Lavely & Singer

LAVELY & SINGER Professional Corporation is one of the world's premiere talent-side entertainment litigation firms. The firm's practice encompasses entertainment and business litigation in State and Federal Courts, including intellectual property, copyright and trademark litigation, media law, right of publicity and privacy law, defamation, contract disputes, business torts, Internet-domain name law, and in matters before specialized tribunals such as the California Labor Commissioner proceedings and the arbitration boards of the Hollywood talent guilds.

Lavely & Singer was established in 1980 and represents a vast array of clients including a lion's share of Hollywood's most famous, celebrated and prestigious actors, producers, directors, writers, recording artists and other individuals and entities in and affiliated with the entertainment industry. We generally do not represent the studios, networks, or major labels, concentrating principally on the unique needs of talent.

Our clients' legal needs fall broadly into two categories. First, we represent clients against the tabloids and other media and internet outlets in disputes which arise prior to, as well as after, the publication of articles which defame the clients or invade their privacy. We also police the manner in which the names and likenesses of our clients are commercially exploited throughout the world. Second, we represent clients in the resolution and litigation of a broad range of entertainment industry disputes including copyright and other intellectual property disputes, contract breaches, and business torts.

Reported cases include: Catherine Zeta-Jones v. Spice House, 372 F. Supp. 2d 568 (C.D. Cal. 2005); Arnold Schwarzenegger v. Fred Martin Motor Co., 374 F.3d 797 (9th Cir. 2004); Kelsey Grammer v. CAA, 287 F.3d 886 (9th Cir. 2002); Cusano v. Klein, 196 F. Supp. 2d 1007 (C.D. Cal. 2002); La Cienega Music Co. v. ZZ Top, 53 F.3d 950 (9th Cir. 1995); Wood Newton v. Harry Thomason, 22 F.3d 1455 (9th Cir. 1994); Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Terri Welles, 7 F.Supp.2d 1098 (S.D. Cal. 1998); Charles P. Caudle v. Harry. Thomason, 992 F.Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1997); Bettie Page v. Something Weird Video, 908 F.Supp. 714 (C.D. Cal. 1995); Gould v. Maryland Sound Industries, Inc., 31 Cal.App.4th 1137 (1995); Robert Selleck v. Globe International, Inc., 166 Cal.App.3d 1123, 212 Cal.Rptr. 838 (1985); Richard Pryor v. David McCoy Franklin, California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Labor Commissioner, Case No. TAC 17 MP114; Bo Derek v. Karen Callan, California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards and Enforcement, Labor Commissioner, Case No. TAC 18 80SFMP82-80.

Lavely & Singer is committed to providing its clients with the highest level of professional services in the dynamic and ever-changing field of entertainment litigation.

A further profile of the firm's practice, as well as firm co-founders Jay Lavely (named to both the Daily Journal’s 2006 and 2005 lists of the “Top 100 Attorneys in California”) and Marty Singer (named to The Hollywood Reporter, Esq’s 2007 list of “Top 100 Power Lawyers” and named to both the Daily Journal’s 2007, 2006 and 2005 lists of the “Top 100 Attorneys in California”), can be found in:

"Raging Bulls: When It's Time for the Gloves to Come Off, These Attack Dogs of L.A. Law Get the Call," by Ross Johnson, Los Angeles Magazine, May 2000.

"Court Appeal,"– "Marty Singer makes a career out of un-caging celebrity song-birds," LA Confidential Magazine, Summer 2003.

"Arnold’s Bouncer" – "Schwarzenegger’s long-time attorney ... Singer has gained a national reputation for representing actors and other talent ...," The American Lawyer Magazine, December 2003.