10100 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 2200
Los Angeles,
California
90067
 310.282.2151
 310.919.3898
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Douglas
E.
Mirell
Partner
Douglas Mirell practices general corporate and business litigation with a concentration in First Amendment litigation, defamation claims and anti-SLAPP motions; intellectual property and entertainment lawsuits; publicity/privacy rights disputes; new and traditional media law issues; enforcement of civil rights statutes; voting rights litigation; freedom of information laws; government access statutes and a variety of constitutional law questions.
Mr. Mirell regularly reviews film footage, Internet websites, motion picture/television scripts, stage plays, newspapers, magazines and books to avoid infringing intellectual property rights and potential publication tort claims. He has represented all of the member companies of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLLP and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.) and Lions Gate Entertainment in nationwide litigation against computer users who are illegally trafficking in these studios’ copyrighted motion pictures on so-called “peer-to-peer” file trading networks.
His other representative litigation clients include the National Broadcasting Company, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, the Association of American Publishers, Omnicom Group Inc., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, The Franklin Mint, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., William Morris Agency, LLC, and Marilyn Monroe, LLC.
Mr. Mirell is a frequent speaker and has written numerous Op-Ed articles for the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily Journal and Jewish Journal. He has been interviewed for his perspective on various intellectual property and First Amendment-related issues by major newspapers and magazines, as well as by local, national and international radio and television outlets. Mr. Mirell currently serves as a media attorney representative on the Los Angeles Superior Court's Media Committee.
He also authored over 25 expert commentaries on the criminal and civil trials of O.J. Simpson for WESTLAW's specialized "Notable Trials" computer database. During the Simpson criminal trial, Mr. Mirell made eight appearances before Judge Lance A. Ito to argue against sealing coroner's records, autopsy photographs, juror dismissal transcripts and other court documents; imposing a "gag order" upon trial participants; conducting a mid-trial inquest into the undisclosed sources of a controversial local TV news report; closing juror voir dire proceedings; and terminating courtroom television/radio coverage.
Mr. Mirell has conducted seminars on entertainment industry and First Amendment issues for all of the major motion picture studios and television networks. He has also conducted newsroom seminars on various media law issues for reporters and editors.
Representative Experience
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Counsel in a two-year trial of the then-largest shareholder/dissenter’s rights case in American legal history involving a privately-held real estate corporation
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Successfully defended The Franklin Mint in a publicity rights, false advertising and false endorsement case brought by the memorial fund and estate of the late Princess Diana
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Successfully defended a book author/publisher and a television producer/network against a lawsuit filed by Elizabeth Taylor which sought to prevent the publication of an unauthorized biography and the airing of an unauthorized television mini-series on her life
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Successfully defended the author of a book about the Scott Peterson murder trial against an attempt by Peterson and his lawyers to censor its contents
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Successfully represented various criminal defense attorneys and their clients in challenging court-imposed gag orders
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Co-counsel in the successful constitutional challenge to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ 1981 redistricting plan on the grounds that it intentionally discriminated against the county’s then-3 million Latino residents, resulting in the election of a Latina – the first woman ever elected to the Board and the first Hispanic to serve on that powerful body in 115 years
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Co-counsel for immigrant plaintiffs in the federal court lawsuit that successfully halted implementation of California's Proposition 187
Publications/Speeches
- Author, California Clarifies Its Posthumous Right of Publicity Statute, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, pp. 224-225 (March 2008)
- Speaker, The High Cost of Cheap Shots? A Panel Discussion on the Ethics of Tabloid Journalism, Beverly Hills, California (January 29, 2008)
- Speaker, Society of Professional Journalists 2006 Region 11 Conference, Pasadena, California (March 31 - April 1, 2006)
- Planning Committee Member, Brave New World: Representing Entertainment Clients in an Evolving and Regulated Environment, Los Angeles, California (Jan. 26, 2006)
- Panelist, Commerce, Content & Communications: The Convergence of Entertainment, Advertising, Promotions and Privacy (May 21, 2005)
- Speaker, Worming Around the First Amendment: An Overview of Recent Developments in Publicity Rights Litigation (Oct. 1, 2003)
- Author, The Publicity Rights Worm Turns, Media Law Resource Center MediaLawLetter, pp. 35–37 (June 2003)
- Author, Idea Theft in the Advertising and Promotions Industry, PMA Law Conference Compendium (Nov. 2002)
Media Mentions
Affiliations
- Chair, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, an independent city-county agency formed to address the problems of homelessness on a regional basis (appointed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; appointment confirmed by L.A. City Council)
- President, Progressive Jewish Alliance
- President, ACLU Foundation of Southern California
- Board Member, American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California
- Board Member, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
- Board Member, LA Youth (bi-monthly newspaper by and about teens)
- Former Board Member, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (Federation)
- Former Regional President and Board Member, American Jewish Congress (AJCongress)
- Former Chair, Urban Affairs Commission, Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee
- Founding Member, African-American/Jewish Leadership Connection
- Founding Member, Muslim/Jewish Dialogue Group
- Former Chair, Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (statewide legislative advocacy arm of California’s organized Jewish communities)
- Pro Bono Attorney, ACLU Foundation of Southern California
- Pro Bono Attorney, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
- Pro Bono Attorney, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California
- Pro Bono Attorney, Society of Professional Journalists
- Pro Bono Attorney, Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
- Pro Bono Attorney, Bet Tzedek Legal Services
- Pro Bono Attorney, Public Counsel
- Member, Legal Review Committee, California First Amendment Coalition
- Advisory Board Member, Defending Dissent Foundation
- Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Member, California Chapter, Media Law Resource Center
- Member, Los Angeles Copyright Society
- Member, Chancery Club
- Member, American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
- Member, California Public Defenders Association
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
Distinctions
- Highest "AV" Professional Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
- Named "Southern California Super Lawyer" in Intellectual Property Litigation, Entertainment & Sports and First Amendment/Media/Advertising by Law & Politics in Los Angeles magazine (2004-2008)
- Front-page profile, Los Angeles Daily Journal (Dec. 9, 1996)
- "35 Young Lawyers to Keep an Eye On," California Law Business (July 24, 1995)
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Legal Journalism, Loyola Law School (Spring 1999)
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Constitutional Law II (First Amendment), University of Southern California Law School (Spring 1996)
- Advocate Award, Garment Worker Center (2006)
- Isaiah Award, Progressive Jewish Alliance (2006)
- First Annual Professional and Community Service Award, Loeb & Loeb (2003)
- Pro Bono Advocate of the Year, ACLU Foundation of Southern California (2003)
- Jewish Life Award, Hillel Council at UCLA (1999)
- Freedom of Information Award, Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (1997)
- Tikkun Olam Award, Loyola Law School (1996)
- Community Service Award, CARECEN (1995)
- Pro Bono Civil Liberties Award, ACLU Foundation of Southern California (1995)
- David J. Cohen Memorial Community Service Award, AJCongress Pacific Southwest Region (1992)
- Legal Services Award, MALDEF (1990)
- Pro Bono Service Award, ACLU (1990)
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University of California at Davis School of Law, J.D., 1980, Recipient, U.C. Davis School of Law Outstanding Advocate Award (1977-1978)
Topical Volume Editor, Volume 13, U.C. Davis Law Review (1979-1980)
Claremont Men's College, B.A., 1977, cum laude
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
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