Zia F. Modabber

Zia F. Modabber is Co-Head of the Los Angeles Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. His practice incorporates counseling in a wide array of business and entertainment disputes, with particular expertise in the music industry. His general litigation practice focuses on trademark and intellectual property, contract, partnership, business tort and employment disputes, primarily for members of the entertainment industry in the musical recording and publishing, live performance, merchandising, production and television arenas.

Mr. Modabber is a trial lawyer experienced in both state and federal court. He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and was named a Southern California Super Lawyer in Los Angeles Magazine and Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2005–2011). He was recently named one of the Top 3000 Leading Lawyers in America by Lawdragon magazine as well as a finalist for Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and was listed in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America.

Representative Experience

Mr. Modabber advises, counsels and litigates in the following areas:

• Copyright, trademark and intellectual property
• Rights of Publicity
• Defamation
• Partnerships (including Band) disputes
• Artist/manager relation and disputes
• Trade secrets
• Labor and employment
• Idea submission
• Trade dress
• Musical recording and publishing
• General business litigation

Significant/Recent Matters

• Estate of Michael J. Jackson—Ongoing work focused primarily on the protection of the Estate's intellectual property assets, including copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity as well as other assets.
• Slash/Guns n' Roses Partnership—Represented Slash and the Guns n' Roses partnership in connection with their rights to sales of infringing merchandise, as well as ongoing disputes between the partners and band members of the original lineup over ownership and control of partnership assets.
• Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails—Represented the founder, owner and creator of Nine Inch Nails in an action for the return of the NIN trademarks and related assets, as well as in disputes concerning the ownership and control of numerous related companies and businesses. Prevailed on all counts in jury trial in Federal District Court, Southern District of New York, resulting in the return of all Nine Inch Nails trademark and intellectual property rights, as well as on all claims and counterclaims relating to breach of fiduciary, breach of contract and fraud.
• Scottish American Media, LLC and Maurice Fraser v. Reveille, LLC, Ben Silverman, et. al.—Represented Defendants in an “idea submission” case alleging the improper use of ideas in connection with development of a television program. Obtained summary judgment.
• Livia Milano v. NBC Universal, Inc., et al.—Represented Reveille, NBC Universal, and producer Ben Silverman, in a copyright infringement claim and obtained summary judgment.
• Jeff Lynne/Electric Light Orchestra—Represented Jeff Lynne as the owner of all trademark and related intellectual property rights in “Electric Light Orchestra.” Obtained preliminary, and ultimately a permanent, injunction in federal court against infringing former band members.
• Jordan Schur—Represented head of major label(s) in connection with dispute relating to ownership of the band name “Staind.”

Past and Current Clients

Mr. Modabber has represented Aerosmith, Azure Capital, Ben Silverman, Chevy Chase, Estate of Michael J. Jackson, Reveille, NBC, Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor, Jordan Schur, Slash/Guns N Roses Music and Sony Music.

Mr. Modabber received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1984, and his Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 1988. He is a member of the St. Thomas More Honor Society and is a former staff member, editor and published author of Loyola’s International and Comparative Law Journal.

Mr. Modabber is a member of the State Bar of California, and is admitted to practice in all the California state courts, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has also litigated and tried cases in the Southern District of New York.