Michael is a partner in Reed Smith’s Entertainment and Media Industry Group. Michael's practice emphasizes high level transactions focused on the entertainment and media industries. He represents a diverse group of individual and institutional clients across the motion picture, television, Internet, music, theatre, sports and other industries. He has particular expertise in related intellectual property (copyright and trademark) matters.
Credentials
Awards & Recognition
- Selected through peer review for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Entertainment Law - Music, 2023-2025, and for Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television, 2024-2025
- Named in Variety's Legal Impact Report 2021
- Legal 500 USA for Media and Entertainment: Transactional, 2020-2021
- Ranked in Chambers USA for California Media & Entertainment: Transactional, 2017-2024
- Named in Variety’s 2018 Dealmakers Impact Report
- Listed Southern California Super Lawyers (2014-2018)
- Listed in EuroMoney, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Expert Guide (2014-2017)
- Reed Smith's Southern California Pro Bono Honor Roll (2014)
- Featured in the Who's Who Legal 100 for Sports & Entertainment Lawyers (2013-2015)
- Listed, The International Who’s Who of Sports & Entertainment Lawyers by Who’s Who Legal (2013 and 2015)
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review, AV Rating
- Honored as a "Power Lawyer"—one of "The 100 Most Influential Attorneys in Entertainment", by The Hollywood Reporter (July 2008)
Media Mentions
- Marketing Dive: Legal AR/VR pitfalls marketers should avoid, according to law experts
- Daily Journal: Chinese Firms Eye New U.S. Investment: The Hollywood Film Industry (cover story)
- Daily Journal: Zep, Dead Drop Lawsuit Over Concert Footage
- Daily Journal: Deadheads Wanna Know Who Owns '60s Concert Footage
- Publishers Weekly: Sterling Signs U.K. Bestseller
- Hollywood Reporter: The 100 Most Influential Attorneys in Entertainment
- Splitting the Revenue Pie
- The Christian Science Monitor: Writers' Strike: Fast-changing Technology Complicates
Talks Between Writers - Daily Journal: Google, Viacom Could Be Inching Toward Settlement, Experts Say
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Reel 'Em In: Texas as Tinseltown? That's the Idea, as
Lawmakers Dangle Big Incentives in Hopes of Luring More Filmmakers Here - The Dallas Morning News: TV Prime for Movie Trailers, MEDIA: Big Blockbusters Are
Beholden to the Small Screen - Wall Street Journal: L.A. Firm Bets on Hollywood Ending for Profit Deals
- Los Angeles Business Journal: Company Targets Top-Line Talent for Equity Deals
- Daily Variety: Viacom Gets Vexed: Suit Puts YouTube Clips in Crosshairs
- Fast Company: YouTube's Newfound Clout
- CNBC.com: Pirated trailers of the upcoming Spiderman 3 movie
- Daily Journal: Growth in Overseas Entertainment Deals has Law Firms Testing the Waters (cover story)