It was a busy March for Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp.
The Century City-based law firm elected Yakub Hazzard as its chairman, taking over from Greg Hessinger. Additionally, the firm – which distinguished itself as a go-to firm for film studios and record companies as those then-nascent industries developed – brought in a three-attorney entertainment intellectual property litigation team to the home office.
Hazzard’s appointment as chair – synonymous with the role of managing partner at most firms – brings the leadership chair back to Los Angeles. Hessinger, who was based in New York, left the firm in March to become president of longtime firm client the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is based in Sherman Oaks. Hazzard served as vice chair under Hessinger’s leadership and sang his predecessor’s praises in an interview.
“He was elected for a very good reason. He’s a fantastic leader and attorney,” Hazzard said. “He led us through a strategic planning process over a year ago. That resulted in a plan we’re executing on. That’s really my primary focus is to continue implementing that plan.”
Planning organic growth
A key part of that strategic plan is bolstering the firm’s signature practice groups: labor and employment, with a focus on the entertainment industry, as well as entertainment and IP litigation.
This latest poach – partners Aaron Moss and Josh Geller and associate Hannah Shepherd, from Greenberg Glusker LLP – is the “perfect example” of MSK executing on the plan, Hazzard said. Moss, who leads the team, is known for his authoritative work on copyright law and has historically represented studios, producers and publishers. He also authors and publishes “Copyright Lately,” a well-known blog in legal circles.
While still chair of MSK, Hessinger hailed this lateral move as a “significant milestone” for the firm, noting that IP litigation is both “a core strength and a strategic priority” for MSK. Moss reciprocated in kind.
“MSK’s entertainment expertise is unrivaled, and the high caliber of its national IP litigators makes this the ideal home to expand our practice,” Moss said in a statement. “The move strengthens our ability to serve film, television and media clients, and, together with MSK, positions us as the go-to team for high-stakes copyright and media litigation.”
Prior experience
Hazzard first set foot in MSK nearly 40 years ago, starting as a paralegal and eventually rising to partner. After leapfrogging to various other firms for about a dozen years, he was hired in 2014 as vice president of legal for NBCUniversal. He returned to MSK in 2017.
Going in-house as legal counsel, Hazzard said, provided him with a unique perspective upon returning to his first professional home.
“It was a very valuable learning experience for me because it gave me the perspective of being the client,” he said. “When I came back into the practice side, I implemented those perspectives. I’ve been there and know what it’s like to be in their shoes.”
And why come back to MSK after all this time?
“The motivating factor was, frankly, the people. The lawyers and staff at MSK are unrivaled by any other law firm in terms of having a family feel,” Hazzard explained. “The firm is well known for its high stakes, complicated and interesting legal work, which is another thing that I enjoy. I’ve been at a number of other firms, and I can tell you firsthand that MSK has the best culture of all of them.”
