Alameda County Entertainment & Sports Lawyers

Entertainment lawyer Joshua R. Lastine protects the artistry and livelihood of actors, production companies, writers, producers, directors, animators, social media influencers, and podcasters. A strategic negotiator, a fierce advocate for talent, and a practical problem solver, Lastine strengthens his counsel with an indelible passion for show business, its players, and creators. Lastine understands how to structure and close the deals shaping the future of the entertainment industry. Recent examples include critically acclaimed streaming series, musicians’ NFTs, and mixed-reality productions in the Metaverse. Lastine’s experience in Studio business and legal affairs includes positions with ViacomCBS, Lions Gate, Marvel Studios, Starz, Discovery...

Legal Expertise Brian Fu works closely with major production studios, talent and management agencies, and multinational corporations to devise creative immigration strategies for executives, on-screen talent in film and television, production teams, musicians, athletes, and artists to work on multi-million dollar projects in the United States. As a trusted advisor on global mobility matters for leading companies in such sectors as entertainment, fashion, design, cosmetics, and videogames, Brian counsels on complex labor and employment issues for foreign nationals. Brian has studied law at top schools in the United States, Australia, and Japan – on the prestigious Monbukagakusho Scholarship awarded by the...

Michael Molfetta is former prosecutor and a renowned litigation attorney who has been practicing for almost 30 years.
1. Mr. Molfetta has been lead counsel in hundreds of criminal jury trials.
2. Mr. Molfetta has been lead counsel in several civil jury trials, and has conducted hundreds of depositions.
2. He has represented individuals and multinational corporations in both State and Federal Court.
3. Mr. Molfetta has handled cases in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Canada, Mexico, and Italy.
3. Mr. Molfetta also has extensive experience representing professional athletes and “high profile” clients. He...

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

David L. Axelrod began work as a teenager, selling scorecards in Dodger Stadium. After attending college, David L. Axelrod entered a career as Park Ranger and Fire Fighter, at the East Bay Regional Park District of Northern California. In 1988, David L. Axelrod graduated law school at the University of California, Berkeley, California, passed the bar, and commenced the practice of law. David L. Axelrod worked as Deputy Attorney for CALTRANS Legal Division in Los Angeles, California, and then as Deputy Tuolumne County Counsel in Sonora, California. Mr....

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...

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...

David A. Sergenian is the founder of Sergenian Law, a Professional Corporation. His practice concentrates in the areas of copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, partnership and startup disputes, appellate practice, and general commercial litigation. In addition, he has extensive experience in patent law, securities litigation, entertainment litigation, and employment actions. He has represented clients on “both sides of the v.,” including numerous Fortune 500 companies, in litigations, trials, arbitrations, and alternative dispute resolutions.

Daniel J. Morse represents creative artists from his offices in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Morse excelled in his studies of contracts, intellectual property, and entertainment law at the Pepperdine University School of Law. After graduating in 2001, Mr. Morse worked as a civil litigator while assisting various visual artist clients. Upon moving to Tennessee, Mr. Morse worked with the firm of Wise & Reeves, representing a variety of individuals and business with transactional and litigation matters. Mr. Morse also represented musicians and literary authors. With licenses to practice in two of America's...

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.

MARK KOVINSKY is an experienced, AV rated transactional attorney in the entertainment and sports industries. He focuses most of his professional time on the representation of talent in the music business, including featured artists, record producers, songwriters, and executives. But the skill set that he has acquired during his career extends to a broad range of entertainment, employment, and intellectual property contracts in the entertainment and sports industries. Prior to establishing his own law firm in 2010, Mark practiced law with the Los Angeles entertainment law firm of Kleinberg Lopez Lange Cuddy & Klein, LLP and with the Los Angeles...

Daniel R. Freytag is Of Counsel with Meyer Wilson, LPA. He was born in Napoleon Ohio and earned his B.A. at Wittenberg University where he graduated magna cum laude. He went on to attend the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University and earned his J.D. summa cum laude. Mr. Freytag has been a trial lawyer for more than thirty-four years and has represented hundreds of large corporations, small businesses, professionals, and individuals in a variety of complex tort, insurance, and business cases. He has personally examined or cross-examined more than 1000 lay witnesses and more than 150 expert...

Michael Machat is one of the few private attorneys that has taken a case to the U.S. Supreme Court and won. His practice covers all aspects of trademark law from the selection and filing of trademarks to fighting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect his clients' rights.

Mr. Machat represents various types of clients, including start ups, artists, entrepreneurs, wealthy businessmen and even other lawyers. In addition to working on transactional matters, he has tried numerous jury trial cases to verdict, most recently winning over $700,000 representing a client suing for trademark infringement. ...

I'm not your typical lawyer. Having been a creative - and having managed creative businesses for over 20 years - I help people build businesses, especially creative businesses. In this era of digital disruption and media convergence, it's particularly helpful to work with someone who's familiar with emerging business and legal challenges associated with that. In addition to my legal background, my business career includes... Content development: I've spent 20+ years creating content, including developing nationally-syndicated radio shows and comedy bits. I'm still creating content – lots of it – today. ...

Mick Longo is an attorney licensed to practice law in the States of California, Florida, North Carolina and Oregon. Motivated by an entrepreneurial desire to change the way law firms operate, Mr. Longo founded Longo & Alach LLP with partner Patrick Alach in 2009. In 2013, Mr. Longo orchestrated and oversaw Longo & Alach LLP’s expansion to Miami, Florida and then in 2015 he expanded the firm again to Charlotte, North Carolina. His practice areas include Entertainment Law, Sports Law, Business Law, Cannabis Law, Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law, Privacy Law and Legislative Advocacy.

Mr. Longo represents a myriad...

I'm a highly communicative, creative individual, who loves to think outside of the box and problem solve. My career begain in a city, where I practiced in a general counsel style for various international entertainers. That background and diverse exposure to legal issues, from industry contracts to real estate and estate planning, provided a wonderful platform to transition to practicing a smaller community. I love it when people tell me that I don't meet their steriotypical idea of an attorney.

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...

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...

An innovative, service oriented and knowledgeable attorney with 26 years of experience committed to providing quality and affordable legal services for individuals, start-ups and small and large companies. Providing general counsel services for individuals and businesses in entertainment, media, music, technology, commercial production, education, and marketing. Assisting in all areas of production- from concept through development to distribution, trademark registration, protection and disputes, and intellectual property licensing. Exceptional contract review, analysis, drafting and negotiation skills. Effective negotiator and mediator in related matters. Also represents clients in family immigration matters (green card, permanent resident, VAWA, DACA, fiance' visas, consular processing, citizenship)...

Ethan D. Kirschner is an experienced litigator with clients in California, throughout the United States, and overseas. Originally from Wisconsin, Mr. Kirschner was a champion high school and college debater. He has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and received an LL.M. in intellectual property law from the University of California, Berkeley.


Mr. Kirschner has been practicing law since 2005. He is licensed to practice law in California.

John A. Case, Jr. is a Los Angeles business lawyer and an active member of the State Bar of California since 1986. He is a graduate of Columbia University, Stanford Law School, and the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. After practicing with major law firms such as O'Melveny & Myers and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, he opened his own law office in 1996. He has guided clients through all kinds of business problems and disputes for more than 30 years.

With degrees from both UCLA and Loyola Law School, and a specialty from UCLA in Entertainment Studies with an emphasis in Film and Film Finance, Mitra has worked in legal affairs at MTV, has worked on the merger of 2 major record labels, and has been of-counsel to several high-profile copyright infringement cases involving artists and major studios. Her entertainment practice specializes in film and entertainment financing, negotiating and structuring artist and production deals, and all Intellectual Property matters, including rights clearance, licensing, copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Mitra’s film practice specializes in intellectual property, film finance, corporate law, and production...

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,...