Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Lawyer & team qualitySector knowledge

Keith M. Allen-Niesen

Keith Allen-Niesen is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office and leads the Manatt Real Estate Advisors practice. He has a broad range of transactional experience and oversees major business litigation, business transactions, land use and development matters. Keith has extensive experience in the acquisition, development and sale of hotels, resorts, golf courses, restaurants, office buildings, residential subdivisions, shopping centers and industrial sites, including transactions involving contaminated real property. In addition, he represents landlords on both leasing and management issues for office buildings, mixed-use developments and shopping centers. Keith is also well-versed in the areas of land use and loan workouts involving real estate collateral. Keith is repeatedly recognized as one of the top real estate attorneys in Southern California. He is also the founder and Senior Managing Director of Manatt Real Estate Advisors, Inc., the firm’s recently launched real estate brokerage affiliate. Manatt Real Estate Advisors provides a diverse suite of services, including sell-side and buy-side representation, leasing representation, and asset analysis and valuation.

Gordon Bava is a senior partner of the firm after serving for a decade as its Chief Executive and Managing Partner. Gordon’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, special committee representation, private and underwritten securities offerings and general corporate representation of clients in a variety of industries. Gordon has conducted these services for multinational and regional financial institutions and holding companies, investment banks, institutional and individual investors public entertainment, utility and health care companies, and institutional and individual investors. Gordon previously served as the Executive-in-Residence at Rustic Canyon Ventures, Santa Monica, California, one of the largest venture capital funds in Southern California focusing on Internet businesses, business services and other technology-oriented, high-growth industries.

Warren Biro is a Financial Services partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles Office. His practice focuses on representing clients in a variety of commercial lending and financing transactions, including asset-based and cash flow credit facilities, venture debt financings and leveraged acquisitions. Warren works with financial institutions, private equity firms, investment banks, commercial banks and other sources of debt capital across the entire venture debt and commercial lending spaces and within the technology, fintech and life sciences sectors, specifically. Warren has also represented agents, lenders, participants and companies in numerous credit facilities and works with lenders and production companies in the entertainment industry on their television, digital media and film-related financings.

Chris Chatham is one of Hollywood’s legal power brokers and steers many industry-shaping deals. Chris has a client base that operates on a number of media platforms with approximately 400 million users and over 2.5 billion views per month, generating over 1,000 hours of original scripted and unscripted content per year (including the number one syndicated television (TV) talk show). In addition, his clients are involved in developing dozens of pilots and films, renewing multiple shows on network, cable, streaming (including the number one show and mini-series on Netflix) and podcasts (including fastest growing podcast on Spotify) and selling more than 80 million books. Over the past decade, he has facilitated deals that collectively amount to an estimated $10 billion in value. Understanding his clients’ objectives and risk tolerance, Chris serves as a trusted business and legal partner, structuring and negotiating unprecedented deals on behalf of his clients and bringing them successfully across the finish line. He represents high-profile artists, individuals and companies from media, entertainment, production, hospitality, sports and technology, as well as family offices, startups, professional athletes, celebrities, public figures and influencers. His execution-oriented approach and unique breadth of experience handling cutting-edge transactions allows his clients to adapt and grow their businesses in today’s advanced data-and-technology-driven marketplace. His portfolio also includes mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, brand monetization, cross-border transactions, equity and debt financings, corporate governance and partnerships between the world’s top influencers and the best entrepreneurs and operators. Chris has become the go-to lawyer in town for free ad-supported streaming TV channels and other complex transactions involving icons and moguls across a wide range of industries, including media, entertainment, technology, sports, consumer brands, health and wellness. He also tirelessly works alongside his clients to launch their most ambitious charitable endeavors. Chris’s broad litigation and advisory practice covers the gamut of media and entertainment law, including misappropriation of the right of publicity, employment dispute, defamation, blockchain and cryptocurrency, business tort, class action, intellectual property protection and enforcement, breach of fiduciary duty, privately held companies, the formation and division of trusts, and real estate and commercial matters. He efficiently assembles the right teams to quickly and effectively implement calculated strategies from the inception of the dispute through the end of trial. Recognized as a preeminent force in entertainment law, Chris has distinguished himself as a top dealmaker for over a decade with recognition from the industry's most respected publications. His exceptional achievements include selection to The Hollywood Reporter's exclusive Power Lawyers list—reserved for the most influential attorneys defining the future of entertainment—The Hollywood Reporter's Top Dealmakers, which chronicles transformative transactions reshaping the industry, Variety's Legal Impact Report and coveted Dealmakers Impact Report, Lawdragon's “Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” roster, and Law360's Media & Entertainment Editorial Board, establishing him as a trusted authority on complex entertainment transactions and disputes. Chris brings distinctive market insight from his Wall Street foundation as a corporate bond trader and registered representative of the National Association of Securities Dealers, where he helped orchestrate billions in debt offerings—providing him with deep financial experience that sets him apart in executing the industry's most sophisticated and cutting-edge legal strategies.

Tod Cohen is a Partner with Manatt’s Digital and Technology group who brings decades of leadership experience at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), privacy and data security and government relations. As a leader in data protection and technology-related law—with deep knowledge in antitrust, intellectual property (IP) and content moderation issues—Tod has a proven record of success in guiding clients through regulatory challenges, policy development and compliance as they embrace technology to scale and grow. Tod focuses his practice on AI, privacy and data security, and technology law navigating global public policy and managing regulatory compliance, oversight and ethics. He has a sophisticated understanding of antitrust and competition law, content moderation laws, as well as IP law, particularly focusing on copyright issues. He has also worked with clients and companies on electronic commerce, payments, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships and contracts, consumer protection and cybersecurity. Tod has experience serving as general counsel at Stubhub and deputy general counsel at eBay, Twitter, and PayPal, as well as the Business Software Alliance and the Motion Picture Association. Heading global teams, Tod managed global public policy and regulatory issues, in addition to global asset protection, law enforcement affairs, internal and external investigations, expanding markets, election law compliance and regulatory relationships.

Victor De la Cruz

Victor De la Cruz leads Manatt’s land use practice. He counsels clients in various matters at the nexus of law and government—in particular, real estate development, where his work on complicated, high-profile land use entitlements has earned him consistent accolades from Chambers USA (“go-to adviser for the most complex legal matters”; “always comes in with very thorough and thoughtful counsel”), The Best Lawyers in America, the Los Angeles Business Journal (Most Influential Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles), and the Daily Journal (California Lawyer of the Year; Top 40 under 40). Victor has substantial experience with the California Environmental Quality Act, the Coastal Act, the Subdivision Map Act, historic preservation statutes and regulations, and other laws related to the development of land throughout the state. Among his projects are regional malls, transit-oriented developments, athletic arenas, waste hauling facilities, college and university master plans, big-box retail stores, large-scale signage projects, and residential, mixed-use and commercial office projects. In the course of his land use practice, he advocates for clients’ projects before agencies, boards, commissions and legislative bodies and also defends land use entitlements in litigation as necessary. As a result of his work with administrative agencies and experience working with clients and consultant teams to craft legal, political and community outreach strategies, Victor is also routinely called upon to counsel clients on high-value, controversial government contracts and bid protests. His work in this area has involved both the duty-free and food and beverage concessions at Los Angeles International Airport, the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theater operating contracts, social services agreements with the county of Los Angeles, and signage franchises. Representation of clients in these forums includes preparing bids and proposals (including coordinating media and political strategies), filing and defending protests, and participating in contract negotiations. Victor is active in Los Angeles’ civic life through service in various real estate advocacy groups, including as a prior co-chair of the Housing, Land Use & Development Committee of the Central City Association of Los Angeles. He is also a registered lobbyist with both the city and county of Los Angeles. Particularly passionate about supporting educational opportunities and legal representation for underrepresented communities, Victor serves on the boards of directors of Community Partners, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Uncommon Good and the Mexican American Bar Foundation. He also enjoys mentoring college students through LEAP, the Legal Education Access Pipeline.

Anita Famili is a partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and leads the Firm’s real estate transactions and finance practice and the cannabis and CBD practice. She represents owners, operators, lenders, developers, investors and others in a range of financing, development, leasing and investment-related transactions. Anita guides real estate investment trusts, national retail grocers, public utilities, and other commercial developers and owners/users in acquiring, entitling, developing, leasing, building, financing, deleveraging and joint-venturing property throughout the United States. Clients turn to her to assemble, lead and manage major real estate transactions as well as coordinate and collaborate with other legal experts, third-party operators, vendors, outside managers, developers and consultants. Anita is a leader in the cannabis and CBD legal space, having represented professional cannabis businesses for almost a decade on corporate structuring; joint venture formations; strategic partnership agreements; celebrity licensing deals; financings and equity raises; farm and dispensary acquisitions; development and land use matters; leasing; service agreements; Internet, media, advertising and FDA advisement; and licensing matters. As part of that, Anita manages Manatt’s cannabis and CBD practice, composed of over 50 professionals whose traditional practices include real estate, financial services, land use, corporate, tax, entertainment, advertising, intellectual property, litigation, digital media and government. Anita’s clients in the cannabis and CBD industries range from public to private companies. She has served as a guest lecturer at the UC Irvine School of Law Cannabis and the Law class. Anita has extensive experience in secured and unsecured financings (including multistate, syndicated, construction, bridge and mezzanine loans), leveraged acquisitions, complex subordination and intercreditor arrangements, and letters of credit, and in perfecting security interests in collateral. In the project development area, Anita represents governmental and quasi-public entities, private bidders, and other stakeholders in the long-term concession of major infrastructure projects and large project assets. Anita has been recognized as a Top-Ranked Attorney in Cannabis Law: Western United States and Real Estate (California: Southern) by Chambers USA. GlobeSt. identified her as one of CRE’s Women of Influence in 2024. The Daily Journal has also named her to its Top Cannabis Lawyer and Top Women Lawyer lists in 2022. She was included as a Top 100 Lawyer in 2022 by the Los Angeles Business Journal and as a Global Top 200 Cannabis Attorney in 2022 and 2023 by the Cannabis Law Journal. Anita was also named a 2022 Cannabis Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal and a 2021 Cannabis MVP by Law360. She was also recognized as a Next Generation Partner in Real Estate by The Legal 500 US from 2020-2024, and as a commercial real estate “Visionary” in 2021-2022 and 2024 issues of the Los Angeles Times’ Commercial Real Estate Magazine. Additionally, she was recognized as a Real Estate and Construction Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal in 2022. Anita has also been named in The Best Lawyers in America guide since 2020. Early in her career, Anita received the Real Property Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award and has been named one of Real Estate Forum’s Women of Influence. She is a frequent speaker and author on current real estate and cannabis and CBD issues. She also serves on USC Real Estate and Business Law Forum’s Program and Planning Committees and as a member of Law360’s Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board.

Susan Hori’s practice focuses on obtaining land use development entitlements for landowners and developers, including local land use approvals, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, and state and federal regulatory agency permits for real estate development projects. The hallmark of Susan’s practice is her track record of success in navigating the complex process of multiagency permits and approvals. Her clients include landowners, financial institutions, developers and builders in the residential, retail, hotel/resort, and commercial and industrial development industries. Susan has represented clients on issues involving CEQA, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Coastal Act, Section 404 permitting under the Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act compliance and Endangered Species Act permitting, including work on habitat conservation plans. Susan also serves as the co-leader of Manatt’s Energy, Environment and Real Estate group, in addition to her role as the administrative partner of the Firm’s Orange County office. She is a member of Manatt’s Land Use practice and has previously served on the Firm’s board of directors. Susan has been repeatedly recognized as a “distinguished land use practitioner” by Chambers and Partners. According to the Chambers USA 2021 guide, she is “extremely thorough, detail-oriented, and provides great perspective on both the legal and business aspects of a project.” Sources praise her as “tenacious” and say she is an “effective advocate for her clients.” Susan has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2005 and has been named a Top 25 “Land Use Leader” by the Daily Journal. Prior to entering private practice, Susan clerked for the Alaska Supreme Court and served as an attorney with the Solicitor’s Office in the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., where she represented the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Robert A. Jacobs

Robert Jacobs is a litigation partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and the leader of the Firm’s entertainment litigation practice. Chambers USA has recognized him as one of the country’s preeminent entertainment litigators, emphasizing that his “litigation work is of the highest level” and that “he is informed on legal issues” and “pragmatic, reliable and proactive.” Legal 500 also has recognized Robert as a Leading Lawyer for entertainment and media litigation and described him as a “superb team leader” whose group “always over-performs and never over-lawyers” and who is “results oriented and second to none.” Robert focuses his practice on commercial, copyright and other intellectual property disputes in the entertainment, media and fine art industries. He has successfully represented top-level talent as well as major record labels and music publishers, movie studios, theatrical rights owners, managers, talent agencies, and brands in copyright, contract, Seven Year Rule, fraud, tortious interference, fiduciary duty, idea theft, trademark, right of publicity, unfair competition, labor agreement, and royalty actions in federal and state courts and arbitrations across the country. He also regularly handles and provides strategic advice on nonpublic claims and disputes. His clients have included leading recording artists, songwriters and producers such as Kendrick Lamar, the White Stripes, Bruce Springsteen, Diplo, Marshmello, Bastille, SZA, Usher, will.i.am, Tracy Chapman, Steve Mac, Fall Out Boy, Jermaine Dupri, Los Tigres Del Norte and Fleet Foxes; all of the major music companies; independent record labels Top Dawg Entertainment and 300 Entertainment; independent publishers BMG Rights Management, Downtown and Reservoir; and other prominent entities in the entertainment and fine arts industries, including Tams-Witmark, CBS Studios, Univision Communications, Lionsgate, Good Universe Films, Mandate Pictures and the Richard Avedon Foundation. Robert previously was a law clerk to the Honorable Gregory W. Carman, U.S. Court of International Trade.

Richard J. Maire Jr.

Rich Maire’s practice focuses on general corporate law and financial transactions. His representative clients are high-growth middle market private companies where he acts as a “hands-on” outside general counsel and business advisor. He has wide experience in matters of interest to these types of clients, including for example, private equity and debt transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, and corporate governance matters. In addition, in his role as outside general counsel, he is experienced in overseeing typical types of non-corporate legal issues that arise for clients of this nature—focused on achieving client objectives, by selecting and managing Manatt specialists with the appropriate experience. These issues include real estate leasing, construction and acquisitions, commercial litigation, labor litigation and intellectual property services. In this context, he represents clients in a diverse set of industries, including multi-unit retail, multi-unit restaurants, entertainment, health services, financial services and manufacturing.

Jeffrey A. Mannisto

Jeff Mannisto leads the firm’s tax, employee benefits and executive compensation practice. He has a broad-based tax practice in corporate, partnership and individual income tax, including choice of entity considerations, mergers and acquisitions, transactional matters, including tax-deferred exchanges under IRC Sections 1031 and 1033, employment tax issues, tax ruling requests, and tax controversies. During his over 20 years of practice, Jeff has focused on taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, restructurings, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, partnership transactions, start-up and venture capital investments and taxation of special entities such as S corporations, REITs and tax-exempt entities. He has extensive experience advising on matters such as the tax consequences of corporate buyouts, mergers and other acquisitions, made by public and private corporations, joint ventures, limited liability companies and partnerships. In his tax practice, Jeff works on the formation, capitalization, reorganization and dissolution of many private and public corporations, S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and tax-exempt entities. A focus of his practice includes the design and implementation of tax-efficient, multi-entity acquisition, holding and operating structures for real estate developers, financial partners, private businesses and/or subsidiary operations, including multistate businesses, liability-remote real estate and intellectual property holding companies and special purpose entities for complex financing transactions. His tax controversy practice includes litigation, administrative appeals and dispute resolution involving the Internal Revenue Service, California Franchise Tax Board, the California Board of Equalization, the California Department of Fee Administration, the California Office of Tax Appeals, the tax assessor/collector offices of many counties, cities and other local government agencies.

Richard G.J. McDerby

Richard McDerby leads Manatt’s venture capital and emerging companies practice, as well as the Firm’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices. For over two decades, Rich has worked closely with investors and early-stage growth and mid-market companies across a wide range of industries. Rich’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, venture capital finance, strategic transactions and general corporate representation. Rich enjoys working alongside business owners and senior managers to develop growth and transaction strategies, providing practical business advice to his clients. He also guides innovators, inventors and founders at all stages of their startup cycle, from formation and funding to growth and strategic sale, with a focus on new and emerging technologies. Rich has extensive experience leading teams and working on projects throughout North America, as well as in England, France and Australia. This experience, combined with his prior role as a corporate attorney at a top-tier Canadian law firm in Vancouver, British Columbia, gives Rich the ability to advise on complex cross-border matters. His extensive knowledge and experience in corporate governance and private equity transactions enables him to provide clients with sound advice and guidance through their most demanding deals. In addition, Rich is an active member of the investment committee for the Manatt Venture Fund, the Firm’s investment arm. Prior to joining Manatt, Rich co-founded a San Francisco-based boutique business law firm serving emerging growth and midsize businesses in corporate and commercial transactions.

Craig D. Miller

Craig Miller is a partner in Manatt’s San Francisco office and is the leader of Manatt Financial Services. Craig focuses his practice on representing public and private corporations in a wide range of corporate matters. A respected legal advisor, Craig has led countless transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and public and private equity and debt securities offerings. He also regularly represents venture capital management companies and their portfolio companies in portfolio investments, capital raises and strategic transactions. Craig counsels both financial institutions, boards of directors and the underwriters and placement agents that service them, on securities offerings, branch purchases and sales, and whole bank acquisitions along with day-to-day corporate governance issues and periodic reporting. A frequent publisher and lecturer, Craig also served as adjunct assistant professor of law at UC College of the Law, San Francisco where he taught second and third-year law students Corporate Law.

Michel C. Narganes

Michel Narganes is a partner in Manatt’s San Francisco and Boston offices. She has guided venture-backed startups and other, established clients—including various technology companies, media and gaming ventures, financial institutions, health care companies and others—through licensing, technology and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financing matters, and developer and publisher agreements for more than 15 years. Michel also works with disruptors in the growing cryptocurrency space with respect to blockchain-based technologies and transactions in the Web3 ecosystem. She was an early mover in this area, representing the platform that facilitated the highly publicized sale of an American digital artist’s nonfungible token (NFT) artwork in the first digital auction held by one of the largest global auction houses. She is sought after for her business-minded counsel on the convergence of cryptocurrency with other emerging industries, including the rise of tokenization in gaming and transactions in the nascent metaverse. Before joining Manatt, Michel served as in-house counsel at a large technology company, where she played a key role in the growth of global strategic partnerships, M&A and corporate compliance operations. Michel is also an entrepreneur, having founded her own legal services firm, providing her firsthand experience tackling the gamut of challenges emerging companies face throughout their life cycles.

Brandon Reilly is the leader of Manatt’s Privacy and Data Security practice and is recognized globally for his work in privacy and cyber law and as a “Top 40 Under 40,” “Top Cyber,” and “Top Artificial Intelligence” lawyer in California. A trusted go-to advisor on privacy, data governance, data security and AI issues for a sophisticated client base, Brandon is skilled at developing business-focused privacy and security frameworks aimed at maximizing data asset value and mitigating future enforcement and litigation risk. His practice spans legal and consulting disciplines, including strategic advice, regulatory compliance, transactions, government policy, security compliance and procedures, data breach responses, litigation, and government investigations and enforcement actions. Brandon has experience advising and representing Fortune 500s, multinational corporations, emerging companies and nonprofits across all industries. In particular, his work with health care and digital health companies has been recognized globally by Chambers. His practice also leverages deep experience with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), biometrics, telematics, the Internet of things (IoT), blockchain, cryptocurrencies, social media and Web3. He has also lent his depth of experience in data protection and government investigations to clients for matters involving national security, foreign sanctions compliance and cross-border data transfers.

Naeun Rim is the leader of Manatt’s Trial, White Collar and Investigations practice. She is a seasoned trial lawyer based in Manatt’s Los Angeles office who specializes in complex commercial litigation and white collar disputes. She has represented companies, executives, and high net-worth individuals in a broad range of matters, including those involving civil contract and business torts, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, class actions, False Claims Act, trade secret misappropriation, consumer protection claims, tax evasion, real estate disputes, customs violations, environmental crimes, cybercrimes, and more. Her trial skills and business-oriented approach are sought by clients across a variety of industries—including health care, financial services, banking, entertainment and technology. She has secured numerous jury acquittals, dismissals and favorable sentencing results in criminal matters and multimillion-dollar judgments in civil cases. She has also guided companies through sensitive internal investigations during times of crisis. A significant portion of Naeun’s practice is dedicated to trial work. Widely recognized as a rising star throughout the trial bar, she has already first-chaired multiple trials in high-stakes cases. As one of the few Asian American women who have served as trial counsel for a Fortune 150 company, Naeun played a decisive role in defending a large pipeline owner-operator in one of the biggest environmental trials in California’s history. Her work has been featured by notable news outlets, including CNN, The Washington Post, Reuters UK and the Los Angeles Times. Her representative matters include: Successfully defended a bank in a civil fraud case alleging $100 million in damages, securing a complete defense verdict after a multiweek arbitration. Lead counsel in a two-week jury trial, securing acquittals on and dismissals of all 19 counts of felony wire and mail fraud charges against the CEO of a movie financing and production company. Lead counsel in a securities fraud class action case pending against a publicly traded bank. Co-lead counsel representing dozens of corporate claimants in 15 of the 1MDB civil forfeiture matters, the largest federal civil forfeiture action ever brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. Successfully represented a health care provider in a Medicare risk adjustment internal investigation. Secured a declination of prosecution agreement on behalf of a high-net-worth CEO facing felony public corruption charges. Trial counsel in a multimillion-dollar federal civil jury trial alleging trade secret misappropriation. Prior to joining Manatt, Naeun served as a trial deputy at the Federal Defender’s Office in Los Angeles, where she first-chaired numerous felony jury trials and represented defendants in matters involving complex wire and mail fraud, money laundering, health care fraud, access device fraud, environmental crimes, computer crimes, tax evasion, and more. She appeared in hundreds of federal criminal cases and developed a reputation among federal judges and prosecutors alike as a skilled and credible advocate. In addition to her client work, Naeun is active in the community, serving as a mentor for young women lawyers and attorneys of color, and is involved with various legal organizations—including serving as a board member of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California and as a member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. She is one of the original Fellows of NAPABA’s 2018 Leadership Advancement Program. Naeun also continues to remain dedicated to pro bono work. Among other cases, Naeun is lead class counsel in two class action lawsuits brought against federal prisons in Southern California for Eighth Amendment violations after hundreds of justice-involved persons tested positive for COVID-19. Naeun clerked in the Central District of California for the Honorable A. Howard Matz. Naeun is conversationally fluent in Korean.

Tara Shabahang is a partner in the Real Estate Transactions and Finance group. She represents real estate developers, investors, property owners and operators in all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint ventures and leasing. Her project coverage is national and spans a variety of asset classes, including office, multifamily, retail, industrial, hotel and mixed-use. Tara is a member of the firm’s borrower-side finance practice, with expertise in mortgage and mezzanine debt, construction financing, secured and unsecured lines of credit, and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loan servicing. She also represents borrowers of distressed assets in connection with loan workouts and modifications, special servicing, and foreclosures. With a particular focus on commercial real estate development, Tara routinely navigates complex large-scale development projects, from the evaluation and acquisition of a development site through project entitlement and construction until assets are operational and stabilized. Leading developers and investors trust Tara to ensure that every step in a real estate project achieves their goals with the “next step” in mind—whether it’s financing, equity investment, construction, leasing or asset operation. Tara earned a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Amherst College and a J.D. from the University of California, Davis. During law school, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable John T. Noonan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Tara is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Manatt’s DEI and Women’s Initiative committees.

Sigrid R. Waggener

Sigrid Waggener is a partner in the firm’s land use and energy practice. She focuses her practice on energy development, infrastructure development, and large-scale commercial development and redevelopment. Sigrid has extensive experience with respect to (1) advising on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); (2) representing energy producers, national retailers and a wide range of developer entities in all phases of the land use permitting process; and (3) defending the issuance of land use permits when those permits are legally challenged. She also regularly handles related real estate matters, including site selection and acquisition due diligence, compliance with state and regional regulatory controls associated with energy development and cross-jurisdictional development, and project risk management. Sigrid also routinely handles a wide variety of litigation matters arising from the land use development process. She has acted as lead defense counsel for her clients in numerous writ proceedings alleging violations of CEQA and land development regulations.

Jessica Wood is a partner in the Firm's Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement practice in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Jessica focuses her practice on brand development and global trademark portfolio management, intellectual property transactions, copyrights and content protection, domain name and digital matters, and enforcement and dispute resolution. She works with clients across a range of industries, including consumer products and retail, technology, entertainment, media and content creation, fashion and apparel, toys and games, food and beverage, automotive and healthcare. She understands specific challenges and opportunities in these sectors and provides tailored solutions that align with business objectives. Jessica delivers practical branding and trademark strategies to maximize commercial success and mitigate risk in dynamic markets. As an experienced negotiator, she advises on intellectual property rights in high-stakes business transactions, conducts due diligence and structures licenses, agreements and rights transfers to help clients leverage their assets for growth. Jessica takes a proactive, problem-solving approach to enforcement, representing clients in disputes before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), UDRP domain name proceedings, online takedowns and other actions. In addition, she is an experienced litigator and frequently serves as a subject matter expert in cases involving trademarks, trade dress, unfair competition, copyright and rights of publicity. Jessica previously served as counsel in the Intellectual Property and Litigation, Business and Legal Affairs Department for Viacom Media Networks, where she managed trademark prosecution and enforcement, content clearance and intellectual property disputes. Prior to becoming an attorney, she advised clients on marketing and brand strategy at the global advertising agencies McCann-Erickson and DDB Worldwide, utilizing market research, data analytics and media planning to strengthen brand positioning.

Representing clients in a variety of commercial sectors, Sophia Yen counsels both lenders and borrowers in debt financing transactions. She also advises entertainment industry clients on debt and equity finance deals, as well as other transactional matters. As lender’s counsel, Sophia advises financial institutions in transactions that include single-lender and syndicated senior-secured, second-lien, mezzanine and unsecured acquisition and working capital loans; cross-border lending transactions; and loan portfolio purchases. She also assists lenders with problem loan workouts, restructurings and foreclosures. When borrower’s counsel, Sophia advises privately and publicly held companies on negotiating loans to finance a variety of corporate needs. Sophia represents film and television industry clients—as well as financial institutions and hedge funds—in equity and debt finance deals, distribution and licensing deals, and branded entertainment matters. In this sphere, she drafts and negotiates loan agreements, interparty agreements, cofinance agreements, distribution agreements and other ancillary documents. Sophia also advises independent production companies, high net worth individuals, producers, and other parties who operate in film and television development, production, financing and distribution. In addition, she has experience in film foreclosures, dispute settlements, purchasing distressed entertainment assets, negotiating with the guilds and counseling clients on copromotion deals. She is well-versed in the emerging fields of the entertainment industry and in recognizing for clients the strategic value of the digital media and China entertainment sectors. Before becoming a lawyer, Sophia was a CPA and financial auditor at Ernst & Young LLP. There, she represented clients in the entertainment, insurance and financial services industries.

Bruce Zisser has more than two decades of experience litigating patent disputes for major multinational corporations and leading-edge emerging companies. Combining his extensive litigation background with more than ten years of experience as an electrical engineer—including more than five years working on a broad range of high-tech telecommunications systems in the U.S. Air Force—Bruce is able to bring a profound depth of specialized knowledge to guide clients through even the most complex legal and technical issues. With a laser focus on patent litigation, Bruce has successfully represented clients in federal court throughout California, Texas and Delaware, as well as before the International Trade Commission. He also is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Clients turn to him to protect their innovations, enforce patents and defend their trade secrets from misappropriation domestically and internationally. Bruce helps clients both enforce their own patents and defend against patent infringement charges across a diverse array of product and service areas, including mobile technology, electronic health records, medical devices, data security, fiber optic communications, smart battery management technology and radio frequency identification technology (RFID). Before joining Manatt, Bruce was of counsel at a leading global law firm focused on business litigation and arbitration.