Reed Smith LLP strengthened its entertainment industry presence with the addition of Harrison J. Dossick as a partner and Chet Devaskar as an associate in the firm’s Century City office.
Mr. Dossick represents motion picture and television studios, production, acquisition and distribution companies, content owners, and other institutional media and entertainment companies in copyright, trademark, idea submission, profit participation, financing, acquisition, licensing and distribution disputes. His litigation experience also covers e-commerce, Internet, advertising, trade secrets, defamation and right of publicity cases, and he represents creditors in judgment enforcement, adversary bankruptcy proceedings and related actions. His current clients include Sony Pictures Entertainment, FilmDistrict, GK Films, and The Weinstein Company.
Mr. Dossick was formerly a partner in the Century City office of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where he was a member of that firm’s Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Entertainment Litigation Practices, and co-chair of its national e-Discovery Practice group. The 1986 graduate of Boston University School of Law is a member of Reed Smith’s Western Commercial Litigation Practice.
“Harrison is an outstanding litigator particularly in the motion picture, television and music industries, and a great addition to the firm,” said Michael S. Sherman, head of the firm’s entertainment practice in Los Angeles. “He has solid and long-standing relationships with some of the most prominent companies in the business and has handled practically every type of industry-related dispute, from copyright infringement and idea theft claims to profit participation and accounting claims. Harrison will be a tremendous asset as we continue to invest in and expand our entertainment industry footprint around the world.”
Earlier in his career, Mr. Dossick was a partner with Troop Steuber Pasich Reddick & Tobey, LLP. He has been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer in Los Angeles Magazine and Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2006–2010).
Mr. Dossick has authored more than a dozen articles for the Los Angeles Daily Journal and Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, including co-authoring the cover story in its 17th Annual Entertainment Law Issue, entitled, “Facing the Music.” He has also presented at numerous seminars sponsored by the Los Angeles Copyright Society, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the Century City Chamber of Commerce, iHollywood Forum and the Los Angeles County Bar Association on litigation and entertainment industry-related topics.
“I could not be more excited to join such a vibrant, multi-faceted and rapidly expanding global entertainment practice,” said Mr. Dossick. “I welcome both the challenge and the opportunity to take full advantage of Reed Smith’s global platform, and I look forward to working closely with the team of veteran film and television finance, production, distribution and media lawyers in Los Angeles, New York and London.”
“Harrison has the experience, energy and industry connections to lead Reed Smith’s entertainment litigation practice in California,” said Stu Shanus, managing partner of the firm’s Century City office. “With his guidance, we will continue to add top quality litigators to the group throughout the firm.”
Mr. Devaskar, a transactional lawyer, is a member of Reed Smith’s Media & Entertainment Industry Group. Previously an associate in the Los Angeles office of Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylor LLP, his practice focuses on corporate and intellectual property matters, with an emphasis on entertainment finance transactions, typically representing and counseling production companies and lending institutions in connection with the acquisition, financing, development and distribution of motion pictures.
Mr. Devaskar also has experience representing both media and non-media based companies in high profile M&A and debt and equity finance transactions as well as negotiating licensing agreements related to television and new media projects. He is a member of the South Asian Bar Association.
“Chet is a seasoned film finance lawyer, well-known to the community, who has already hit the ground running and will be an important part of Reed Smith’s burgeoning entertainment industry finance practice. We are thrilled to have him join our team”, said Sherman. “I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the growth of the firm’s global Media & Entertainment Group and to work with my new colleagues throughout the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and China,” said Mr. Devaskar.
