Susan A. Grode

Susan A. Grode concentrates her practice in entertainment, intellectual property, licensing, merchandising, interactive games, Internet and media law, counseling and representing domestic and international motion picture studios, film and television production and distribution companies and entrepreneurs, as well as book publishing, toy, game and on-line companies, theater and arts institutions. Ms. Grode was formerly a partner at the law firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP, where she was a member of the entertainment and intellectual property group. Before becoming a lawyer, she was Vice President at Harry N. Abrams, Inc., the world’s largest art book publisher.

Ms. Grode is recognized as one of the leading authorities on domestic and international animation, licensing and merchandising, and has represented major motion picture and animation studios and numerous production and toy companies, as well as the creators and executive producers of some of the world’s greatest television franchises. Ms. Grode also represents award-winning independent filmmakers, producers and financiers, from the development and funding of their projects through to distribution. Ms. Grode is listed as a Southern California Super Lawyer in Arts and Entertainment (2005-2010), is listed in the 2008-2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America, and was named one of California’s Top 25 intellectual Property Attorneys for 2009 by the Daily Journal.

Her decades of work in publishing provides clients with an unusual depth of experience in this area and includes book, magazine, comic book and now e-publishing, with such clients as publishing and comic book companies, best selling authors of fiction, non-fiction and books for children.

Ms. Grode has developed the Firm's Interactive Game group, representing developers, publishers and distributors of some of the most popular video games, as well as a cable network devoted to this industry. She also represents a wide variety of technology and software companies.

Ms. Grode is a founder and first President of the California Women’s Law Center, a current legal advisor to Ms. Magazine; a founder of the Hollywood Women’s Political Committee; an honoree of the Women’s Building and of Girls Inc; Board Member and Award recipient from The Center for the Study of Political Graphics; the recipient of The Woman of Vision Award from the Ms. Foundation; Advisory Board member of the International Women’s Media Foundation; Vice President and Board Member of the Center Theater Group at the Los Angeles Music Center; and Trustee of the USC School of Theater.

Ms. Grode earned a B.F.A. from Cornell University and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center and is admitted to practice in California.