Joel M. Grossman, Esq. has been exclusively devoted to mediation and arbitration since 2004, following his 25-year legal career as a litigator, labor negotiator, and in-house counsel overseeing complex entertainment disputes.
Mr. Grossman has presided over more than 1500 mediations and arbitrations and developed a stellar reputation for fairness. Sought after by both plaintiffs’ and defense counsel, he has resolved extremely complex disputes with a combination of excellent problem-solving skills and a wonderful sense of humor.
Mr. Grossman has been a full-time neutral since January 2004 and has mediated or arbitrated over 1500 cases. Drawing on his fifteen years as head of the Litigation Department of a major motion picture studio, he has broad experience in entertainment-related claims including, but not limited to: copyright and trademark infringement, idea submission, and profit participation claims.
Additionally, Mr. Grossman has mediated and arbitrated several disputes between actors and their agencies, and disputes between two agencies. Serving on the Writers Guild of America—Producers arbitration panel, he has arbitrated a number of entertainment cases including cases on complex issues such as separated rights.
He has been named to the Daily Journal’s list of the top neutrals in California for three consecutive years.
Representative Entertainment Matters
- Copyright Infringement Claims
- Mediated claims that musical compositions had been appropriated by online service providers in breach of performers’ copyrights
- Mediated claim that motion picture infringed copyright of a novel
- Mediated claim that television series infringed copyright of earlier television series produced in a foreign country
- Mediated claim by writer that a film in development at a major studio was based on his screenplay which he had submitted to the studio
- Agent-Client Claims
- Mediated dispute over which agency should get commissions when actor left one agency and was represented by a second agency
- Arbitrated dispute between actor and agency over commissions
- Arbitrated dispute between performer and manager over unpaid commisions
- Mediated race discrimination claim by general manager of NBA team
- Writers Guild – Producer Disputes
- As a member of the arbitration panel in the WGA-Producers Minimum Basic Agreement, arbitrated claims including claims of unpaid writing fees, merchandising rights, and separated rights
- Profit Participation Claims
- Arbitrated audit claim on major motion picture brought by participant
- Idea Submission Claims
- Mediated several cases regarding various submissions for television shows and feature films
- Additional IP Disputes
- Handled several matters involving creditors and debtors in connection with entertainment/intellectual property rights
- Mediated claims by franchisees against a franchisor who sold investigative agency franchises
- Mediated claims by garment producers that competitor’s garments infringed copyright
- Arbitrated 50+ domain name disputes in which trademark holder claimed that domain name infringed its trademark
