Media and Entertainment Group Joins Ballard Spahr in Los Angeles

Ballard Spahr’s top-ranked Media and Entertainment Law practice has expanded its litigation, script-vetting, and rights clearance capabilities in Los Angeles with the arrival of seven attorneys from the storied Century City media firm Leopold, Petrich & Smith, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

The attorneys—all experienced copyright, trademark, and infringement lawyers—have litigated landmark intellectual property and First Amendment cases and have represented many of the industry’s leading film studios, production companies, television networks, insurance providers, and music producers. The team is recognized for excellence in intellectual property litigation, both nationally and in the Los Angeles region.

“Expanding our practice in Los Angeles has been a strategic priority, and our new colleagues bring great skill to cutting-edge IP litigation and rights clearance projects at a time of increased demand for that work,” said David J. Bodney, a co-leader of Ballard Spahr’s Media and Entertainment Law Group. “The issues facing our clients are more complex than ever, and the stakes have never been higher. We’re delighted to add such a strong group of lawyers to the team.”

The newly arrived attorneys are Louis P. Petrich, Donald R. Gordon, Vincent Cox, Robert S. Gutierrez, Daniel M. Mayeda, Elizabeth L. Schilken, and Loralee Sundra.

Ballard Spahr was named 2019 national Law Firm of the Year for both Media Law and Copyright Law by U.S. News & World Report-Best Lawyers. The firm regularly represents the biggest and most prominent names in the industry in headline-making cases that have secured access to important public information, upheld the rights of news organizations and journalists, and protected the intellectual property of artists across platforms.