Entertainment, Media, and Intellectual Property

Mr. Codell has handled a wide variety of legal matters for major clients in the television, motion picture, recording, and advertising industries. The matters he has handled have concerned the First Amendment, copyright law, antipiracy and internet issues, idea origination, defamation allegations, right of publicity, talent contracts, profit participation, allegations of employment discrimination, and insurance issues. He has represented major television and motion picture studios, broadcast and cable networks, production companies, recording companies, advertising companies, and individual producers, writers, and actors. The matters he has handled have included the following:

  • Representation of major television studios in numerous disputes and lawsuits regarding profit participation and talent contracts.
  • Representation of motion picture studios, television studios, and television networks regarding copyright issues, including matters involving the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
  • Successful representation of a major television network, a television studio, and individual writers and producers in a lawsuit alleging misappropriation of ideas, defamation, and fraud in connection with the creation of a hit television series.
  • Successful appellate defense of a major television network and one of its large-market California television stations against purported race discrimination claims brought by a former news anchor after the station hired an anchor who is a member of a minority racial group.
  • Successful appellate defense of a major motion picture actor against allegations of fraud in connection with cast insurance coverage. See Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. v. De Niro, 2009 WL 1652971 (Cal. Ct. App. 2009).