Recent Representations

Mr. Marenberg has extensive trial experience in federal and state courts, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and investigations by regulatory agencies. His high-profile engagements include:

• Currently representing one of the largest Hollywood talent agencies in the highly publicized dispute between the Writers Guild of America and the agencies, including in federal court litigation raising antitrust, RICO, labor, and business tort issues.
• Represented Universal Music Group in several landmark copyright infringement lawsuits concerning the legality of displaying and distributing copyrighted music videos on “user-generated content” websites and the scope of the safe harbors of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for such activities.
• Represented two Hollywood studios in the defense of a class action alleging the studios’ text messaging campaign to promote the motion picture, Warcraft, violated various provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
• Represented one of Hollywood’s largest studios in a well-publicized class action alleging that the studios have failed to account properly for the exploitation of motion pictures in home video and video-on-demand markets.
• Represented the world’s largest electronic game company in an interrelated series of lawsuits relating to the development and exploitation of the best-selling Call of Duty video game series.
• Represented a leading internet infrastructure service corporation in a series of multiparty business tort actions arising out of a well-publicized credit card data security and privacy breach.
• Represented the developer of an agricultural “decision support” platform in a multi-million dollar arbitration trial against one of the country’s largest seed companies over the latter’s use of “big data” technology.
• Represented Pixar Animation Studios in several copyright infringement actions alleging characters and story elements in Pixar motion pictures such as Onward, The Incredibles, Monster's Inc. and Finding Nemo infringed on third party rights.
• Represented acclaimed writer and director Peter Jackson in a dispute with New Line Pictures concerning Mr. Jackson’s profit participation for the blockbuster The Lord of the Rings trilogy of motion pictures.

Other representative matters include:

• Successfully prosecuted, on behalf of Walt Disney Pictures, a trademark infringement action of Disney’s rights in the motion picture Frozen.
• Represented Universal Music Group before the Supreme Court of California in HLC Properties, Ltd. v. MCA Records, Inc., 35 Cal. 4th 54 (2005), a landmark case defining the scope of attorney-client privilege in California.
• Successfully defended Walt Disney Pictures & Television against copyright infringement claims relating to the motion picture Pearl Harbor.
• Counseled Activision Inc. in connection with the FTC’s investigation of the marketing of violent entertainment to children and in related litigation.
• Defended Mark Burnett, NBC Universal and Donald Trump in Bethea v. Burnett, 2005 WL 1720631 (C.D. Cal. 2005), a copyright infringement case involving the NBC television series The Apprentice.
• Defended a leading video game publisher in a series of RICO and commercial bribery suits involving rights to the highly successful WWE video game series in World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. v. Jakks Pacific, Inc., et al., 530 F. Supp. 2d 486 (S.D.N.Y. 2007) and 425 F. Supp. 2d 484 (S.D.N.Y. 2006).

Accolades and Recognitions

• Ranked in Band 1 for media and entertainment litigation in Chambers USA, 2006–Present
• Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list every year since its inception
• Selected as one of the Most Influential Litigation Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2018
• Named an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property, 2019
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation, entertainment law, and IP litigation, 2007–2020
• Recognized as one of Los Angeles’ Most Influential Attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2018

Speaking Engagements and Publications

• Lectured at many professional seminars, including the ABA Litigation Section Annual Meeting, the ABA Forum on Sports and Entertainment Law Annual Meeting, the PLI Antitrust Institute, and the USC Entertainment Law Institute.

Education

• University of Chicago Law School, J.D.
• Wesleyan University, B.A.