Education:
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles
Practice Areas
Entertainment, Infomercial and Direct Response
Business Transactions and Formation
Intellectual Property
Shannon L. Van Dorn is an experienced entertainment and business transactional attorney with a primary focus on representing individuals and companies conducting business in the infomercial, entertainment and home shopping industries. Her legal background includes working as in-house counsel for two publicly-held global corporations: e4L, Inc./Quantum Television (formerly known as National Media Corporation), a leader in the direct response and infomercial industry; and Image Entertainment, Inc., the largest independent home video distributor in the United States.
Ms. Van Dorn’s transactional expertise includes drafting and
negotiating product placement, manufacturing, marketing, distribution,
supplier and purchasing agreements; drafting talent, celebrity endorsment,
production and a variety of independent contractor agreements with
agents, managers, producers, composers, graphic designers, writers,
sales agents and finders; drafting and negotiating employment, advertising
and sponsorship agreements; drafting and negotiating domestic
and international home video, audio, broadcast, internet and licensing
agreements. She perfects, secures and defends the registration of
copyright and trademarks.
Ms. Van Dorn also focuses on business entity formation, and directs
clients in setting up a variety of business entities including corporations,
LLCs, general and limited partnerships and joint ventures. Additionally,
Ms. Van Dorn guides clients through venture capital solicitation
and prepares all necessary related documents such as private placement
memoranda, as well as representing Independent Film makers in all
phases of production and distribution.
Ms. Van Dorn was born and raised in Pendleton, Oregon. She attended Blue Mountain Community College and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo where she competed on the varsity rodeo teams, and later attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles where she earned her law degree. An animal lover, Ms. Van Dorn has one dog, one cat and three horses. She has been practicing law since 1998 and was named a Southern California Rising Star by Superlawyers Magazine for the years 2005-2007.
Education:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles
Practice Areas
Business and General Civil Litigation
Intellectual
Property and Entertainment Law
Business Formation and Transactions
Jerry B. Marshak is an excellent litigator with an emphasis
in intellectual property, entertainment and general business law as well as
an experienced transactional attorney providing daily support for his clients.
Mr. Marshak represents production companies, distributors, producers,
directors, writers, actors, managers and artists,
in the preparation of contracts, options and licenses incidental to
their work, as well as perfecting, securing and defending the registration
of copyrights and trademarks.
He also represents manufacturers and consumers, both established and
nascent proprietors, partnerships and corporations, in the formation,
buying and selling of businesses and business interests. He advises
and represents both employers and employees in labor relations, including
employment and consultant contracts and contract disputes.
Mr. Marshak has been involved in over 100 civil lawsuits and appeals,
in both California state and federal trial courts as well as the California
Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Marshak has brought and defended actions involving: copyright and trademark infringement; false designation and false representation; breach of contract and breach of warranty; unfair competition; defamation; breach of employment agreements and wrongful termination; trade secret misappropriation; interference with contract and business opportunity; fraud and other commercial and personal torts; and insurance bad faith. In the criminal realm, his published decisions include People v. Gofman, 97 Cal. App. 4th 965 (2002) (double jeopardy, following federal prosecution for the same acts) and Rayyis v. Superior Court, 133 Cal. App. 4th 138 (2005) (corpus delicti of evidence necessary at a preliminary hearing).
Mr. Marshak was born in Louisiana and has resided in Los Angeles since childhood. He was educated at the University of California, Santa Barbara and at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, and has been practicing law since his graduation from law school in 1998.