Mr. Doniger focuses on business disputes in general and intellectual property in particular, representing television and film producers, photographers, musicians, authors, artists, and clients in the marketing, fashion, entertainment, real estate and hospitality industries. In his 30 years of practice, he has handled cases in the courts of CA, NY, IL, PA, TX, NV, CO, FL, IA, and NC, and overseen litigation in foreign jurisdictions including Canada and the United Kingdom through the firm’s network of local counsel. He has taken more cases to trial than most, realizing many six and seven-figure verdicts and settlements, including:
Mr. Doniger’s practice also includes appellate advocacy. He has successfully argued multiple times before the Ninth Circuit, Second Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and California appellate courts, and was part of the United States Supreme Court appellate team in Unicolors, Inc. v. H&M Hennes & Mauritz, L.P., 595 U.S. ___ (2022)—cases which resulted in important holdings clarifying various areas of, inter alia, copyright and California Anti-SLAPP law.
In 2023 Mr. Doniger was selected to receive a CLA IP Law Section Vanguard Award which “honors outstanding legal professionals in the judiciary, private practice, in-house practice, academia, and public policy advocacy for their contributions to the advancement of intellectual property law.” He has also been designated a California Super Lawyer for the years 2021-2025 and has been honored with numerous other professional accolades.
In addition to his practice with the firm, he currently serves as advisory counsel for American Photographic Artists and works with a coalition of trade groups to advance artist rights through legislative and other avenues. He regularly speaks on intellectual property topics and has been retained as an expert witness on handling of copyright litigation.
He is a graduate of the USC Law School and the Straus Institute’s mediation training program and has served as a mediator both privately and for the Los Angeles Superior Court. When not lawyering, he can often be found discussing black holes, dark matter, and other things that lend perspective to the significance of our problems.
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Mr. Burroughs was selected as a California Rising Star for the years 2015-2019 by Los Angeles Magazine and Super Lawyers. Since transitioning to oversee the firm’s New York office, he has been selected as a New York Super Lawyer for the years 2021-2023. He has handled over a thousand art and business law disputes involving fashion, art, photography, scripted and reality programming, music, accessories, literature, documentary and feature films, websites, advertising, novelty goods, jewelry, hospitality, and home décor.
In 2022 alone, he prevailed before the Supreme Court of the United States in an important art and copyright case, obtained a ruling in New York affirming the rights of artists who use Instagram to market their work, and obtained a ruling in California that clarified the contours of the “fair use” defense and strengthened artists’ rights.
Over the course of his career he has obtained numerous six and seven-figure results for his clients, and a number of the top copyright jury verdicts in Los Angeles, including the following:
Mr. Burroughs has also argued successfully before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, creating new law on important, cutting-edge copyright issues, including the following:
Mr. Burroughs is passionate about protecting the rights of artists and content creators, and writes and speaks often on the subject. He has lectured for California Lawyers for the Arts, the Fashion Business Institute, the Loyola Law School Fashion Symposium, and the University of Southern California Law School, and written articles for the Daily Journal, Bloomberg News, and others. He also taught Fashion Law at the Art Institute of California, and writes a copyright law column for leading legal website Above the Law: https://abovethelaw.com/author/scottalanburroughs/
Mr. Burroughs is a member of the California and New York State Bars and handles litigation for firm clients in jurisdictions around the world. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Miramax Films, SFX Entertainment, and as a music journalist. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, San Diego and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Trevor W. Barrett is a partner at Doniger / Burroughs, representing clients in counseling and commercial litigation, including transactions and civil litigation for clients in the fashion, textile, art, entertainment, music and media industries. Mr. Barrett was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for the Southern California region for the years 2020-2022. Mr. Barrett is also currently serving as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Copyright Litigation Committee. Mr. Barrett regularly represents content creators, artists, jewelry companies, photographers, and apparel and textile companies to enforce and protect their rights against infringers, and has extensive experience litigating copyright infringement disputes.
Mr. Barrett has represented a diverse array of clients in hundreds of disputes, including as trial counsel in over 400 federal lawsuits, second-chairing several trials, and handling appeals before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Barrett has prevailed at the summary judgment and jury trial stages, obtaining numerous six- and seven-figure results for his clients.
Mr. Barrett earned his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law, with a specialization in Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property. While at UCLA, Mr. Barrett served as Managing Editor of the UCLA Entertainment Law Review and as Vice President of the Sports Law Federation. During law school he also competed in moot court and the national sports law negotiation competition. Mr. Barrett earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from California State University, Northridge in Music Industry Studies, with a minor in Cinema and Television Arts Media Management, being awarded the Presidential Scholarship.
Prior to his legal career, Mr. Barrett worked in the Business and Legal Affairs Department of NBC Universal’s Comcast Entertainment Group, in marketing for an international film distributor, as a music supervisor for film trailers and political promotional materials, and as head of a non-profit record label. Mr. Barrett has wide-ranging experience in the entertainment industry, an expansive knowledge of entertainment business transactions, and material experience in civil litigation. He is licensed to practice before the Central District of California, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court of the United States.
A passionate proponent of music, media, art. and fashion, Mr. Barrett endeavors to facilitate, protect, and enforce creative expression and the intellectual property of creative individuals and companies of all sorts. Mr. Barrett is a husband and father, and enjoys spending time with his family when not fervently advocating on behalf of his clients.
David Shein specializes in the enforcement of copyrights on behalf of diverse clients including songwriters, recording artists, photographers, graphic designers and painters. He also represents clients on the plaintiff and defense side in high stakes trademark cases and business disputes. Much of his practice focuses in and around the entertainment and fashion industries where he has been able to bring to bear his own experience in those areas to provide practical as well as legal insight both in and out of litigation.
Mr. Shein’s representative matters:
Represented songwriter and recording artist Jaime Ciero against The Walt Disney Company in copyright dispute regarding the hit song Let It Go from the Frozen soundtrack. Ciero v. The Walt Disney Company, et al. U.S.D.C. Case No. 17-cv-08544 GW (MRWx).
Obtained summary judgment in favor of bass player Juan Croucier in trademark infringement case involving the band name RATT. Won a court order holding that a 1996 transfer purporting to assign the RATT trademark from the original RATT partnership was invalid and ruled in Croucier’s favor on all counts. The ruling was upheld on appeal and the court thereafter entered an award of attorneys’ fees in favor of Croucier in the amount of $232,927.50. WBS, Inc. v. Juan Croucier, et al., U.S.D.C. Case No. CV 15-07251 DDP (JCx)
Represented renowned painter and street artist Mark Paul Deren aka Madsteez in a case against Sharp Electronics wherein Deren alleged that Sharp had used his photograph, artwork, and likeness without authorization to market and promote Sharp televisions. Mark Paul Deren v. Sharp Electronics Corporation et al. U.S.D.C. Case No.: 15-CV- 0869-JLS-JCG.
Represented fashion design house in a hotly contested copyright infringement dispute with a large Florida-based clothing supplier and obtained a $1,754,272 jury verdict at trial alongside Stephen Doniger. Advanced Visual Image Design, LLC v. Exist, Inc., U.S.D.C. Case No. 2:10-cv-09383
Mr. DiNicola leads the firm’s transactional projects. He maintains a diverse corporate, entertainment, and intellectual property practice emphasizing complex transactional work.
Mr. DiNicola regularly takes on the role of outside general counsel for his corporate clients as he represents them with respect to corporate governance, strategy, and executive/key personnel compensation issues while taking the lead in transactions involving companies in a number of industries including technology, manufacturing, fashion, design, consumer products, media, food and beverage, hospitality, restaurants, and real estate.
Mr. DiNicola has also advised entertainment production companies and producers with respect to the financing, production, and distribution of motion pictures and television series. He also represents talent, including directors, writers, actors, songwriters, and music composers in connection with their contributions to entertainment projects and non-entertainment business endeavors.
Mr. DiNicola’s intellectual property practice focuses on assisting clients with copyright and trademark registration, clearance, portfolio management, enforcement, and licensing. He assists brand and content owners in many industries, including the apparel, entertainment, video game, and social media industries.
Mr. DiNicola earned his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2004 and is licensed to practice in the State of California and the State of Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 2000. Among his long list of impressive accolades, Mr. DiNicola earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, which is ranked as the top program of its kind in the nation.
Ms. Schultz’s practice includes representing artists, designers, and business owners in all manner of intellectual property and business litigation. Prior to joining Doniger / Burroughs, Kelsey M. Schultz worked as an associate at a Hollywood entertainment law firm concentrating on entertainment litigation. Her research and writing led to the successful resolution of several high-profile cases involving issues of intellectual property infringement, right of publicity, defamation, and trade secret misappropriation.
Ms. Schultz earned her Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Entertainment and New Media Advocacy from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 2018, where she was Vice President of the Entertainment & Sports Law Society and the Loyola Wine & Spirits Law Society. She also independently organized the Fashion Law Panel for Loyola Law School’s prestigious Entertainment Law Symposium, which hosted well-known fashion designers and influencers. Ms. Schultz holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and History from the University of California, San Diego. When not working to protect the interests of her clients, Ms. Schultz enjoys traveling, attending concerts and music festivals.
Benjamin Tookey is an associate in the firm’s Los Angeles office and is passionate about protecting and enforcing the intellectual property rights of musicians, filmmakers, photographers, designers, writers, and all manner of artists. He has experience representing clients in high-stakes cases involving federal, state, and common law trademark, copyright, false advertising, right of publicity, and false endorsement claims, as well as contract and business disputes. Mr. Tookey has found success in all phases of litigation, including prevailing at summary judgment and securing victories on appeal. Prior to joining Doniger / Burroughs, he was an associate in the trademark and copyright practice group at a leading intellectual property firm, where he regularly published articles on developments and trends in trademark, copyright, false advertising, and right of publicity law.
Mr. Tookey graduated cum laude from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law where he was a member of the National Moot Court Competition Team, an editor for the Journal of Law & Policy, and an extern for the Hon. Patricia L. Cohen, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He is also a member of the Order of Barristers and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Arts Management from Indiana University.
Mr. Tookey’s passion for protecting artists’ rights stems from his own background as a musician. When not representing his clients, Mr. Tookey enjoys writing and recording music, attending concerts and shows, playing basketball, traveling, and spending time with his family.
David Jenkins is an associate based in the firm’s New York office and is dedicated to serving and protecting the rights of artists of all mediums. Mr. Jenkins works primarily in copyright and intellectual property litigation to secure favorable outcomes and recovery in infringement cases on behalf of photographers, muralists and street artists, illustrators, fabric designers, and musicians, among others. Mr. Jenkins is also experienced in transactional projects, including the drafting of consignment agreements, representation agreements, licenses, and contracts for public art projects.
Mr. Jenkins earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law, where he served as President of the Texas Law Art Association and editor of the Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal. He also organized multiple legal clinics for artists and designed and presented free copyright law workshops for artists, has published numerous articles on issues at the intersection of art and the law, worked hands-on in art spaces and arts non-profits, and helped coordinate a city-wide open studio tour in Austin, Texas. When not passionately serving clients, Mr. Jenkins enjoys visiting and volunteering at local art spaces, reading and writing fiction, running by the waterfront, and exploring New York’s best eateries with his friends.
Michael D. Steger is of counsel to the firm, practicing primarily in New York. He focuses on intellectual property, entertainment, litigation, and business matters in the fashion, entertainment, photography and software industries. In 2010, he was named “Best Intellectual Property Attorney for Growing Businesses” by New York Enterprise Report magazine. Mr. Steger has tried numerous cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators in federal and state court, including as lead counsel in Berman v. Johnson, 518 F.Supp.2d 791 (E.D.Va. 2007), a seminal case on authorship of films. Mr. Steger’s entertainment practice focuses on film, television, internet and music projects, and he represents creatives and production companies in matters including film, television, and online financing, and production, distribution and syndication agreements. He has served as production counsel for several films and broadcast and cable television programs.
His corporate and business experience includes forming and dissolving corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships, as well as contract drafting and review, employment matters, drafting buy-sell and other shareholder agreements, and handling investment transactions. Before joining the firm, Mr. Steger was in-house counsel for STF Productions, Inc., the producer of Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted” and the syndicated “Final Justice,” where he also handled business and legal affairs for other Fox entities.
He previously represented clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies in California. Mr. Steger is Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Litigation Committee, a member of the ABA’s Entertainment and Sports Law and Communications Law Forums, and a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Trademarks and Unfair Competition Committees. He has written and spoken extensively on intellectual property and entertainment law matters. Mr. Steger received his J.D., M.A. and B.A. from the University of Virginia and is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in New York, California, Virginia, and the District of Columbia
Robert Cherry is a business, entertainment, and intellectual property attorney practicing in Austin, Texas and the surrounding areas. He uses his background in litigation and transactional work to help creative and emerging companies in the arts & entertainment, digital media, technology, professional services, and fashion industries. He strives to help clients achieve their business goals and manage their legal risk. Robert maintains a license to practice law in both Texas and California. And his contemporary, context-sensitive approach to providing legal services, as well as the extraordinary care that he exhibits for each client, sets him apart as an attorney for independent artists, start-ups, and creative companies. Robert earned his Bachelor of Science at Texas State University – San Marcos and his Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School and was a judicial extern for the Vermont Supreme Court. In his free time, Robert stays active in the local Austin music scene – either promoting independent music or performing in one of his bands.
Christian spent 25 years a professional model and actress, and has extensive experience in the worlds of fashion, photography, and production. She holds a Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington, where she was a member of the lacrosse team. As the Photography Client Manager at Doniger / Burroughs, she works directly with clients in the creative industries to manage their intellectual property portfolios and enforce their copyrights, publicity rights, and trademarks.
London Zamora is an entertainment and intellectual property senior litigation paralegal. In this capacity, she has had the pleasure of supporting attorneys in advocating for professional artists, photographers, talented authors, and textile companies. London’s work focuses on complex intellectual property disputes, including patent and trademark infringements. Her experience covers all phases of litigation, including pre-filing diligence, case initiation, discovery (including e-discovery), Summary Judgment hearings, and trial preparation, both in Federal and State courts.
London is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of Women in E-Discovery and the Los Angeles Paralegal Association. Before joining Doniger / Burroughs, London was as a legal clerk at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert, LLP, and served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Shelly B. Torrealba.
Alexandra Sulich is a litigation paralegal specializing in intellectual property law, with a particular focus on copyright infringements for artists, including photographers, jewelry designers, musicians, authors, and textile companies. She oversees the litigation process, managing pre-filing matters and drafting and proofreading motions, pleadings, discovery documents, and various legal correspondence. Proficient in e-filing, she handles the submission of court documents and maintains communication with vendors to ensure smooth processes throughout all stages of litigation.
Prior to joining Doniger/Burroughs, Alexandra obtained practical experience as a trainee in the Boards of Appeal Department at the European Union Intellectual Property Office in Spain, where she developed a solid foundation in EU trademark, design, and patent law while collaborating with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the European Patent Office. Having lived in four countries, she is fluent in three languages, bringing a global perspective to intellectual property law and enhancing her ability to advocate for clients successfully.
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