WHO’S WHO IN LAW – Joshua Grode

0

The Business Journal raises the curtain on the legal stars who work in L.A.’s entertainment industry.

JOSHUA GRODE

Firm: Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylor LLP

Law School: Loyola

Selected Clients: Summit Entertainment, Lions Gate Entertainment, Activision, Comerica Bank, Union Bank, Colony Capital, Atari and others.

Years in Practice: 16

Best Career Moment: Being named a partner at my current firm. I started as an associate and rose up through the ranks. To be recognized by people I work with and respect was a great moment.

Worst: Having to tell an associate who I liked on a personal level that his work was not measuring up and that he didn’t have a future at the firm.

Highlights From Past Year: Structuring and closing a television finance transaction using a finance structure that had never been tried on a television deal; witnessing the tremendous success of Summit Entertainment: winning an Oscar for “Hurt Locker” and the success of the “Twilight” movies.

Longest Workday: Four straight days of 20-hours each. We had to close a transaction ahead of a change to the U.K. tax regulations. We were on the clock and did a deal that should normally take a few months in a matter of weeks. My colleagues demonstrated why they are experts and professionals.

How My Practice Is Changing: My practice is becoming more concentrated on media-related transactions, whether M&A or finance. I think buyers of legal services have become more careful when spending their legal dollars and as a result want and will search out expertise.

If I Weren’t an Attorney: I would be creating visual effects for movies or working as a film editor.

My Colleagues Don’t Know: I performed magic shows at birthday parties when I was in middle school.

No posts to display