles a mix of commercial disputes and contentious IP cases. Also noted is Mary Mazzello for her work on trade mark cases.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP's entertainment litigation practice is experienced in handling cases within music, film, TV and online influencer sectors. The Los Angeles team handles an array of copyright, trade mark, breach of contract, unfair competition and profit participation issues for the music industry. It is also adept at First Amendment and rights of publicity matters. Artists, songwriters, estates and foundations all are typical clientele of the firm. Spearheading the practice, Robert Jacobs is known for his speciality in music disputes, where he represents international artists, songwriters, record labels and music publishers in IP litigation, contractual issues and unfair competition cases. Nathaniel Bach is noted for his skills in handling contractual disputes and IP issues, while Sarah Moses acts as an advisor to both talent and management in complex media disputes.

Paul Hastings LLP‘s entertainment practice largely represents entertainment studios and talent agencies in complex litigation. The team is able to handle a wide mix of issues from profit participation disputes, antitrust and business tort cases to class actions, IP infringement and defamation issues. The team is also involved in discrimination cases and investigations within the media and entertainment sector. Steven Marenberg leads the Century City team and defends entertainment companies and individuals in litigation and private arbitrations. Tamerlin Godley splits her time between Los Angeles and Century City, representing studios, networks and production companies in sensitive investigations and media litigation. In Century City, Susan Leader is noted for her skills in securing summary judgements and appellate victories for media clients, while Washington DC-based Sherrese Smith is well-versed in privacy and data -related cases. Josh Gordon handles IP and contractual disputes for film studios, production companies and individuals.

Brown Rudnick LLP‘s brand and reputation management group handles contentious matters for high-profile individuals, celebrities, athletes and companies. The team handles bet the company reputational cases as well as IP infringement litigation. It defends its clients rights, interests and reputation in civil litigation and white collar cases. Wayne Dennison leads the Boston practice and represents technology, gaming and individuals in commercial litigation and defamation cases. Stephen Best handles white collar crime cases and investigations for individuals, he sits in Washington DC. Camille Vasquez left the practice in August 2024.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is adept at handling complex disputes in the media and entertainment space and represents celebrities, notable individuals and media companies. Michael Grygiel leads the Albany practice and focuses on First Amendment cases, defending news and media entertainment organizations from publication and newsgathering claims. Co-head Vincent Chieffo sits in Los Angeles and handles both media litigation and entertainment transactional work. Also in Los Angeles, Nina Boyajian is well-versed in copyright and trade mark infringement litigation as well as right of publicity disputes and rights of heirs and estates,  while Mathew Rosengart excels in handling defamation lawsuits and False Claim Acts cases.

The California-based entertainment and media practice at Katten represents motion picture, music, TV and individuals in IP and media litigation. The firm is instructed by clients to represent them in copyright infringement cases as well as defend them against claims. Zia Modabber spearheads the Los Angeles practice and represents clients in IP, First Amendment and other media litigation for music artists. He also acts as a private mediator for music clients in entertainment disputes. David Halberstadter has represented motion picture studios, production studios and TV networks in breach of contract cases and copyright infringement disputes. Joel Weiner has won clients in the media space anti-SLAPP motions with fee awards, motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgement.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acts as lead counsel on a entertainment litigation cases, specializing in copyright, antitrust and rate court disputes from the music industry. Digital rights and licensing rate litigation are a stand out area of the practice which represents a number of music related societies, collectives and associations. Other than its music practice, the firm also advises film and TV studios and networks in corporate litigation such as securities class actions. Jay Cohen co-leads the New York practice alongside Lynn Bayard. Cohen focuses on cable and music industry clients, leading on digital rights and licensing rates disputes. Bayard handles both entertainment and sports matters such as health and safety issues and IP litigation.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP recently bolstered the strength of its practice with the arrival of trial specialists from Brown Rudnick LLP in August 2024, including Camille Vasquez and Leo Presiado who both sit in Orange County. The firm represents individuals in the entertainment industry such as producers on litigation involving distribution rights, profit and revenue participation, audit claims and talent disputes. Entertainment specialists Alexis Robinson and Robert Friedman both lead the New York practice, while class action expert Sascha Henry chairs the Los Angeles group and John Brooks spearheads the San Diego business trial team. Benjamin Chew is noted for his commercial litigation expertise and resides in Washington DC.

Susman Godfrey LLP represents both plaintiffs and defendants as part of its media and entertainment litigation practice. The team assists with protecting IP rights, enforcing contracts, antitrust and damage claims. Kalpana Srinivasan leads the Los Angeles-based team and has represented clients in privacy litigation, IP litigation and complex antitrust cases for the media and entertainment sector. Davida Brooke is experienced in handling defamation law suits and commercial litigation at both trial appellate levels. In New York, Elisha Barron is adept at antitrust, IP and False Claims Act lawsuits.

Venable LLP's Los Angeles media and entertainment litigation team is adept at IP and contractual disputes as well as defamation, First Amendment litigation and anti-SLAPP protection. The firm represents Hollywood actors, producers and directors as well as production companies, financiers, TV studios and networks. The team focuses on the film & TV sector but is also well-versed in assisting music industry issues. Lee Brenner chairs the practice and excels in copyright litigation over media properties such as ownership and authorship. Commercial litigator David Fink is experienced in defamation and privacy claims for celebrities.

WilmerHale's media and entertainment team is well-versed in representing social media companies in cases related to their ability to moderate and control content on their platforms. The firm largely defends its clients in First Amendment cases to ensure protection of their editorial rights. Other than content moderation lawsuits, the firm also represents clients in antitrust and commercial litigation. Washington DC-based Ari Holtzblatt leads the team and is the go-to for assisting social media platforms with litigation involving First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.