"Excellent to work with. He is zealous and really leaves no stone unturned. He chases down every detail and comes up with successful arguments."
Chambers USA 2024
Up-and-Coming – Media & Entertainment: Litigation
Chambers USA 2024
Next Generation Partner ‒ Media & Entertainment: Litigation
The Legal 500 US 2024
America’s Top 200 Lawyers
Forbes 2024
Profile
Rob Ellison is a member of the Litigation & Trial Department and the Complex Commercial Litigation and Entertainment, Sports & Media practices. He advises clients in the areas of entertainment, sports, and media litigation, general commercial litigation, and trade secrets litigation.
Rob has been recognized as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers by Forbes, one of Hollywood’s Top Entertainment Litigators by Variety, a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500, and Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer. He has successfully represented clients ranging from public companies, private equity backed portfolio companies, sports franchises, and celebrities to leading internet, entertainment, and emerging companies. Rob is a seasoned trial lawyer and has co-first chaired numerous successful arbitrations. He also has extensive experience conducting highly sensitive internal investigations and regularly consults on Entertainment, Sports & Media transactional matters with an emphasis on limiting clients’ litigation exposure.
Since joining the firm, Rob has also actively participated in the firm’s pro bono activities, ranging from helping Holocaust survivors secure reparations from the German government to advising the Humane Society of the United States and other animal rights organizations.
Rob currently serves on the firm’s Ethics Committee, and he previously served on the firm’s Recruiting and Training & Career Enhancement Committees.
Experience
Rob's recent representations include the following:
Co-lead counsel on behalf of Marcus Lemonis and Camping World in the successful defense of lawsuits arising out of the CNBC television show The Profit
Co-lead counsel on behalf of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes in a week-long arbitration before the NHL Commissioner arising out of an employment dispute with the Coyotes' former General Manager and resulting in a resounding victory
Second chair in successful arbitration arising out of high stakes real estate partnership dispute involving US$200 million of commercial real estate properties. After week-long arbitration, clients awarded specific performance and millions of dollars in prevailing party attorneys’ fees
Lead counsel for major property developer and largest owner of shopping malls in United States in pending high-stakes litigation with City over failed $500M+ development. Successfully argued at California Court of Appeal, resulting in published decision holding that the alter ego doctrine may apply to hold one municipal entity liable for the debts of another
Kjersti Flaa, et al. v. Hollywood Foreign Press Ass’n, et al., C.D. Cal. (2021): On behalf of clients Hollywood Foreign Press Association and several of its members, obtained complete dismissal with prejudice of sweeping antitrust, fair procedure, and declaratory relief claims brought by two member applicants
Major league baseball franchise in sweeping, high-profile grand jury investigation led by US Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office (D.C.) related to the recruitment of international baseball players
Major league baseball franchise in dispute with television network partner
Madison Square Garden Sports & Entertainment in a high-profile litigation arising out of the City of Inglewood’s agreement to convey property to be used as the site for a new arena competitive with the MSG Forum in Inglewood, California
Media company and its executive against claims of sexual harassment and hostile work environment by former employee
Auto club and insurance company against trade secret misappropriation claims by a competitor
Live Nation and Ticketmaster in a sprawling, high profile anti-trust and trade secret case, which settled on the eve of trial
Plaintiff craigslist, Inc. in a web scraping case with roughly 20 causes of action, including copyright, trademark, CFAA, and breach of contract in the Northern District of California. craigslist obtained substantial monetary judgments and stipulated permanent injunctions against defendants. In its annual Top Verdicts of 2015 feature, the Daily Journal selected this settlement as a Top Plaintiffs’ Verdicts by Impact in California
In re Estate of Saley, Los Angeles Sup. Ct.; Case No. KP011186: Successfully represented City of Hope National Medical Center and its employee in a four-week jury trial resulting in a complete defense victory
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
California
Education
JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 2010
BA, University of Southern California, 2005 magna cum laude
For their inaugural list, Forbes selected top legal practitioners who demonstrated outsize influence and have achieved an elite level of excellence in private practice, civil rights, and organizational work.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal gutted a journalist’s lawsuit that accused the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of breach of contract, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, as well as mismanagement and corruption.
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