Jenner & Block Expanding its Representation of Clients in the Media and Entertainment Industries With the Addition of Six Partners in its Los Angeles Office

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenner & Block today announced that it is expanding its Los Angeles office and its representation of clients in the media and entertainment industries with the addition of six new partners.  Highly experienced courtroom attorneys Richard L. Stone, Kenneth D. Klein, Julie A. Shepard, David R. Singer, and Amy M. Gallegos join the Firm's Litigation Department, while noted transactional attorney Carissa C. W. Coze joins the Corporate Department.  

All of the attorneys will become part of the Firm's acclaimed Content, Media & Entertainment practice.  This group, which previously practiced at Hogan Lovells LLP in Los Angeles, has represented numerous clients, including extensive work recently for News Corporation and many of its current and former subsidiaries, such as Fox Broadcasting Company, Dow Jones, Harper Collins and MySpace.  Jenner & Block also represents, and over the years has represented, various News Corporation entities.

This team of attorneys has been lead trial counsel in a wide variety of cases for entertainment and media clients, including business litigation directly related to the financial crisis, large scale class actions and cutting edge trademark and copyright cases.  On a transactional front, they have been responsible for strategic mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and key licensing deals in a broad array of media.

Jenner & Block's Los Angeles office opened in 2009 with two former Kirkland & Ellis partners, Rick Richmond and Brent Caslin.  With the addition of these six new partners, there will now 24 lawyers, including 14 partners, in Jenner & Block's Los Angeles office.  

"The Los Angeles office continues on its impressive trajectory of hiring outstanding lawyers in the community and is further evidence of the Firm's overall strategic growth plan," said Jenner & Block Managing Partner Susan C. Levy.  "These lawyers bring proven records of achievement and further enhance our ability to serve client needs.  Their practices are complementary to the Firm and its existing clients.  We are delighted to welcome them to the Firm."

"We have been working together as a team for many years and the opportunity to move together to work at Jenner & Block to help build upon its existing group of leading media and entertainment clients was ideal," Mr. Stone said.  "This was the perfect fit for us and where we see our practice expanding well into the future."

Added Mr. Richmond, the Managing Partner of Jenner & Block's Los Angeles office: "This is a great day for the Los Angeles office.  These new partners provide us with an increased ability to expand our representation of a wide spectrum of clients both in southern California and across the country."

Co-Chair of Jenner & Block's Content, Media & Entertainment practice, Andy Bart, agrees:  "This group of outstanding lawyers both strengthens and expands our existing practice, and gives us real depth in the Los Angeles market.  In addition to traditional content and entertainment litigation, our new partners bring extensive experience in business litigation for entertainment sector companies and a sophisticated IP transactions capability.  We are thrilled."

Joining the Los Angeles office of Jenner & Block are:

Richard L. Stone

Richard Stone is a leading trial lawyer with an emphasis on the media and entertainment industries.  Mr. Stone's experience extends to litigating antitrust, copyright, trademark patent, piracy, securities, commercial fraud and related business tort cases.  He has also handled numerous shareholder, consumer and antitrust class actions.  Mr. Stone represents Fortune 100 and smaller companies engaged in the entertainment, communications, internet, finance, high technology, transportation and retail industries, among others.  He received a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles and a JD from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Kenneth D. Klein

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Klein prepares and tries complex business cases.  His experience includes a wide range of litigation matters that have resulted in numerous trials in both federal and state courts.  He has served as lead counsel in a substantial number of cases, including litigation involving breach of contract, fraud, sexual and racial discrimination, accounting malpractice, consumer class actions, tortious interference, and anti-trust.  Mr. Klein earned a BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from Columbia Law School.

Carissa C. W. Coze

Ms. Coze represents public and privately held media, entertainment and technology companies in a broad range of corporate and securities transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments, public equity and debt securities offerings, tender offers, technology acquisitions, and venture capital and private equity financings.  She also works extensively with software developers, semiconductor device and equipment manufactures and solar and other renewable energy equipment manufacturers and developers.  Ms. Coze routinely counsels U.S. and international companies regarding insider trading compliance, corporate disclosure, corporate governance, and other corporate and securities matters.  She received a BA from the University of California, Davis, a Masters in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley.

Julie A. Shepard

Ms. Shepard has a broad-based commercial, entertainment, and intellectual property litigation practice.  Her practice includes defending clients in class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and business torts.  Ms. Shepard has also defended clients' rights in matters involving unfair competition, copyright infringement and trademark infringement, and trade secret misappropriation.  In recent engagements, she has seen cases through to verdict in various federal and state courts, and practiced before the American Arbitration Association and the International Chamber of Commerce.  Ms. Shepard earned a BA from the University of California, Berkley and a JD from the University of the Pacific, where she graduated No. 1 in her class.

David R. Singer

Mr. Singer's primary focus is entertainment and media litigation.  He has significant experience with intellectual property disputes involving copyrights, licensing, trademarks, and trade secrets.  Through his representation of movie studios, television production companies, and media conglomerates, Mr. Singer is well-versed in the disputes that typically arise in the entertainment and telecommunications industries.  A substantial portion of his practice is also devoted to Internet-based disputes and privacy law, and he represents and counsels some of the largest and most visited Web sites on the Internet.  Mr. Singer received a BA and JD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Amy M. Gallegos

Ms. Gallegos is a skilled litigator who has represented clients at the trial court and appellate levels in a wide variety of complex commercial disputes.  She has substantial experience in class action defense, antitrust, unfair competition, and intellectual property litigation.  Ms. Gallegos has also represented clients in the media and entertainment industries in disputes relating to copyright infringement, network programming and licensing, and Internet law.  Ms. Gallegos received a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a JD from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jenner & Block is a national law firm with approximately 470 attorneys and offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC.  Founded in 1914, the Firm has grown and prospered because of an unwavering commitment to our clients, to the Bar, to our people and to public service. Jenner & Block has been widely recognized for consistently delivering excellent legal representation in the courtroom and the boardroom.  The Firm has also traditionally served as a leader in public service and pro bono advocacy, having been consistently ranked as one of the top 10 pro bono firms in the country by The American Lawyer magazine.

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