Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP > New York, United States > Firm Profile

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Healthcare: health insurers Tier 1

Buoyed by its client roster of national insurers, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP's full-service team, led by William Bernstein, has been active in the transactional market, advising both Humana and Canopy Health on acquisitions and the creation of new insurance projects. In relation to this, the team also provides antitrust services for health sector clients. Litigation is another area of expertise, with a particular emphasis on reimbursement cases. California-based John LeBlanc is a key name in the practice, with experience advising on the full range of insurer-related disputes, as well as advising managed care providers. New York-based Robert Belfort is regarded in the market for his combination of transactional and regulatory advice, while California-based Paul Carr-Rollitt advises on major transactions. Also well regarded are ACA expert Michael Kolber, Medicaid expert Ann Karl, and regulatory expert Randi Siegel, all of whom are New York-based.

Industry focus > Healthcare: service providers Tier 2

Focused on regulatory and litigation services, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP has continued to provide advice to both private and state healthcare providers. Its advice to government agencies has been particularly noteworthy, with team head William Bernstein advising the state of New York on the establishment of a Covid-19 safety fund, and Anne Karl advising the State of Vermont on Medicaid restructuring. The team has also been involved with key litigations, with Los Angeles' Barry Landsberg acting on behalf of Dignity Health in state and federal courts. Other key names include regulatory leader Cindy Mann in Washington DC, LA-based litigation team head Greg Pimstone and transactional expert Paul Carr-Rollitt. DC-based regulatory advisors Brian Bewley and Blair Cantfil joined from Goodwin and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP respectively.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 2

Fielding a team with a presence in New York, Washington DC, Orange Country, LA and San Francisco, the practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP is led by Thomas Poletti; he is principally active within the technology, manufacturing, financial services and biotechnology sectors. The wider team is also accomplished within the media and entertainment, retail and healthcare fields. Found among the workload are M&A, joint venture, contract negotiation, divestiture, restructurings, buyout transactions and SPACs, among other mandates.

Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory Tier 2

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP has a solid reputation as an advertising advisor. Mainly addressing the needs of brands, including entertainment studios and technology companies, the team provides advice in relation to innovative matters. Recent highlights include assisting the Digital Gaming Corporation with the launch of its international online sportsbook and gambling brand and a marketing law project for the biometric identification verification company CLEAR. Alongside digital, technology, and entertainment,  the firm also benefits from the interaction with an industry-specific healthcare group. Christine Reilly leads the group in Los Angeles. In New York, Jeffrey Edelstein stands out for being ‘always eager to help, find out-of-box solutions and anticipates clients’ needs’. LA's Jesse Brody is described as ‘absolutely brilliant' with an 'encyclopedic knowledge of advertising laws and regulations’. New York-based Po Yi and Eric Bergner were also praised by clients.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 2

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP represents key players in music and film, including the three major record labels, famous artists like Steve Mac, and Miramax, LLC. The practice is led from out Los Angeles by Robert Jacobs, who regularly represents both the talent and the corporate side of the industries. In a recent highlight, he represented BMG Rights Management (US) LLC in a lawsuit against South African musical group Die Antwoord. The firm also represented Caryn and Mike Borland against David Wood Enterprises in a civil action. In the firm’s New York office, Prana Topper handles a wide variety of matters including contracts, royalties, and copyright and she has worked alongside Jacobs in the BMG case. The practice has significantly bolstered its strength in Los Angeles with the October 2021 hire of counsel Sarah Moses from Kendall Brill & Kelly, who extends the team’s scope with her work pertaining to fashion and influencer agencies. Additionally, Nathaniel Bach joined the Los Angeles office in January 2022 from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, deepening the breath of the practice through his experience in music, film, and First Amendment matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional Tier 2

Experts in talent management matters and content-related transactions, the team at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, based in Los Angeles, handle deals in film, TV, and digital media as well as music, where the team has a particular proficiency in managing large catalogue acquisitions, for clients like O2 Films, Wavelength Productions, Death Cab for Cutie, and Brian Wilson. The practice is led by Jordan Bromley, a veteran transactional attorney in the music industry who focuses his expertise on representing artists and talent management companies. Sophia Yen is a specialist in production development deals, financings, and joint venture transactions who in a recent highlight represented Majordmo Media, LLC in its deal with Hulu and Vox Media. On the talent management side, Eric Custer guides high-profile individuals through complex transactions, including the sale of song catalogues. The firm has recently seen two departures, with Lindsay Conner and Charles J. Biederman leaving the firm.

Real estate > Land use/zoning Tier 2

The ‘incredibly intelligent and politically savvy‘ practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP is a significant player in the California market, with representatives in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and Sacramento. ‘Incredibly talented‘ practice head Victor De La Cruz coordinates the group from LA and has experience facilitating the approval and development of a wide variety of headline projects in Southern California. In Orange County, Susan Hori has ‘tremendous experience in all sorts of projects‘ and focuses on obtaining entitlements for landowners and developers, including local land use approvals, CEQA compliance, and state and federal regulatory agency permits for real estate development projects. The names to note in San Francisco are Sigrid Waggener, who has particular skill in energy projects, and David Smith, who is frequently engaged in entitlement and permitting matters for contentious projects.

Intellectual property > Copyright Tier 3

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP utilizes the bench strength of its national network to specialize in representing clients in music and entertainment involved in high-value, high-stakes copyright litigation. The practice ‘s portfolio also spans the consumer products, automotive, health, digital media and education sectors. Michelle Cooke heads the team, assisting major copyright holders with the protection and monetization of their property nationally, abroad and online. Robert Jacobs, who leads the firm’s entertainment litigation practice, acts in high-profile disputes on behalf of music publishers, record labels, film studios and talent agencies. The team is supported by senior associate and branding specialist Jessica A. Wood. All lawyers mentioned work in the Los Angeles office.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense Tier 3

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP offers a diverse range of services in the labor and employment space, dealing with complex class actions and single-plaintiff litigation. With a presence on both coasts, it acts for national and international companies from the TMT, financial services and healthcare sectors. The team is led by Los Angeles-based Esra Hudson, a high-stakes litigator with experience in wage and hour class and collective actions. Andrew Satenberg, who is also in LA, is noted for his track record when representing clients in the retail industry, while San Francisco-based Sharon Bauman advises management on discrimination, harassment and discharge issues. Deborah Kelly, who divides her time between Washington DC and New York, is also regarded for her work on retaliation matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP‘s strengths lie in the corporate data and legal and operational risk space. The offering spans from proactive and reactive cybersecurity to data privacy matters across all sectors but focusing on technology, finance and healthcare. Donna Wilson in Los Angeles and Scott Lashway in Boston co-lead the department. Wilson is appreciated for her crisis management and business strategy skills. Lashway handles privacy and data security-related disputes and incident response investigations. Orange County-based Brandon Reilly and Washington DC's Kaylee Cox Bankston are highlighted.

Industry focus > Cannabis Tier 4

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP provides cannabis industry clients with a multidisciplinary team that brings together expertise in the fields of finance, joint ventures, equity investments, financial services, government relations, tax, IP and regulatory compliance. Los Angeles-based Anita Famili Sabine leads the team and her broad work in the sector includes advising on regulatory compliance and licensing, joint venture formations, celebrity licensing deals, farm and dispensary acquisitions, and environmental issues such as California Prop 65.

Industry focus > Environment: regulatory Tier 4

Though based in New York and California, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP  offers nationwide coverage, and is regularly retained to guide private, non-profit and public sector entities through complex environmental compliance concerns across the US and internationally. The practice frequently counsels on state and federal proposed environmental regulations affecting the handling of pharmaceuticals, biomedical waste and recycled materials, and demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of forever chemicals and emerging contaminants. The team is also a solid performer in brownfield cleanup and redevelopment matters, coordinating all facets of site remediation and return of properties to productive use. Leading the department is Craig Moyer in Los Angeles, who provides advice in the fields of crisis management, permitting challenges, and enforcement actions defense. Also in LA, Peter Duchesneau acts for clients in regulatory compliance and administrative proceedings, covering the full spectrum of federal and state environmental statutes. Individuals to note in New York include Ted Wolff, whose areas of expertise include enforcement and administrative actions across the nation, and Matthew Dombroski, who advises on environmental matters arising under the Clean Water Act,  CERCLA and RCRA.

Media, technology and telecoms > Fintech Tier 4

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP has a ‘very responsive‘ team whose partners are ‘experts in their fields and have strong networks and relationships with relevant regulators and legislators‘. The firm represents a good mix of banks and financial institutions, as well as start-up and emerging fintech companies. The expanding practice has been actively building the regulatory and enforcement side of the practice, including the recruitment of Chicago partner Bryan Schneider from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Further experience is provided on transactional and strategic commercial issues, including advice on blockchain and cryptocurrency matters, such as NFTs, tokenization and decentralized finance. New York corporate finance partner Brian Korn leads the highly rated team, which includes Los Angeles-based regulatory and compliance partner Scott Pearson (‘an amazing partner to work with‘).

Real estate Tier 4

Largely focused on the Californian real estate market with the Los Angeles team, headed by Anita Famili Sabine and the Silicon Valley practice, led by Michael Polentz, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP‘ bi-coastal practice is also supported by its New York office, where Ted Hunter focuses on the Manhattan and New Jersey market. The nationwide practice handles all manner of acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financings, developments and leasing matters.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 5

The California-based Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP advises clients from the financial services, transport, healthcare, entertainment/media, real estate, retail, and manufacturing industries on dispute resolution matters. The group takes on litigation and arbitration matters. Recent work included the defense of Mattel and Fisher-Price in numerous putative class actions filed across the United States relating to its Rock ‘n Play Sleeper product for infants. The Los Angeles-based Ronald Turovsky leads the practice. Barry Lee in San Francisco and Emil Petrossian, also in LA, are other key contacts.