Nationally Recognized Advertising and Media Lawyers Benjamin Mulcahy and Gina Reif Ilardi Join Jenner & Block's Content, Media & Entertainment Practice

Mr. Mulcahy will practice in the firm's Los Angeles office and will serve as co-chair of the firm's Trademark, Advertising and Unfair Competition Practice.  Ms. Ilardi will practice in the New York office. 

Mr. Mulcahy brings more than 20 years of experience representing major motion picture studios, broadcast and cable television networks, retailers, consumer brands and their advertising agencies in all aspects of sports marketing, entertainment marketing and interactive marketing as well as in innovative branded entertainment and e-commerce initiatives.  He helps clients structure their relationships with stakeholders and counterparties and guides clients through the ever-changing legal issues that affect how their promotional campaigns are implemented across all media.  Another dimension of his practice includes advising social and online gaming operators with respect to state and federal regulations. 

Ms. Ilardi counsels motion picture and television studios, major brands, prominent website operators, cable, broadcast and out-of-home (OOH) networks and advertising and marketing agencies.  Her practice includes sports marketing, entertainment marketing, e-commerce and branded entertainment, preparing endorsement agreements and sponsorship agreements, implementing commercial co-venture campaigns, preparing and negotiating joint promotion alliances, and analyzing and licensing copyright, trademark, publicity and other intellectual property rights.  Her practice also includes advising clients on the collection, storage, sharing and use of personal information, as well as representing clients in connection with certification under the US-EU and US-Swiss Safe Harbor Frameworks.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ben and Gina," Jenner & Block Managing Partner Terrence J. Truax said.  "Their personalities and practices are an excellent fit for the firm, the Los Angeles and New York offices, and for the CME Practice.  We already have one of the foremost CME practices in the United States.  The addition of Ben and Gina, all-stars in their own right, positions us to serve an even broader array of clients across the advertising, media and entertainment spectrum."

Jenner & Block's CME Practice and its lawyers are widely recognized as among the best in the United States and have a rich history of handling some of the industry's most important legal matters of our time, starting with the seminal Napster case, and including MGM Studios v. Grokster, WNET v. Aereo and Columbia Pictures v. Fung (isoHunt).  Law360 named the practice among its Practice Groups of the Year for 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2011.  In 2014 and 2012, the practice won the Chambers USA "Award for Excellence" in media & entertainment as the country's top industry practice.  Client comments from the Chambers USA guide note Jenner & Block as having "an outstanding reputation in the media and entertainment space, offering clients in the motion picture, television and music industries exceptional representation in precedent-setting litigation."  In 2015, The Legal 500 heralded Jenner & Block as the #1 copyright practice in the United States, marking the third time the firm has received this honor, and noting the practice as "a preeminent choice for copyright litigation"; "widely regarded as one of the elite class" of copyright practices; with a "looming presence in the entertainment industry" and a client base "dominated by A-list heavyweights in the entertainment field."

Mr. Mulcahy and Ms. Ilardi come to Jenner & Block from Sheppard Mullin, where they were co-team leaders of that firm's Advertising Industry Team and Mr. Mulcahy was the co-team leader of the firm's Sports Team and Digital Media Team.  Mr. Mulcahy is a former member of Sheppard Mullin's Executive Committee.  At Jenner & Block, they will also be members of the notable Privacy and Information Governance and Communications, Internet & Technology Practices, and Ms. Ilardi will join Mr. Mulcahy in the Trademark, Advertising and Unfair Competition Practice. 

In 2014, Mr. Mulcahy was named by the Daily Journal to its annual list of the top entertainment lawyers in California, and he has been recognized in the Variety "Legal Impact Report," which highlights the best legal minds in the entertainment business, and its "Dealmakers Impact Report," which notes the key players driving the most significant deals in the industry.  He has been consistently recognized by Chambers and others as a leading transactional entertainment and advertising law lawyer.  In 2005, The National Law Journal named Mr. Mulcahy, at age 36, to its annual "40 Under 40" list of leading lawyers.  In 2008, he received the prestigious Burton Award, one of the highest literary honors in law, for his legal writing on the virtual world Second Life.

In 2014, Ms. Ilardi was named a media and entertainment Rising Star by Law360 and a Rising Star by New York Law Journal and New York Super Lawyers.  She has been repeatedly recognized by Legal 500 in its guide to outstanding lawyers nationwide for marketing and advertising.  Ms. Ilardi also has been twice recognized in Variety's "Legal Impact Report" of top lawyers in the entertainment business.

"Ben and Gina are well known and extremely experienced in the advertising and digital media industries," said Partner Andrew H. Bart, co-chair of the CME Practice.  "In addition to continuing to providing outstanding service to their existing clients augmented by our recognized strengths in the adjoining areas of trademark, privacy and false advertising, they will be able to deliver their intelligence, creativity and extensive knowledge base to our existing clients who market and brand consumer products.  And we look forward to introducing  Jenner & Block's strong litigation platform, with its recognized excellence in copyright and complex commercial litigation involving consumer products  to their impressive roster of clients."

CME Practice Co-Chair Richard L. Stone said:  "Ben and Gina will broaden the CME's transactional bench as well as expand our reach into the cutting-edge advertising arena, both strategic growth opportunities for the practice."

Partner Susan J. Kohlmann, who will co-chair the Trademark, Advertising and Unfair Competition Practice with Mr. Mulcahy, said:  "I look forward to working with Ben as we continue to grow the Trademark, Advertising and Unfair Competition Practice.  Both he and Gina are highly talented lawyers who will enhance the quality and reputation of our practice from coast to coast."

Mr. Mulcahy said: "Gina and I are excited to join Jenner & Block's powerhouse Content, Media & Entertainment Practice.  We know and have great respect for Andy, Rick and the other CME lawyers at the firm, and we are eager to join a platform that is truly second-to-none in the media and entertainment space.  Many of the matters Jenner & Block works on are game-changing, not only affecting the immediate parties to the case or the deal, but also affecting all the stakeholders in the relevant industry.  We are excited to aggressively grow this practice and the firm's other notable capabilities in litigation, communications and privacy."

Mr. Mulcahy clerked for the Minnesota Supreme Court after receiving his J.D., cum laude, in 1994 from the University of Minnesota, where he was a member of the Minnesota Law Review as well as the National Moot Court.  He graduated magna cum laude in 1991 from Saint John's University with a B.A. in government/psychology.  Ms. Ilardi received her J.D. in 2005 from Fordham University , where she was the Interschool Editor for the Moot Court Board and an Intern to the Honorable Loretta A. Preska, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  She earned her B.A. from New York University, cum laude, in 2002.

ABOUT THE CONTENT, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT PRACTICE
Jenner & Block's Content, Media & Entertainment (CME) Practice and its lawyers are widely recognized as among the best in the United States.  Whether they are known as copyright lawyers, business litigators, First Amendment advocates, IP transactional attorneys, trademark litigators, privacy attorneys, or something else, these lawyers have one thing in common:  They understand the highly complex and constantly changing challenges distinct to companies in the content, media and entertainment industries.

ABOUT THE TRADEMARK, ADVERTISING AND UNFAIR COMPETITION PRACTICE
Jenner & Block's Trademark, Advertising and Unfair Competition Practice helps brand owners confront the full spectrum of issues they encounter in the marketplace, including trademark and trade dress infringement, false advertising, dilution, cybersquatting and anti-piracy cases.  Its lawyers operate at the forefront of issues of importance to brand and content owners and are nationwide leaders in helping businesses safeguard their intellectual property on the Internet and in other new media.  A broad array of entertainment, manufacturing, consumer goods and publishing companies, among others, regularly call upon the firm for representation and counsel, particularly for litigation purposes. 

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK
Jenner & Block (www.jenner.com) is a law firm with global reach, with more than 500 lawyers and offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC.  The firm is known for its prominent and successful litigation practice and experience handling sophisticated and high-profile corporate transactions.  Firm clients include Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, financial services institutions, emerging companies and venture capital and private equity investors.  In 2015, The American Lawyer magazine named Jenner & Block as the Number One Pro Bono Law Firm in the United States for the sixth time in eight years.

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