Tomales Entertainment & Sports Lawyers

Sean S. Varner, Managing Partner of Varner & Brandt, is a corporate and transactional attorney focusing his practice on corporate and business law, real estate, transactional law, contracts and mergers & acquisitions. With over 20 years of legal and business experience Sean takes time to know his clients and their goals and objectives. He handles numerous critical issues, including complicated transactions, facing many different industries and clients including the technology sector, retail/food & beverage industry, real estate developers, restaurants, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, officers and directors of corporations, and a variety of family-owned businesses.

With four decades of legal experience, I provide counsel for Business, Real Estate, Estate Planning, Tax, Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports, and Hospitality Law matters. Based in Southern California, I represent clients as outside general counsel throughout the world. I am dedicated to delivering legal expertise and experience focused on the best possible outcomes.

Highly accomplished and respected by peers, I have been honored as the 2018 Southern California Lawyer of the Year for Closely-Held Companies & Family Businesses Law, and the 2019 Southern California Lawyer of the Year for Trusts and Estates.

Outside of work, I am committed to giving...

Expertise, Experience and Affordability are factors that set The Stephen Stern Law Firm apart. * 30 PLUS 5 STAR GOOGLE RATINGS * AV-PREEMINENT by Martingale Hubbell -- Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Experience * 5,000 plus cases and 24 years experience * Highest Quality Client Communications * Adjunct University Professor - Business Law Practice Areas: * Bankruptcy * Estate Planning * Trademarks * Business Law

Robert J. Allan is a barrister and solicitor and an AV rated attorney with over 30 years of international legal experience. Mr. Allan has earned a global reputation for excellence in both the legal and business community, and has been honored with an AV Rating; Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards. He has extensive experience representing the interests of existing and emerging domestic and international businesses and provides insightful legal counsel on matters such as corporate law, corporate governance, global finance and transactional representation. Mr. Allan has considerable expertise in corporate compliance and global corporate...

Tax and business law focusing on the entertainment, real estate, technology, and healthcare industries.

Attorney since 1998

Mike Arias is the senior and managing partner of the firm. He handles matters throughout the United States. Mr. Arias has litigated and tried matters from New York to Texas to California, in both state and federal court. He has resolved hundreds of matters, either by trial, arbitration, mediation or negotiated settlement, resulting in millions of dollars in recovery for the firm's clients. His most recent trial victory resulted in a judgment and subsequent settlement in excess of $19 million. His most recent settlements total well in excess of $50 million. Mr. Arias has also successfully defended and counseled many...

Mark Litwak is a veteran entertainment attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Mark Litwak & Associates based in Los Angeles, California. His practice includes work in the areas of copyright, trademark, contract, multimedia law, intellectual property and book publishing. As a Producer’s Representative, he assists filmmakers in arranging financing, marketing and distribution of their films. He also testifies as an expert witness in motion picture industry cases.

Litwak has packaged movie projects and served as executive producer on such feature films as “The Proposal,” “Out Of Line,” “Pressure,” and “Diamond Dog.” He has provided legal...

Douglas K. Schreiber (Member) born Los Angeles, California, September 16, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, California; 1979, U.S. District Court, Central and Southern Districts of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of Southern California (B.S., cum laude, 1975); Loyola University of Los Angeles (J.D., cum laude, 1978). Recipient: American Jurisprudence Award for Remedies. Member: State Bar of California. Reported Cases: Waisbren v. Peppercorn Productions Inc., (1995) 41 Cal.App.4th 246 48 Cal. Rptr. 2d 437; Lenane vs. Franchise Tax Board (1994) 9 Cal.4th 263, 36 Cal. Rptr.2d 563 Amicus Curiae.

Jason provides transactional business and legal affairs services to content creators across a wide spectrum of the creative community. Specializing in the new media, entertainment and business space, Jason frequently works with scripted/unscripted TV producers, social media influencers, and business entities to review, draft and negotiate deal terms on a wide range of production-related projects. Jason also provides business development strategy and corporate counsel to a variety of emerging players in the digital space. If you’re an influencer looking to monetize your content, a new business looking to establish your legal entity or register a trademark, or a digital...

Dallas Verhagen is an attorney at Fauver, Large, Archbald & Spray, LLP with a practice focused on transactional business matters. Dallas represents startups and small and large businesses in various industries, including tech, retail, manufacturing, transportation, professional services, marketing and media management, cosmetics, cannabis, food and beverage, and consulting. Dallas advises entrepreneurs, startups, and small and large businesses in all areas of business law, including the formation of business entities, negotiating and drafting employment agreements, implementing employee equity incentive agreements and plans, fundraising transactions, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and more. Dallas also serves as outside general counsel for many...

Full service entertainment law practice handling corporate, financing, production, marketing and distribution matters worldwide across all media for studios, networks, cable companies and independent producers.

Paul’s practice focuses primarily on complex business litigation. He was recently named one of the “Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California” by Los Angeles Magazine, has the highest AV rating in Martindale Hubbell, and is regularly listed in various publications as one of the top attorneys in his field.

His practice areas include business and commercial litigation, False Claims Act cases, corporation and partnership disputes, professional liability litigation, entertainment and intellectual property litigation, defense of non-profit and other charity-based organizations, products liability litigation and all related appellate work.

Represents and advises performers, writers, directors, creative talent, producers and entertainment professionals in motion pictures, film, television, animation, HD, CGI and 3D productions, graphic arts and design, the Internet, marketing/advertising and new media of all kinds.

Advising international and domestic motion picture studios, production companies, software/technology companies and Web-based businesses in all aspects of rights acquisition, development, financing, production, licensing and distribution in traditional and all available E-commerce, digital, telephony and wireless media delivery platforms worldwide.

Assists and counsels entertainment content and IP/technology owners in the formulation and execution of strategic global rights exploitation programs to maximize the financial performance...

5 years experience with a personal injury firm. Solo practice so I will have plenty of time to provide individualized focus to each of my clients. Entertainment contract review and drafting experience. Cannabis brand business formation experience and trademark filings.

I am a California Business transactional, corporate and real estate attorney. My practice focuses on Corporate, Business and Commercial Law and Real Estate Law, including Purchase and Sale and Leasing transactions. I was born and raised in Oceanside, California, and attended Oceanside High School. I received my B.A. in Economics/Accounting from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA. I received my J.D. from Santa Clara University Law School in 1987. I practiced law for 8 years with Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May (now Reed Smith) in Oakland, CA. I was General Counsel with The Upper Deck Company from 1997-2000. I was Chief Operting Officer...

With more than 20 years of experience, Tre Lovell has been noted among the elite trial lawyers in the nation, having been named "Lawyer of the Year" Finalist, 2016, by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and further honored by The National Law Journal as one of the Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers in the United States. Mr. Lovell has been recognized among the top 1% of attorneys in the country as a litigator through such esteemed organizations as America's Top 100 Attorneys, Distinguished Justice Advocates, National Academy of Jurisprudence, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Rue's Best Attorneys of America. In addition,...

I have extensive experience in legal, finance, management and company-building.

As an attorney, my focus has been on transactional drafting and negotiation and providing ongoing legal counsel and contract interpretation to numerous private individuals as well as companies in varied fields such as media and entertainment, oil and gas, mining and exploration, virtual reality technologies, private health care, cannabis, and mortgage lending and real estate.

As an entertainment professional, I have acquired, or produced, and distributed dozens of feature films, while usually being active in managing the business and legal affairs of most the companies I have worked for or founded. My...

Neama is a prestigious California personal injury attorney. He is the President and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers. Neama graduated from UCLA at the age of 19 and Harvard Law School at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest graduates in the 200-year history of the law school. Upon graduation, Neama was hired by O’Melveny & Myers, the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time, where he represented companies such as Disney, Marriott, and the Roman Catholic Church. But Neama wanted to help ordinary people, not corporations, so he joined the United States Attorney’s Office, where...

Sindee Levin, ESQ is a veteran entertainment a1orney whose creden7als include business affairs at major film
studios, music publishing, mechanical collec7on and extensive private prac7ce with invaluable contacts with
music publishers and record labels.
• As former owner and past president of American Mechanical Rights Agency, Inc. she handled licensing of
copyrights with record companies: issuing licenses, monitoring accoun7ng and payments; issues
synchroniza7on licenses to film, television, radio, and adver7sing agencies specifying the scope of permission
granted. She offered expert guidance through all emerging technologies and new media formats: website
exploita7ons, digital downloading, ring tones and ring backs before selling AMRA to Kobalt Music Publishing.
• She is...

For four decades, I have successfully represented clients in the Media & Entertainment industries with Antitrust, Business and Appellate law needs. Licensed in New York and California, I have extensive experience in both domestic and international matters.

As a former Executive Vice President at Paramount Pictures, I am often called as an expert witness for media and entertainment industry disputes. I bring a unique set of skills and understanding to each and every case. I am dedicated to helping clients create strategies and solutions in a quick and efficient manner.

I hold a LL.M. in Trade Regulation, a J.D., and a M.S....

Chaz Rainey advises clients in the film and television industry on matters related to: copyright litigation, financing, production, new media technologies, rights of publicity, defamation, trade secrets, trademarks, unfair competition and other transactional issues. An internationally recognized lawyer, licensed in the practice of law in California, Nevada, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia, Chaz Rainey is an accomplished litigator, negotiator, and advocate. Chaz has served as lead counsel on over 200 cases in both state and federal court. He has first-chaired more than a dozen jury and bench trials, argued before federal and state appellate courts,...

Attorney Bryan Freedman has a practice dedicated to entertainment, business, copyright, employment, Internet, real estate, and sports law. Bryan represents clients locally in Southern California, as well as throughout the United States and around the world.

Recognized as a renowned entertainment litigator, the Hollywood Reporter named Mr. Freedman one of the “most influential entertainment litigators in the country” for over 10 years in a row. He has also been featured on the publication’s “Top 100 Power Lawyers” list and has been listed in Variety magazine’s 2015 Legal Impact Report, a selective list comprised of only 22 chosen individuals.

Recognized as a renowned...

Jeannine Stepanian is a versatile transactional attorney. Her diverse practice includes entertainment law, intellectual property law, and business transactions. She has represented clients in the entertainment industry, including actors, writers, producers, and directors. She has also represented a wide variety of corporate clients, from small businesses and tech start-ups to non-profit organizations, production companies, and film studios. Prior to forming SLF in 2019, Ms. Stepanian practiced litigation. She has experience in family law, appellate law, and insurance defense. As a former litigator, she is uniquely suited to drafting and negotiating contracts with an aim to protect her clients from future...

Our operation is focused on providing cost effective solutions and expert customer service to all our clients. In addition to real estate, the firm represents clients in business litigation, construction defect problems, estate planning, arbitrations and mediations. We want our clients to fully understand the legal process and what will be involved in finding a constructive result to their legal issue. I am very active in the legal and real estate community. I continue to educate myself on the most up to date information within my field. I maintain active memberships with both local and national groups in the industry....

Ginam Lee has been a California licensed attorney since 1999. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court, Central District of California as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His areas of practice are litigation, real estate, entertainment, intellectual property, alcoholic beverages, franchises, and business affairs. Mr. Lee began his legal career as a legal assistant at a boutique criminal defense firm of Beck & DeCorso in downtown Los Angeles. Since then, he has worked in various legal capacities at major firms such as O'Melveny & Myers in...

Having previously practiced at an American Law 100 firm as well as in-house counsel for a multi-national corporation, Mr. Hakala brings both legal expertise and business sense to the business transactions that clients seek to accomplish and the complex legal problems that they seek to litigate and resolve. Mr. Hakala has not only litigated various complex business and employment matters on behalf of Fortune 100 clients, he also provides general business, technology, and media law representation to various companies, including start-up businesses and those in the renewable energies sector.  Mr. Hakala is an experienced business litigator who has also...

Mr. Alves's practice focuses on advising startups, emerging growth and middle market companies across a spectrum of industries in corporate, finance and business transactions with emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, entertainment, contracts and project finance. Licensed in Brazil and the U.S., he practiced for several years at major law firms in Brazil and the U.S. advising domestic and international clients on, among other things, corporate, mergers and acquisitions and investments matters.

Ms. Slaughter has over 20 years of trial and litigation experience in Employment and Labor Law, Civil/Business Law, Trademark Infringement, and Personal Injury. Ms. Slaughter is also a mediator and has successfully bridged the gap to resolution of hundreds of cases. Ms. Slaughter is an adjunct Professor, teaching English, English to Foreign Learners, and Paralegal instruction.

Russell Sommers is a seasoned transactional attorney who helps individuals and businesses maximize the value of their Intellectual Property (IP) through the strategic application of copyright, trademark, trade secret, patent, and other IP laws. The Law Office of Russell Sommers offers quality legal services tailored to meet the specific IP needs of businesses and individuals in the spheres of business, technology & entertainment. The Law Office of Russell Sommers: Creative Legal Practices for Creative Legal Minds. TM

Allan is an Attorney and CPA whose practice focuses on legal and business management services for passionate clients in the entertainment/media and fashion/apparel industries. His unique background allows him to service clients with all aspects of transactional entertainment matters, copyright and trademark matters, licensing, and financial and tax consulting. Allan serves as counsel to musicians, records producers, managers, record labels, music publishers, actors, film and photography production companies, designers and apparel companies. His past professional experience includes EMI Music, Woods & Middleton, LLP, Deloitte (tax, licensing, royalty audits), and Tommy Hilfiger. He also has experience...