Robins, Kaplan, Miller, & Ciresi, L.L.P.

Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, Musicians and Athletes

Our attorneys have an extensive background representing many high-profile actors, writers, directors, producers, musicians, athletes, authors and their heirs in claims regarding:

• Breach of contract
• Profit participation
• Violation of the Rights of Privacy and Publicity Defamation
• Breach of implied contracts
• Copyright and trademark infringement
• Disputes with entertainment guilds including the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, and the Writers Guild West
• Copyright termination issues
• Violations of the Talent Agencies Act relating to disputes between talent and personal managers

Talent Agents, Personal Managers and Individual Managers

We represent talent agencies in disputes with members of the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, the Directors Guild, the Writers Guild West, and Actor’s Equity. We have been involved in proceedings before the American Arbitration Association and before the California Labor Commissioner.

Motion Picture and Television Production

We represent independent motion picture and television production and distribution company clients involved in:

• Employment disputes
• Contract disputes regarding producing, licensing, financing and distributing motion pictures and television programming
• Profit participations and other accounting disputes
• Intellectual property disputes including trademark, copyright, idea submission, Lanham Act, and credit claims

Additionally, we have represented producers and independent film distributors in arbitrations before the Independent Film and Television Alliance, including arbitrations relating to film financing and delivery issues.

Music Video Production

Our attorneys provide representation to commercial and music video production companies and individual commercial and music video directors and producers in matters including unfair competition claims, solicitation of directors and producers by competing companies, and disputes with major record labels regarding payment. We represent several post-production and special effects companies in employment disputes, solicitation of  key personnel by competing companies, contractual disputes and unfair competition and intellectual property claims.

Advertising Agencies

We represent advertising agencies and marketing companies for the products marketed by these companies and in the commercials they produce in matters involving:

• Rights of publicity
• Trademark
• Trade dress
• Copyright infringement
• Advertising compliance
• Unfair competition
• Licensing disputes
• Guild issues

Other Intellectual Property Owners

Our attorneys also represent other individuals and businesses that are not technically in the entertainment industry with respect to their intellectual property matters.  Representative clients include an energy drink manufacturer, retail clothing store chain, and electronic goods manufacturer.

• Actors
• Directors
• Producers
• Writers
• Musicians
• Entertainment executives
• Personal managers
• Commercial and music video production companies
• Post production and special effects companies
• Advertising agencies and marketing companies
• Other owners of copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights and other intellectual property

• Celador International, Ltd. v. The Walt Disney Company: Represent Celador International, Ltd. in a dispute over profits from the highly successful television show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" A federal jury awarded Celador, the creator of the show, $270 million in damages after finding that Disney's subsidiaries, ABC Television, Buena Vista Television, and Valleycrest Productions had breached their profit sharing contract with Celador and their duty to deal fairly and in good faith with Celador. On September 27, 2010, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California awarded $50 million in prejudgment interest to Celador, bringing the total to $320 million in damages. On December 3, 2012, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the entire verdict and awarded the plaintiff its costs on appeal.  On February 26, 2013, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously denied Disney’s petition for rehearing and review of the $320 million jury verdict and judgment in favor of Celador.


• The Ray Charles Foundation v. Ray Charles Legacy Corp.: Obtained judgment and permanent injunction prohibiting the unauthorized use of the Ray Charles name and likeness.


• Represented Cher in an action against a major record company.


• Represented the group Poison in a royalty audit case against Capitol Records.


• Represented producer Kane Beatz in defense of copyright infringement action involving the song “Bottom’s Up.”


• Represented former America’s Got Talent writer in dispute with former talent agent.


• Defended television  company in copyright infringement action brought by major television network.


• Defended advertising agency in case by illustrator for copyright infringement.


• Defended advertising agency in case involving breach of contract, rights of publicity, and violations of Lanham Act brought by recording group.

* Past results are reported to provide the reader with an indication of the type of litigation we practice. They do not and should not be construed to create an expectation of result in any other case, as all cases are dependent upon their own unique fact situation and applicable law.