Lavely & Singer

LAVELY & SINGER Professional Corporation is one of the world's premier 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.

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.

LAVELY & SINGER RANKED #1 in "CHAMBERS USA 2008", and a leading firm in "CHAMBERS USA 2017" and every year consecutively back through "CHAMBERS USA 2009", in the practice areas of Media & Entertainment Litigation. The Chambers USA 2008 profile describes the firm as a whole as continuing "to do spectacular work" on behalf of its entertainment clients, with its success attributed to the winning combination of being "aggressive in representing the interests of its clients" and "immensely respected for its achievements". The Chambers USA 2011 profile describes the firm as having "a tremendous and well-earned reputation for the representation of A-list plaintiff clients." Co-founding partner Marty Singer is described as "a genius within the entertainment industry" and co-founding partner John Lavely as "intellectually superior, effective and superb in everything he does". The complete #1 CHAMBERS USA 2008 firm profile/ranking is available here. The complete Leading Firm CHAMBERS USA 2010 firm profile/ranking is available here. The complete Leading Firm CHAMBERS USA 2011 firm profile/ranking is available here.

A further profile of the firm's practice, as well as firm co-founders Jay Lavely (named to "Chambers USA 2011", "Chambers USA 2010" and "Chambers USA 2008" #1 Media & Entertainment Litigation lawyers; and named to the Daily Journal's lists of the "Top 100 Attorneys in California" consecutively from 2008 back through 2005) and Marty Singer (named to "Chambers USA 2017", and every year consecutively since 2008, as #1 Media & Entertainment Litigation lawyers; named to The Hollywood Reporter, Esq's list of "Top 100 Power Lawyers"; named to Super Lawyers Magazine's lists of "Southern California Super Lawyers" every year consecutively from 2018 back through 2004; and named to the Daily Journal's lists of the "Top 100 Attorneys in California" every year consecutively from 2017 back through 2005, and honored with inclusion in Variety's 2018 and 2017 "Variety500" list of influential leaders in the entertainment industry), 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.

"Guard Dog to the Stars (Legally Speaking)," – "Martin Singer's law firm shields celebrities from all kinds of annoyance, and is now a mainstay of Hollywood...," New York Times, May 21, 2011.

"GET ME MARTY SINGER," "Variety500, Entertainment Leaders and Icons," - "Lavely & Singer, MARTY SINGER," Variety, October 2018. The bane of studio chiefs and tabloid editors, Hollywood lawyer Marty Singer is a rabid defender of stars in trouble ...,"Vanity Fair, Hollywood 2017 Edition".

Reported cases include, but not limited to: Sybersound Records, Inc. v. UAV Corp., 517 F.3d 1137 (9th Cir. 2008); Miller v. Glenn Miller Productions, 454 F.3d 975 (9th Cir. 2006); Catherine Zeta-Jones v. Spice House, 372 F. Supp. 2d 568 (C.D. Cal. 2005); Miller v. Glenn Miller Productions, 318 F.Supp.2d 923 (C.D.Cal. 2004); 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); Vincent Cusano v. Kiss Company, 264 F.3d 936 (9th Cir. 2001); 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); Heather Stone v. Lita Richardson, Labor Commissioner of the State of California, No. TAC 7-02 (2003); 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.