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Image: Steven A. Marenberg

Steven A. Marenberg

Partner, Litigation Department

Overview

Steven Marenberg is the Chair of the firm’s Entertainment and Media Litigation Group and the Chair of the Century City Litigation Group. Mr. Marenberg’s practice encompasses a wide range of commercial litigation matters in various industries, with particular concentrations in the areas of entertainment-related litigation, technology-related disputes, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property litigation, and antitrust and business tort disputes. His clients have included some of the nation’s leading technology companies, motion picture studios, television networks, independent production companies, music companies, interactive game companies, and high net worth individuals.  

Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Power Lawyers and Variety Impact lists virtually every year since their inception.

Mr. Marenberg has also been recognized as one of the country’s foremost litigators by publications including the National Law Journal, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, The Legal 500, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal, among others. The Los Angeles Business Journal has listed him as among Los Angeles’ most influential attorneys

In its Chambers USA guide, Chambers & Partners has consistently ranked Mr. Marenberg in Band 1 or Band 2 for Media and Entertainment litigation, citing client comments such as: “He’s fantastic. There isn’t a single case that I wouldn’t trust Steve to handle and give me the best representation on” and “He is an exceptional litigator who understands complex situations and knows how to drive efficiently to the required result.”

In its most recent 2021 Guide, Chambers reported another client’s praise: “Steve Marenberg is a great strategist and effective advocate.  Judges love him.”  One peer described him as an “excellent lawyer” and said they “love to have him on my side and hate to be against him”; another lauded his “‘excellent’ trial skills, in particular his ‘connection with the jury,’” and highlighted his ability to be “aggressive without being unpleasant,” noting that “he is very professional, very smart, and willing to think independently and creatively.”

Recognitions

  • Benchmark Litigation Guide, Future Star (2023)
  • Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America (2022)
  • The Legal 500 USA, Media and Entertainment: Litigation (2022)
  • Ranked in Band 1 or Band 2 for media and entertainment litigation in Chambers USA, 2006-Present
  • Named to Variety’s Impact counsel list or The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list every year since their inception
  • Selected as a Legal Trailblazer by the National Law Journal, 2020
  • Named an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property, 2019-2020
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation, entertainment law, and IP litigation, 2007-2021
  • Recognized as one of Los Angeles’ Most Influential Attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2018

Education

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

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 Align Technologies, the maker of "Invisalign," in the defense of multi-district antitrust lawsuits alleging that Align has monopolized the markets for aligners and intraoral dental scanners.
  • Represented 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 well-known consulting firm in a series of multiparty business tort actions arising out of a highly 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 proprietary data analytics 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 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 and NBCUniversal in 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. 

    Engagement & 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.

    Practice Areas

    Class Actions

    Antitrust and Competition

    Complex Litigation and Arbitration

    Litigation

    Entertainment and Media

    Entertainment and Media -- Litigation

    Mass Tort, Toxic Tort, and Environmental Litigation


    Languages

    English


    Admissions

    California Bar


    Education

    The University of Chicago Law School, J.D. 1980

    Wesleyan University, B.A. 1977


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