Sheppard Mullin Expands Entertainment Practice With Three Attorneys in Century City

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 13, 2012) - Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has added three associates to its Entertainment, Media & Technology practice group in Century City: Harmoni Chinen, Matthew Dysart and Nina Kinch. Chinen was previously an attorney at Fox Cable Networks, Dysart practiced most recently with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, and Kinch joins from Counterpoint Systems.

"We are very excited to welcome Harmoni, Matthew and Nina to our Sheppard Mullin team. The new additions bring a wide variety of industry expertise that boosts the depth of our global entertainment practice. The trio has both in-house and law firm experience, which includes cable television, home video and mobile communications, as well as regulatory, dealmaking and restructuring knowledge relevant to entertainment law," commented Robert Darwell, chair of Sheppard Mullin's Entertainment, Media & Technology practice group.

At Fox Cable Networks, Chinen handled technology-based agreements regarding digital services, software licenses, and advertising sales, negotiated contract terms and conditions with vendors and oversaw business deals through closing, reviewed agreements to ensure compliance with privacy and data security laws, regulations, and corporate policies, and advised marketing personnel on matters regarding legal compliance of online sweepstakes, contests and promotions.

Dysart represents lenders and production companies in film financing, production, and distribution transactions. He has a broad range of transactional experience. Dysart received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2008 and a B.A., summa cum laude, from Tufts University in 2004.

At Counterpoint Systems, Kinch handled the review of all entertainment-related distribution and motion picture agreements for Hasbro Studios in connection with its implementation of Counterpoint Systems' rights management and accounting software. Prior to Counterpoint, Kinch worked in London for several years at Warner Bros. Entertainment and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. Kinch received her LL.M. from UCLA School of Law in 2011 and a Masters of Laws, with distinction, from Uppsala University in Sweden in 1999.

Sheppard Mullin's Entertainment, Media & Technology practice group includes more than 50 attorneys firmwide.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with more than 580 attorneys in 14 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.