Agnifilo Intrater LLP

Criminal Defense Litigation

A former No. 2 in the Manhattan DA’s office and CNN legal analyst, Agnifilo (who is married to Marc Agnifilo, see below) is now defending accused murderer Luigi Mangione against charges in cases in federal, New York State and Pennsylvania State courts. Her résumé includes leading prosecutions of Harvey Weinstein and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg — making her one of the few courtroom pros feared on both sides of the aisle.

Agnifilo Intrater LLP

Criminal Defense Litigation

Diddy turned to this powerhouse pair — both formerly with Brafman & Associates — when facing federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and prostitution. Though acquitted on the most serious counts, Combs was convicted of transporting women for prostitution and sentenced in October to 50 months. Geragos, incidentally, is the daughter of famed trial attorney Mark Geragos.

Davis Wright Tremaine

Copyright & Entertainment Litigation

When music royalty gets sued, Anderson gets the call. Most recently, he secured dismissal of a $20 million suit alleging Mariah Carey ripped off “All I Want for Christmas Is You” from a 1989 country song. He also helped Led Zeppelin beat back claims that “Stairway to Heaven” stole its melody from a 1968 instrumental and defended Cher in a royalties battle with the heirs of Sonny Bono over “I Got You Babe.”

WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE HAD TO GOOGLE DURING A TRIAL?“What does ‘Show me the receipts’ mean?”

Berk Brettler LLP

Criminal Law

One of L.A.’s most feared — and discreet — defense attorneys, Berk has built a career cleaning up Hollywood’s darkest messes. This year, she represented Monica Sementilli, convicted in April of stabbing her husband — celebrity hair guru Fabio Sementilli — and sentenced to life without parole. She’s now defending rising singer D4vd in the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL? “In a rubber pontoon boat in Costa Rica … while a crocodile swam up beside me.”

The Bloom Firm

Civil Litigation

Bloom is back in the spotlight, representing Diddy accusers and taking on Kanye West in an explosive harassment suit filed by ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta. The daughter of famed attorney Gloria Allred, Bloom has made her own mark on sexual misconduct and civil rights cases — including an $8 million verdict in a harassment trial involving a billionaire CEO defendant who performed a “mangina” stunt in front of staff.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL? “In my tent at the top of a mountain in the high Sierras while backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail.”

Chesnoff & Schonfeld

Criminal Law

The go-to fixer for Vegas elites and globe-trotting moguls, Chesnoff is now defending Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, the Israeli cybersecurity official charged in a Nevada child sex sting. Past clients reportedly include everyone from Paris Hilton to Leonardo DiCaprio to Suge Knight.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL? “In the middle of the Kvichak River.”

Clare Locke LLP

Defamation & Reputation Litigation

Clare, who co-founded the firm with his wife, fellow defamation specialist Libby Locke, is the lawyer brands hire when a lie goes viral and a reputation is on the brink. This summer, he sent a cease-and-desist on behalf of France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, demanding MAGA influencer Candace Owens retract her bizarre claims that Macron was “born male” and was deceiving the French public. Clare also advised Dominion Voting Systems in its $787.5 million defamation settlement with Fox News in 2023 and counsels Fortune 100 leaders in reputational crises.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“While planking during a personal training session.”

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Trusts & Estates Law

Co-chair of MSK’s high-powered trusts and estates practice, Eisen continues to handle high-stakes celebrity estate matters — notably the ongoing administration of Muhammad Ali’s estate, including rights tied to his name, image and likeness. His team, known for representing such legends as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein, is currently — quietly — overseeing the complex estate of a deceased A-list musician involving intellectual property and memorabilia assets.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“On a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.”

The Findling Law Firm

Criminal Law

Known as the “#BillionDollarLawyer,” Findling has represented everyone from late rapper Young Dolph to President Trump, whom he briefly defended during the Georgia election interference probe. A go-to for hip-hop’s legal crises, his clients have included Cardi B, Gucci Mane and Offset. He’s also a loud critic of prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence — calling it “a glaring indication that there is no real case.” He’s now defending Lil Durk in a federal murder-for-hire case tied to the death of Quando Rondo’s cousin.

Freedman Taitelman + Cooley

Civil Litigation

A self-described “pit bull,” Freedman is one of the fiercest — and busiest — litigators in town. He recently filed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and their publicity team and was co-counsel with Geragos in the Menendez case. Other clients include Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon and Gabrielle Union.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“On the street using one of the last remaining public pay phones.”

Geragos & Geragos

Criminal Law

One of the most recognizable — and, at times, polarizing — attorneys in L.A., Geragos has represented clients ranging from Michael Jackson to Winona Ryder and Scott Peterson. This summer, he resurfaced in the spotlight as attorney for Erik and Lyle Menendez during their August parole hearings — the brothers’ first in more than 30 years. On Sept. 15, a judge denied their petition for a new trial, which had cited the leaking of Erik’s confidential parole hearing recording as one of its grounds.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“The 2 Freeway underpass in Glendale.”

Kinsella Holley

Civil & Criminal Law

Holley is one of the few attorneys who can claim both Johnnie Cochran and Kim Kardashian among her legal advisers — Cochran as a mentor, Kardashian as a longtime client and confidant. Mangels, alongside Holley, represents the estate of MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs in its wrongful-death suit against the Angels and recently won key victories after Marilyn Manson dropped his lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood and Shia LaBeouf settled with FKA Twigs.

EVER SECRETLY QUOTE A TV LAWYER IN COURT? Holley: “The lead character on Hulu’sReasonable Doubt is based on me — sometimes I quote myself.”

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?Mangels: “At the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.”

Davis Wright Tremaine

Technology & Media Litigation

Kumar is the tech world’s First Amendment firewall, defending Microsoft, TikTok and Meta in cases involving free speech, algorithmic targeting, privacy rules and the liability of online platforms. She’s challenging New York’s sweeping new algorithmic pricing disclosure law, arguing it forces “misleading and ominous warnings” on retailers, and recently convinced a court to block a first-of-its-kind California statute on children’s data privacy and safety. She also argued Grindr’s immunity in a high-profile Ninth Circuit case.

Meyer Olson, Lowy & Meyers LLP

Family Law

Longtime partners in one of L.A.’s top family law practices, Meyer and Lowy handle sky-high, high-conflict divorces involving Hollywood’s power players. Their firm may be all-female-owned, but they rep clients of every gender — co-counseling such splits as Nicole Young (from Dr. Dre), Janet McCormack (Eric McCormack), Jwan Yosef (Ricky Martin), Brandon Blackstock (Kelly Clarkson) and Christina Ricci (James Heerdegen).

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?Lowy: “Chair lift in the middle of a snowstorm.”

Warner Bros. Discovery

Civil Litigation

Montesano is Warners’ secret weapon when a major release or streaming launch is on the line. This summer, she fended off injunctions from Superman co-creator Joe Shuster’s estate — just weeks beforeSuperman hit theaters — and saved Netflix’sRunning Point from a Pepperdine trademark ambush with only 24 hours to spare. She’s also had to defendThe Matrix, Chris Brown and other high-stakes IP from would-be disrupters.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL? “The side of the highway in a broken-down vehicle waiting for a tow truck.”

Napoleon Law Firm

Civil & Criminal Litigation

Napoleon is repping Demoree Hadley — daughter of Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, one of the most powerful women in music and entertainment — in an explosive lawsuit accusing her mother of using her influence to have her wrongfully detained in Florida. With accusations (fiercely denied by Perez) of false imprisonment and family warfare intersecting with civil rights and the music business, this Miami-based litigator with a name out of a Wes Anderson movie is navigating one of the most combustible cases of the year.

Greenberg Traurig

Civil & Criminal Litigation

He’s the guy who broke Britney Spears out of her conservatorship cage — and got a public shout-out from her as “an amazing attorney” who helped change her life. Since then, Rosengart’s been busy repping everyone from Sean Penn (he got Penn a win over Lee Daniels and a labor board victory for his nonprofit CORE) to Spielberg, Keanu, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jelly Roll and Lena Dunham.

Lavely & Singer

Civil & Intellectual Property Litigation

He’s arguably the most feared troubleshooter in Hollywood — if you haven’t received a Marty Singer letter, you’re probably not doing your job as a journalist. His current caseload includes defending Kevin Costner in a lawsuit from a stunt performer onHorizon 2, who sued over an unscripted rape scene that was allegedly filmed without proper notice. He also secured dismissal of a harassment lawsuit filed against Lizzo by a former stylist, plus an arbitration claim initiated against Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis by their former nanny. In that case, he prevailed on a counterclaim over a breach of the confidentiality agreement.

Quinn Emanuel

Criminal & Civil Litigation

Spiro handles the celebrities — repping Alec Baldwin in theRust criminal case, getting a sexual assault lawsuit against Jay-Z dismissed with prejudice, and serving as Elon Musk’s longtime attorney (most recently as chairman of a proposed $200 million Dogecoin-Treasury venture tied to Musk’s crypto orbit). Nikas tackles the firm’s corporate combat, from a tossed $400 million antitrust class action to a landmark appeal victory for 9/11 cleanup workers. Different lanes, same result — winning.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Estate Planning & Tax

With nearly 50 years in the trenches, Starler is the quiet force behind some of Hollywood’s most successful fortunes — from Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winners to the agents and managers steering A-list careers. He’s handled close to a billion dollars in estate planning, guiding clients through succession strategy, complex tax matters, intellectual-property rights, and the tricky reversion rules that allow creators or their heirs to reclaim control of major musical compositions, literary works, master recordings, and other IP.

The Steel Law Firm

Criminal Defense Litigation

Atlanta defense veteran Steel made headlines this spring when he joined Diddy’s legal team. But he’d been making news well before that, as lead counsel for Young Thug in the sprawling YSL RICO trial — a case that briefly landed Steel in jail for contempt before Georgia’s Supreme Court reversed the order.

Weinstock Manion

Trusts & Estates Law

High-net-worth clients — from film legends to tech founders — turn to this powerhouse duo for bulletproof, multigenerational estate plans designed to preserve privacy and minimize taxes. Strauss has restructed more than 100 estates for ultra-wealthy families since 2020, while Forster quietly custom-builds strategies for some of Hollywood’s most valuable portfolios. Both are known for protecting client assets with near-invisibility.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?Strauss: “Ushuaia, Argentina, on the Darwin Sound.” Forster: “On horseback in Montana.”

Sheppard Mullin

Trusts & Estates Litigation

His most recent triumph was helping Lachlan Murdoch secure control of Fox and News Corp — but Streisand has been battling for billionaire families for decades. He defended Jeanie Buss in her fight to retain control of the Lakers, represented Dea Spanos Berberian in the Chargers’ ownership feud and handled succession disputes for The North Face co-founder Douglas Tompkins’ estate.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“Let’s just say it displeased the woman in my life — especially when she learned the caller was a certain famous pop singer.”

Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles

Family Law

HGTV star Christina Haack is the latest to tap Hollywood’s divorce whisperer, the go-to attorney for everyone from Kim Kardashian and Angelina Jolie to Britney Spears, Kevin Costner and Johnny Depp. Known for keeping A-listers out of court and cases out of the press, Wasser also founded It’s Over Easy, a platform making low-drama splits available online.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“C-section pre-op room.”

Wigdor LLP

Employment, Discrimination & #MeToo Litigation

Wigdor was the lawyer behind Cassie Ventura’s explosive 2023 lawsuit accusing Diddy of sex trafficking and assault. Before that, he secured millions in settlements for more than 20 women and men who accused Fox News of sexual harassment, racial discrimination or retaliation. A veteran employment litigator and founding partner of Wigdor LLP, his past clients also include victims in the Harvey Weinstein scandal and employees across multiple major media companies.

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL?“In Rwanda in the middle of a trek looking for gorillas.”

Greenberg Glusker

Trusts & Estates

When Hollywood’s elite need to quietly pass on their fortunes — from studio points and streaming residuals to music catalogs and IP — they call Zwicker. She’s the private-wealth strategist for A-listers, tech founders and multigenerational legacy families, building estate plans that limit taxes and keep names out of media stories (like this one).

STRANGEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER TAKEN A CLIENT CALL? “Between the carriages of a train running between Ghent and Bruges, Belgium.”

This story appeared in the Nov. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.Click here to subscribe.