The entertainment attorneys at Weintraub Tobin represent individuals and companies in all aspects of the entertainment and media industries. Areas of emphasis include:
On Monday, October 27th, Weintraub joined forces with the Franchise Media Collective (FMC) and MADE BY ALL to host the Creator Economy Salon: “Generations: From Passion to Legacy Enterprises.” This exclusive, members-only gathering brought together trailblazers from across the content creator landscape for a day of insight and connection. Weintraub…
On July 24, Weintraub entertainment and intellectual property attorney Matthew Sugarman co-presented, ‘From Idea to Shelves.’ Speaking on a panel alongside literary agents, managers, publishing pros, and producers, they addressed the state of the publishing and adaptation businesses. The panel covered: How to take your writing career from the blank…
On November 14th, The Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) presented an informative MCLE webinar, HRTS Unscripted: The Impact of Generative AI on Nonfiction. Weintraub shareholder Scott Hervey will moderate a panel discussion about the ethical, legal, and business impacts of generative AI on the fields of nonfiction, reality, documentary,…
On Thursday, July 24th, Weintraub Attorney Matt Sugarman will participate in a panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, “From Idea to Shelves.” The panel brings together professionals who assist authors in taking a project from blank page to launch, including agent, manager, attorney, publisher, and producer. Matt will discuss strategies and…
On Tuesday, April 9th, Weintraub attorneys will participate in a panel from the Barristers’ Club of San Francisco Bar Association’s (BASF) Pathways to Partnership Series. Part 1 of 2, “Transitioning from Senior Associate to Junior Partner,” will focus the panel discussion on the journey from associate to junior partner and…
On September 8, Weintraub Shareholder Matt Sugarman will present as part of the American Bar Association webinar Comic Book Law 101. This panel will explore the comic book industry, its place in greater pop culture, and the key legal issues attorneys practicing in this area should know. Topics covered will include…
Summary of ProgramUnfortunately, both single-plaintiff and class-action wage and hour lawsuits continue to plague California employers. Often employers are sued because of technical violations that occur simply because the employer is unaware of its legal obligations. Come join the Labor and Employment Group at Weintraub Tobin as they discuss the…
Join us July 23!Weintraub Tobin and LAVA Digital Media Group will host a conversation with Ethan Applen, the executive director of Media Camp, a Turner/Warner Brothers Initiative, on Tuesday, July 23th. The conversation will focus on the opportunities and challenges with owning a startup company and will include a demo…
Join Us April 23! Weintraub Tobin and the LAVA Digital Media Group will host a panel discussion: “How Has Digital Media Changed the Way We Interact with Food” on Tuesday, April 23. Whether it’s finding a place to eat, sharing recommendations on your favorite dishes or ordering food online, investors…
Weintraub Tobin and Moss Adams are co-sponsoring the LAVA Digital Media Group’s panel discussion: “What’s Ahead for Digital Media in 2013” on Tuesday, February 26. Making predictions in digital media can be challenging. At this time last year who even knew what Pinterest was, let alone that it would explode…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to welcome Alice Barsky as an associate in the Firm’s Entertainment & Media practice group. Alice started with Weintraub as a Law Clerk and was elevated to associate after passing the California Bar. Based in Los Angeles, Alice represents writers, directors, producers, and other creative professionals…
Did Coca-Cola cross the line by using a Johnny Cash soundalike in its nationwide “Fan Work is Thirsty Work” campaign? In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin attorneys Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley unpack the Cash estate’s lawsuit and what it reveals about the evolving law of soundalikes. In this episode, they cover: How…
Weintraub client Fifth Season has received seven Critics Choice Award nominations across several of its major projects, including Severance, Chief of War, Friendship, and Nonnas, as well as four Golden Globe nominations for Severance. The nominations span multiple categories and reflect the studio’s continued impact in film and television. Fifth Season is represented by Weintraub…
Weintraub client Jess Judith has been named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Social Media category, recognizing her work as a leading creator and innovator in the digital space. Judith was selected as part of a standout group of young leaders shaping the future of content and online engagement.…
Weintraub client and author Rebecca Yarros sold the movie rights for her popular romance novel The Last Letter to Amazon Studios following an intense bidding war. As part of the deal, Yarros will act as an executive producer on the film through her recently formed company Full Measures named after her first book. Brody…
The Flick, a film developed by Weintraub client Will Malnati, has been picked up by Apple. A thriller that follows an air traffic controller as he faces an escalating midair crisis, the film is based on an unpublished short story from writer Matt Hickey. The film will be produced by…
Weintraub client and production company, Ley Line Entertainment, has wrapped up filming for its upcoming romantic-comedy, All That She Wants, featuring Weintraub client Zosia Mamet. The film follows Emma, who, in the wake of a nasty breakup, hooks up with the charming, younger Luke, only to realize that she used to…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to share that the Firm has been recognized for excellence in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms®, earning multiple Tier 1 placements across key practice areas. The Firm maintained all of its 2025 Tier 1 rankings and added several new or elevated distinctions. Weintraub was…
Weintraub Tobin is proud to announce that partners Jessica Marlow and Shaun Gordon have been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Inaugural Power Lawyers: Creators List, which highlights the attorneys driving success and protecting the creative ventures of today’s top content creators. “Jessica and Shaun exemplify the innovation and expertise that…
Weintraub client Matt Kindt, creator of Mind MGMT and Dept. H, has signed a major publishing and media partnership with Oni Press to expand his Flux House imprint. The deal includes new comic releases and the development of more than 20 Flux House properties across film, television, animation, gaming, and…
Weintraub clients and podcast co-hosts Claudia and Jackie Oshry landed a big three-year deal to keep their show “The Toast” at Dear Media despite an intense bidding war against SiriusXM and iHeart. The contract covers exclusive ad rights, promotion, and production. The show has skyrocketed to become the most-listened to podcast among…
In the realm of copyright law, determining the scope of damages and the applicability of the statute of limitations remains a contentious issue. The Supreme Court case of Nealy v. Warner Chappell Music (argued before the Court in February of this year) promises to shed light on this matter, grappling…
In December 2019, Scott Hervey wrote about the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Taylor Swift by the writers of the song “Playas Gon’ Play.” The song was released by the girl group 3LW in 2001 and included the lyrics “Playa, they gonna play / And haters, they gonna hate.” In…
New York’s post mortem right-of-publicity statute recently came into effect. Its previous right-of-publicity laws were an extension of its statutory right of privacy which provided that “any person whose name [or likeness] is used within [New York] for advertising [or trade] purposes without . . . written consent” can sue…
In the 9th Circuit (as well as the 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 11th Circuits), the test for determining whether the use of a third-party trademark in an expressive work (i.e., use of a brand within a movie, TV series, video game, etc., including as part of the title of an…
The motion picture Wolf of Wall Street was based on a book of the same title written by Jordan Belmont. In the book, Andrew Greene, who was director, general counsel, and head of the corporate finance department at Stratton Oakmont between 1993 and 1996, was discussed extensively. In the book,…
Virginia Vallejo, a well known Colombian journalist and media personality, authored the memoir “Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar”. The book is a factual account of her romantic relationship with Pablo Escobar and a chronicle of the rise of the Colombian drug cartel. Vallejo claimed that certain scenes in the television series Narcos infringed…
The USPTO recently refused legendary quarterback Tom Brady’s application to register the mark TOM TERRIFIC. If you’re like me, you’re wondering why Tom Brady would want to register such a trademark. Well, according to Brady, he wanted to obtain the rights to the mark to prevent people from referring to…
For those of you that watched the red carpet happenings at last year’s Golden Globe Awards, you may have noticed the “Fiji Water Girl”, a model standing ready to keep Hollywood glitterati hydrated with bottles of Fiji water, photobombing numerous shots of celebrities. Her presence on the red carpet created…
The Trademark Trial and Appeals Board’s recent ruling in In re Productos Verde Valle, S.A. de C.V. upholding a trademark examiner’s refusal to register the mark SONIA for “sauces; chili sauce; hot sauce” holds a lesson for those of us that regularly advise clients on the registrability (and usability) of…
Recently, a client asked why we included a short form option agreement and a short form assignment agreement as an exhibit to a long form literary option agreement. I am sure that many a corporate transactional attorney has similarly wondered why a short form copyright assignment agreement is included within…
Have you ever had the experience of attempting to register a social media account in the name of your business only to find that your preferred name is taken? Often, it’s just the case of another business with the same name having registered that account first. Other times, it’s evidence…
