News & Events April 2009

Top Entertainment Transaction Group Joins Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP

OFFICE

Leading attorney John Mason and group enhance firm's entertainment practice

LOS ANGELES, CA - April, 2009 - The Los Angeles law firm of Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP announced today that leading entertainment attorney John Mason has joined the firm as a partner. Mason's deep experience will build upon the firm's long history of representing the entertainment industry's top film studios, independent producers, talent and new media entrepreneurs.

Also joining the firm with Mr. Mason is Deborah Wagnon, who will be Nashville based Of Counsel to the firm. Wagnon is a highly regarded entertainment lawyer in her own right and represents a wide variety of talent, including authors and producers. She is also an accomplished author and entrepreneur.

Glaser Weil has long occupied a place among the country's top entertainment law firms. Its litigation department, led by name partner Patricia Glaser, has an outstanding record of courtroom successes on behalf of studios, artists, actors and producers. Jonathan Blinderman is a leader in the evolving exploitation of filmed entertainment, music and digital products and production in internet and other new media applications. The addition of the Mason group, with its diverse client list of authors, musicians, actors and producers, adds a transactional, deal-making component that will round out and further enhance the firm's prominence among industry leaders in filmed entertainment, the world of music and new media.

"The addition of John Mason and his team to our entertainment law practice augments our already substantial ability to provide the highest quality legal services to a broad range of clients spanning film, entertainment, television, music and the emerging world of new media," said Co-Managing Partner Barry Fink. "We are delighted to add John, Deborah and a very talented associate, Jonathan Altschul, to our entertainment practice and to our law firm family."

Mason added, "Our specialty is the representation of high profile actors, producers, recording artists, athletes and creative talent in all venues of entertainment sports and lifestyle. We take pride in counseling clients with strategic planning, career development, branding and transitions into new media opportunities. Glaser Weil has long been the 'go to' law firm for entertainment litigation and we look forward to uniting our practices to provide an even broader range of services to clients."

Mason received his B.A. with Honors from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1968 and his J.D. with Highest Honors (Order of the Coif) from the University of California, Berkeley in 1971. He has been named "Entertainment Lawyer of the Year," by Billboard Magazine and in 2000 was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, where he continues to serve as a member.