Suann MacIsaac is a partner with the firm who specializes in the areas of entertainment, intellectual property and general business litigation.  She has successfully prosecuted and defended numerous cases involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and trade secret misappropriation.

In addition to representing actors, musical performers, writers, producers, photographers and others within the entertainment industry in connection with a wide range of business disputes, Ms. MacIsaac has recently served as civil litigation counsel in a number of high-profile marital dissolution actions.  She worked closely with Michael Kump and Jon Steinsapir in representing Jamie McCourt in her successful efforts to overturn a marital property agreement which allegedly transmuted the Los Angeles Dodgers into her former husband’s separate property.

Ms. MacIsaac also has litigated a number of matters within the video game industry, where she has represented both large video game publishers and independent developers.  Ms. MacIsaac was lead trial counsel in an action brought against a major video game publisher by an independent developer which concerned one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.  She also was a central part of a litigation team that won a $13 million judgment in favor of video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment in a matter involving the development of a video game based on a major doll brand.

Ms. MacIsaac also has handled a number of matters involving partnership disputes, and most recently, litigated and helped settle a case on behalf of a Los Angeles real estate developer for a payment of over $15 million based on an approximately $2 million investment.

Ms. MacIsaac graduated with high honors from the University of Michigan. She received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated magna cum laude and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Ferdinand F. Fernandez of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Currently serving as civil litigation counsel for wife in her marital dissolution proceeding from legendary singer and songwriter husband
• Currently working closely with Howard Weitzman and numerous other KWIKA lawyers in representing The Estate of Michael Jackson in a variety of civil litigation matters
• Worked closely with Howard Weitzman in representing conservators of Britney Spears in a civil action brought by her former branding agent concerning commissions related to Ms. Spears’ various perfumes
• Worked closely with Howard Weitzman in representing television producer, Chuck Lorre, in connection with action brought by Charlie Sheen regarding television show Two And A Half Men
• Worked closely with Michael Kump and Jon Steinsapir in representing Jamie McCourt in her successful efforts to overturn a marital property agreement, which her former husband claimed made the Los Angeles Dodgers his separate property
• Recently represented former actress and model in a palimony action against the estate of her former boyfriend who died without fulfilling his promise to take care of her for life
• Represented Ubisoft Entertainment, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, in a license dispute against MGA Entertainment, the owner of the girl doll property known as “Bratz,” which resulted in a $13 million award in favor of Ubisoft
• Represented Ubisoft Entertainment in a breach of contract and negligence action brought against a video game replicator whose employee had pirated of one of Ubisoft’s most successful video game properties; the matter was resolved out of court in a confidential settlement
• Represented Ubisoft Entertainment in a declaratory relief action against its insurer regarding Ubisoft’s right to independent counsel; obtained summary adjudication in favor of Ubisoft on core issue in the action
• Represented Spark Unlimited, the developer of video games Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, and Legendary: The Box, in a fraud and breach of contract action against Activision Publishing; the matter was resolved out of court in a confidential settlement
• Represented a Los Angeles real estate developer and his investment company in a hotel partnership dispute and obtained a $15.5 million settlement in favor of our clients based on an approximately $2 million investment
• Represented two successful commercial photographers in a copyright infringement action brought against a national health care company, which was continuing to use and retain our client’s photographs after the license to use the photographs had expired; the matter was resolved out of court in a confidential settlement
• Represented Fun 4 All, a manufacturer of plush dolls, in a license dispute against MGA Entertainment, resulting in a $2 million award in favor of Fun 4 All
• Represented a major Hollywood studio in defamation action related to an animated feature film; the matter was resolved out of court in a confidential settlement

EDUCATION

• JD, University of Pennsylvania, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1996
• BA, high honors, University of Michigan, 1992
• Law Clerk, Honorable Ferdinand F. Fernandez, Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1997-1998

SPEECHES

• Speaker, “Litigation Update,” Gamer Law Technology Conference, March 2009
• Speaker, “Put Your Game Face On: Video Game Development, Licensing and Litigation,” May 2006
• Speaker, “Can You Keep a Secret?: Protecting Your Trade Secrets In The Workplace and In The Courts,” October 2005

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS

• Listed, Super Lawyers magazine as a “Super Lawyer,” 2013
• Listed, Variety‘s “best and brightest” list of “attorneys that stand above the crowd and represent the next generation of sharp legal minds in the entertainment business,” 2011
• Listed, Super Lawyers magazine as a “Southern California Rising Star,” 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010