Bird Marella is thrilled to announce that John Berlinski has joined the firm’s Partnership. A powerhouse in entertainment litigation, John is regarded as one of Hollywood’s most respected lawyers, with a practice focused on representing top artists, producers, talent agencies, guilds, independent studios, casinos, resorts, and recording artists in their most significant disputes.
John has been at the forefront of some of the most hot-button legal issues facing the entertainment industry today, representing clients in high-stakes – and high-profile – licensing, distribution, intellectual property, residuals, and “backend” profit participation disputes. In a recent case that drew national attention, John represented the actor Scarlett Johansson in her groundbreaking lawsuit alleging that The Walt Disney Company had improperly failed to release her film Black Widow as promised, opting instead for a “day-and-date” release on streaming service Disney+ that deprived Ms. Johansson of tens of millions of dollars in box office bonuses. John is also well renowned for his role in obtaining the largest award in the history of profit participation arbitration, on behalf of David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, and Kathy Reichs, the actors and author-producer behind the hit Fox television series Bones.
“John is not just an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of the entertainment business, he is a fantastic person.” said Paul Chan, Managing Partner at Bird Marella.
“I have worked both with and against John over the years. He is an excellent lawyer and is a great addition to Bird Marella’s entertainment practice,” said Ron Nessim, a partner in the firm’s Entertainment Group. “We are excited to welcome him to our team.”
“Bird Marella’s deep bench of experienced entertainment lawyers was a huge draw to the practice.” said Berlinski. “I’m excited to apply the knowledge and skills that I’ve honed over the past two decades to support the firm’s well-earned reputation as one of the country’s top entertainment and trial boutiques.”
Prior to joining Bird Marella, John was the Chair of his prior law firm’s entertainment practice. Before that, he spent seven years at NBCUniversal, where he was the Senior Vice President & Head of West Coast Television Litigation. John has received numerous awards and accolades, including being recognized by Variety as a top entertainment litigator in its Legal Impact Report 2022: Top Attorneys Winning Cases and Making Deals in Hollywood; as one of Hollywood’s top attorneys by The Hollywood Reporter on its “Power Lawyers 2022: Hollywood Top 100 Attorneys” list; as an Entertainment Trailblazer by The American Lawyer; and by The National Law Journal for his groundbreaking work.
To learn more about Bird Marella’s Entertainment practice, click here.
About Bird Marella
Founded over 40 years ago, Bird Marella is a nationally-recognized litigation firm that represents national and multinational corporations, government agencies, closely-held companies, partnerships, and individuals in their most complex and sensitive matters. While Bird Marella’s cases are diverse, they share a common thread: sophisticated, high-exposure disputes that require focused and strategic counsel.
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