THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 61 MARCH 26, 2020
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Arash Khalili
Loeb & Loeb
CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW
When streaming superstar Tyler “Ninja” Blevins
made the surprise announcement that he would be
leaving Amazon-owned Twitch for Microsoft’s Mixer,
it sparked a war over online talent that dominates the
market today. Khalili, as a business and legal adviser
to Blevins, was instrumental in the landmark deal.
“There was nothing on the shelf for a deal of that
magnitude,” says Khalili. Outside of that “marquee
transaction,” Khalili inked deals for Blevins with
Adidas and the NFL, while also restructuring Megan
Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures.LITIGATION
Dale Kinsella
Kinsella Weitzman
UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW
This summer, Kinsella will be telling a jury that AMC
owes $270 million to his clients Frank Darabont and
CAA. Other trials further down include producer
Neal Moritz’s against Universal over Fast & Furious
franchise profits and a case brought by two produc-
ers who worked on the original television adaptation
of Stephen King’s It, who say Warner Bros. denied the
right to participate on the recent film blockbusters.LITIGATION
Kelly Klaus
Munger Tolles & Olson
STANFORD LAW SCHOOL
Klaus has become a favorite litigator for MPAA
members, including Disney, Warner Bros. and
Netflix. He represented the plaintiffs in a copyright
lawsuit against VidAngel when the streaming/filter-
ing service was sued for copyright infringement. In
June 2019, a jury ordered VidAngel to pay more than
$62 million in damages for copyright violations.
Please reboot The Brady BunchTA LE N T
Deborah Klein
Jackoway Austen
USC GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW
With Booksmart, Hustlers and Dead to Me, Klein saw
client Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum’s production
company Gloria Sanchez have a knockout year, and
secured the female-focused outfit first-looks at
Netflix for TV and Paramount for film. She inked Jim
Carrey’s pacts for Kidding and Sonic the Hedgehog,
along with five (yes, really) new movie deals for
Samuel L. Jackson including Hitman’s Wife’s
Bodyguard, The Last Full Measure and The Banker.
If I could eat only one food forever, it’s “Graeter’s
mocha chocolate chip ice cream.”TA LE N T
Alex Kohner
Morris Yorn
LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL
Kohner helped Matt and Ross Duffer parlay the
Stranger Things buzz into a nine-figure overall deal
at Netflix that allows them to monetize the success
of the series, rare for a distributor known for buying
out the backend. Longtime client John Cho recently
booked the lead in the streamer’s Cowboy Bebop
series and Pete Chiarelli will pen Crazy Rich Asians 2.
Hollywood’s 2020 priority “Remembering how lucky
we are to get to do what we do.”TA LE N T
Tara Kole
Gang Tyre
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
When the Obamas’ production company wanted Riz
Ahmed for its fiction film, an adaptation of 2017 novelTA LE N T
Craig Jacobson
Hansen Jacobson
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Jacobson put together one of the most unique deals
of his career when repping Spotify in its podcast
partnership with the Obamas, a negotiation that he
describes as “complicated but fun.” He also crafted
Bonnie Hammer’s contract to run Comcast’s new TV
content and distribution studio and The Irishman
producer Jane Rosenthal’s overall with Netflix, and
continues to rep Lorne Michaels, Trevor Noah and
Ryan Seacrest.
If I could eat only one food forever, it’s “Salmon.”TA LE N T
Matthew Johnson
Ziffren Brittenham
NYU SCHOOL OF LAW
Johnson’s powerhouse clients include Barack and
Michelle Obama, Tyler Perry and Adam McKay.
Following the latter’s split with producing partner
Will Ferrell, the rep, who divides his time between
Costa Rica and Los Angeles, helped set up the next
chapter of McKay’s career. So far, that includes a
feature deal with Paramount, a TV deal with HBO,
a podcasting deal with Sony Music and a Jennifer
Lawrence movie at Netflix.
Please reboot The WireCORPORATE
Ivy Kagan Bierman
Loeb & Loeb
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRITZKER
SCHOOL OF LAW
The legal mind representing most studios in
negotiations with unions, Kagan Bierman in
May also brokered the first major agreement
between the WGA and a talent agency, Verve,
since the union began its dispute with the ATA.
On the other side of her business, Kagan Bierman
helped Time’s Up create its safety guide for
entertainment employees and trained independent
producers on harassment, discrimination and
bullying prevention.
Please reboot The West WingTA LE N T
Adam Kaller
Hansen Jacobson
WHITTIER LAW SCHOOL
Kaller has one of the most diverse client rosters in
Hollywood, from digital stars like Lilly Singh (who
launched her NBC late night show in September) to
podcasters including Leon Neyfakh (who launched
new series Fiasco on Luminary) to traditional talent
like Darren Criss (who will star in Ryan Murphy’s
Hollywood). “My practice is the natural evolution of
the business at large,” says Kaller.
My biggest challenge now is “I would have
said the WGA-agency fight, but now I’m saying
the coronavirus.”LITIGATION
Mitch Kamin
Covington & Burling
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
For most of the major record labels (including
Warner, Sony and Universal), Kamin fought to ensure
internet service providers took piracy seriously. For
TV networks, including Fox News and AMC, he took
on cable companies over carriage rates. But he’s
particularly proud of his pro bono work, including
representing the city of L.A. against the federal
government over grant money withheld because of
Trump’s immigration agenda.
Hollywood’s 2020 priority “Ending all forms of
discrimination in the industry.”Exit West, Kole helped seal the deal. (Ahmed will star
in and executive produce the project.) The lawyer
also brokered Hobbs & Shaw team David Leitch and
Kelly McCormick’s first-look deal at Universal. She
oversaw the return of Michelle Dockery to Downtown
Abbey for the 2019 film and Sarah Hyland’s last
season on Modern Family.
Please reboot RoadhouseLITIGATION
Michael Kump
Kinsella Weitzman
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL
The Kardashians’ favored attorney in business
disputes, Kump helped Kim, Kourtney and Khloe
win more than $10 million from Haven Beauty, which
used the Kardashians’ name to promote a beauty
brand after ending payments to the sisters (the case
is currently on appeal). Kump also repped Sandra
Bullock in a fake endorsement case.
We’ve hit peak content when “The streaming
services start lowering prices and/or cutting back
offerings and services.”TA LE N T
Bob Lange
Kleinberg Lange
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW SCHOOL
After the fallout over his infamous Access Hollywood
chat with now President Donald Trump and subse-
quent three-year hiatus from TV, Billy Bush returned
to news in 2019 thanks to the efforts of Lange. He
also signed Sylvester Stallone and Kate Beckinsale
and continues to rep Mark Hamill and Carrie-Anne
Moss, who is returning as Trinity in Matrix 4.
My biggest challenge now is “The contin-
ued vertical and horizontal consolidation of
the traditional entertainment companies is an
ever-increasing challenge.”TA LE N T
Bianca Levin
Gang Tyre
YALE LAW SCHOOL
Dwayne Johnson will become a supervillain thanks
in part to Levin, who handled his deal for Black Adam
as well as those for Red Notice and Young Rock. She
also negotiated Henry Cavill’s turn in The Witcher
and Melina Matsoukas’ deal for Queen & Slim and her
first-look at FX, and helped Honey Boy director Alma
Har’el create Time’s 100 Women of the Year initiative.
“She is an incredible force,” Levin says of her client.
If I could eat only one food forever, it’s
“French fries.”TA LE N T
Jared Levine
Morris Yorn
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
Levine set up Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw
Productions with a huge five-year first-look at
Universal Pictures that includes the upcoming horror
reboot Candyman. “While many TV deals recently
jumped into the nine-figure arena, I can’t think of
[another] deal that’s exclusively feature films to hit
that stratosphere,” he says. Plus, he secured Ramy
Youssef a first-look at A24 after the success of his
Hulu series Ramy and got the ball rolling on Stephen
Curry’s Unanimous Media deal with Sony Pictures.
Please reboot The Eiger SanctionTA LE N T
Jamie Mandelbaum
Jackoway Austen
NYU SCHOOL OF LAW
“You no longer just go on the show as a showrunner,”
says Mandelbaum, who reps a stable of writer-
directors. “You make an overall deal as the price ofLevinLevineMandelbaumMastroberteKhaliliKinsellaKlausKleinKohnerKoleKumpLangeKamin10fea_lawyers1-17_L [P]{Print}_53606986.indd 61 3/25/20 10:40 AM