While Gail Migdal Title has been lauded by her clients as "among the finest entertainment litigators in the nation," those who have occasion to work with her invariably come away from the experience with an appreciation of her value as a business counselor. Companies and executives at the highest levels routinely turn to Ms. Title not only for sound legal counsel, but also for her valuable business insight. This insight enables her to focus on clients’ overall business objectives in addition to the legal implications of their matters, providing sound and significant due diligence, direction and guidance, optimizing the results delivered to each client. Recently, a general counsel at a major motion picture studio called Ms. Title "a valued partner on matters, as she is a very good strategist," "she is well versed in the law," and "understands how the business works."
Throughout her career, Ms. Title has used her understanding of business structures, finance and operations, not only to service her clients, but to make decisions that have directly contributed to the profitability and growth of her firm. Ms. Title currently serves as Managing Partner of Katten’s Los Angeles office, a role she assumed in 1997, becoming at the time, one of the first-ever female office heads of a major law firm. She also serves as Chair of the firm's Entertainment and Media Litigation Practice and is an active member of its national Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
As an advocate, Ms. Title has an outstanding record of success, winning many cases outright, resolving others brought against her clients with minimal or no settlement payments and, whenever possible, guiding clients to resolve disputes without litigation. Indeed, in the past five years, Ms. Title has won dismissals in nearly all of her cases, including many matters of complex participation and copyright infringement, while favorably settling the remainder.
Ms. Title has represented some of the world’s most prominent and successful entertainment companies. Her practice includes all aspects of the entertainment industry, from motion picture and television development, finance and production, to distribution in all media worldwide, and covers a broad range of legal and business issues that arise in the entertainment industry, including intellectual property, unfair competition, contract and business torts.
Ms. Title has successfully litigated precedent setting intellectual property disputes, including representing Tom Clancy in a case regarding the impact of the LMRA on the author's rights under the Copyright Act, representing television exhibitors with respect to the restoration of copyrights in foreign works under GATT and the Uruguay Accords, and representing Miramax and several other studios in connection with the landmark copyright preemption case, Grosso v. Miramax. Ms. Title has also successfully defended producers in profit participation cases involving series such as "Miami Vice," "The Rockford Files," and "Simon & Simon." She has extensive experience in state and federal courts, trial and appellate courts, and in arbitration tribunals.
In the last year alone, Ms. Title has successfully defended her clients in the following matters:
- Kevin Sorbo, et al. v. Universal Studios, LLP: complex profit participation and fraud action involving several hundred million dollars in claims brought against her client by actor Kevin Sorbo in connection with the popular TV series “Hercules.”
- Scottish American Media, LLC et al. v. Reveille, LLC, et al.: idea submission case alleging that defendants improperly used plaintiffs’ ideas in developing a song-contest reality television show.
- Todd Camhe, et al. v. Dreamworks LLC: copyright infringement and idea theft action alleging that DreamWorks improperly used plaintiffs’ works about Las Vegas in connection with the television series “Las Vegas.”
- Livia Milano v. NBC Universal, Inc., et al.: copyright infringement claim, alleging that the reality television show “The Biggest Loser” infringed on plaintiff’s treatment for a weight-loss competition show.
- Ram Ben Efraim v. Universal City Studios, et al., Don Enright, et al. v. Universal City Studios, Inc., etc: multiple actions over a 10 year period challenging accountings and distribution practices in connection with the motion picture "Private School.”
- MacIntosh and Kloor v. USA Networks Interactive, LLC et al.: breach of implied-in-fact contract and breach of confidence action alleging that plaintiffs’ ideas, services and treatment were improperly used in the television series “The 4400.”
Ms. Title is a recognized leader in the Los Angeles legal community, having received WLALA’s Top Women Lawyers in Business Women of Distinction award, and being named Litigator of the Year in 2006 by the Century City Bar Association. She has also earned numerous honors from the
Los Angeles Daily Journal, including being named among its Top 100 Leading Lawyers, Top 100 Women Litigators (2006-2009), and Top 75 IP Litigators in California (2009, 2010). She has also been listed among the 100 Most Influential Attorneys in Entertainment by
The Hollywood Reporter (2007-2009), named to
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2006-2010), named a finalist for
Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and selected as a
SuperLawyer in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas (2005-2010).
Ms. Title is frequently relied on by the judiciary. She serves as a Lawyer Representative to the 9th Circuit Judicial Conference, Vice-Chair of the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Central District of California, Settlement Officer for the Central District in intellectual property matters and on the Settlement Panel for the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Ms. Title is also actively engaged in public service, serving on the Executive Committee and Board of the Public Counsel Law Center, the largest pro bono organization in the world, and is co-chair of the organization’s William O. Douglas Dinner, which raises the bulk of the money to support the Law Center. She also sits on the Board of the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and is on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley School of Law Alumni Association.
Ms. Title earned her J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, and her A.B. (with honors) from Wellesley College.