Ilissa Samplin > Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP > Los Angeles, United States > Lawyer Profile

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a leading media and entertainment litigation practice which spans both the East and West coast of the US. The practice covers the full range of media and entertainment litigation from contractual disputes involving profit participation and film finance to IP, employment, discrimination and union litigation. The team boasts a strong client base including major and independent motion picture studios, TV networks, newspapers, video game publishers, production companies and more. The firm also represents celebrities and other notable individuals in court. The team regularly litigates in US and federal courts as well as arbitrates before guilds and the Independent Film and Television Alliance. The New York practice is led by Brian Ascher who represents individuals and corporate clients in media-related commercial litigation as well as First Amendment cases. Co-head Ilissa Samplin leads the Los Angeles team and excels in representing clients in copyright, trade mark, contract and profit participation disputes. New York-based Orin Snyder is the go-to for complex commercial disputes and is sought out by major media companies, celebrities and executives. Scott A. Edelman handles a mix of antitrust, class actions and employment disputes from Century City, while Los Angeles-based Jay Srinivasan defends entertainment companies in content distribution and competition cases.

Notably active across the sectors of media, consumer products software and tech, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP offers a varied practice which encompasses trademark, trade dress, false advertising and internet commerce issues. Four key players lead the practice: namely, Kate Dominguez, Ernest Hsin, Josh Krevitt and Jane Love. Ilissa Samplin, who operates from the firm’s Los Angeles office, demonstrates prowess in the realm of tech and entertainment disputes, while Washington DC-based Howard S. Hogan bolsters the practice with his extensive contentious expertise. In New York, Orin Snyder is well-positioned to advise on copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition litigation mandates.

Comprised of ‘outstanding IP litigators’ , the group at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is well placed to handle complex trade secret disputes in both prosecution and defense contexts. The team also harnesses capabilities representing clients in non-compete disputes. Its client list contains well-known names across various industry sectors from HSBC to Uber. Entertainment and tech are the particular areas of specialism of experienced litigator Ilissa Samplin who oversees the offering from LA. At the same office, Blaine Evanson is experienced in litigation up to Supreme Court level, and L. Kieran Kieckhefer has handled copyright, employment contract breach, patent and trade secret disputes. The team also has a presence in New York, where trial attorney Orin Snyder is a standout name, and in Dallas, where Christine Demana  is the practitioner to note.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP‘s team of experienced trial and appellate lawyers remains a go to for clients across a range of industries, from energy, finance and healthcare to TMT and construction. The group has a successful track record before federal and state agencies, as well as in both domestic and international arbitration and class and mass actions. Helgi Walker is co-chair of the litigation and administrative law and regulatory groups, based in Washington DC. Also in DC, Daniel Nelson co-chairs the environmental litigation and mass tort practice. Christopher Chorba in California is co-head of the class actions team, while Los Angeles-based Ilissa Samplin co-chairs the media, entertainment and tech group. Thomas Dupree Jr. in DC co-chairs the appellate and constitutional law team. Sports law co-head Maurice Suh is also based in LA, while Monica Loseman splits her time between Denver and New York. Also in New York, Lauren Goldman spearheads the tech litigation team and Anne Champion handles RICO, fraud and tort claims. Dallas-based Russ Falconer is experienced in high-value trials, appeals, class actions and multidistrict litigation.