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Five O'Melveny Partners Named to Hollywood Reporter's 2010 Power Lawyers List

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:

Andrea Rodeschini
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
212.326.2251
arodeschini@omm.com

Sonja Steptoe
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
213.430.6384
ssteptoe@omm.com

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 22, 2010 – O’Melveny & Myers LLP partners Joe Calabrese, Daniel Petrocelli, Marvin Putnam, Stephen Scharf, and Robert Schwartz have been named by The Hollywood Reporter (THR) to its 2010 Power Lawyers List of the 100 most highly regarded and influential entertainment lawyers in America. 

Several of the O’Melveny partners included this year have made multiple appearances on the list, which was launched in 2007. Calabrese, Scharf, and Schwartz have been named to the list all four times, while Putnam is a three-time Power Lawyer. This year marks Petrocelli's first appearance on the list.

The list reflects THR’s judgment of which lawyers exert the most influence and perform the most high-profile work in the entertainment industry in the categories of talent representation, litigation, corporate, and labor, based on its study of recent transactions and litigation. “We researched the biggest deals and lawsuits of the year in film, television and music to zero in on the 100 attorneys who are most influencing the entertainment business,” said THR editor Matthew Belloni, who calls the 2010 Power List “a comprehensive resource filled only with great Hollywood lawyers.”

Profiles of the five O’Melveny partners are included in THR's Power Lawyers special edition published in the July 16-18 issue. THR describes Calabrese as "the dealmaker behind some of the industry’s biggest-ticket transactions recently closed, including the US$660 million financing for DCIP (the consortium of movie exhibitors) to deploy digital technology to 14,000 screens, as well as other deals for Disney and the International Olympic Committee."  Andrew Kramer, president of business and legal affairs for the Weinstein Co., praises Calabrese’s talent for creative thinking and innovation in structuring transactions. “[I]t's usually a good moment when Joe turns his head toward 'the room' and says 'what if ... .' "

Petrocelli, THR writes, has "made a name for himself representing several high-profile clients in white-collar and general business matters." But the partner notes that “a good third of my practice has been in entertainment.”  Currently, Petrocelli represents Warner Bros. in the high-profile copyright case involving rights to the Superman comic book hero brought by the heirs of the character's creators. In what THR calls “the year's boldest move,” Petrocelli sued the lawyer to the heirs, alleging a series of collusive deals that caused the families to repudiate their agreements with DC Comics in a bid to recapture the copyright to the character.

Putnam, who represents Crusader Entertainment in its contract dispute with novelist Clive Cussler over the 2005 movie “Sahara,” is engaged in a contentious battle with Cussler's lawyer, Bertram Fields. Putnam declared victory when a jury awarded Crusader US$5 million for Cussler's contract breach plus more than US$14 million in attorneys' fees, and again when the California Court of Appeal rejected Cussler's appeal of the verdict.  Nevertheless, a reversal of the contract-breach damages award prompted Fields to claim victory. Putnam tells THR, "It's icing on the cake that the appeals court totally denied Bert's spin of victory.” 

The THR editors say Scharf is “as creative as finance minds come.” He continues his longstanding representation of The Weinstein Co. in various complex transactions in the US and abroad. He also helped structure the deal culminating in the sale of the San Diego Padres to Jeff Moorad. Additionally, he has advised investors Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi in setting up Vendome Pictures. Scarf tells THR that he feels “a true partnership" with his clients.

Schwartz, THR says, is quickly becoming “the go-to lawyer for breach of contract disputes in the video game world.”  The litigator successfully represented Viacom in a patent dispute against Activision, and in a separate case now pending against Activision, he is representing “Modern Warfare 2” creators Jason West and Vince Zampella in a contract termination suit.  Schwartz reports to THR that he has been receiving calls regularly from parties who believe they have claims against various game publishers over unfulfilled contract obligations. 

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s Entertainment and Media Practice

For almost 100 years, O’Melveny & Myers LLP has represented motion picture studios, television and music companies, sports organizations, financial institutions, strategic investors, and individual talent on groundbreaking and significant industry deals and litigation matters. As financial pressures and technological changes force entertainment and media companies to re-think their content-delivery vehicles and to re-tool their business models, one thing remains the same - they continue to turn to the same law firm that guided a previous generation of entertainment and media industry leaders during Hollywood’s and Television’s Golden Age. Our reputation as the “go-to” law firm for complex media and entertainment transactions and litigation matters is predicated on our in-depth industry knowledge, our extensive experience, and our rich tradition of approaching every deal with diligence, perspective, and innovation.

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP

With approximately 1,000 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com