The firm is pleased to share that it was recently profiled in an ongoing LinkedIn series spotlighting the country’s most well-respected litigation boutiques handling high-stakes matters. Spearheaded by litigator Peter Stris of Stris & Maher LLP, the series recently selected KHIKS as one of five Los Angeles litigation boutiques to be profiled, noting that the firm is “woven into the fabric of Tinseltown tighter than Matt Belloni’s call sheet.” Highlighting the firm’s long-heralded expertise in entertainment litigation, defamation litigation, and IP litigation, the profile highlights recent KHIKS wins, including the firm’s representation of New Republic Pictures, Evan Rachel Wood, the Estate of Michael Jackson, and Mattel, Inc. in extremely high-stakes litigation matters.
To view the full profile, read below or visit the LinkedIn post here.
“Today, I profile a firm woven into the fabric of Tinseltown tighter than Matt Belloni’s call sheet. If you’re in the biz, you’ve got Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP (KHIKS) pinned to the top of your iPhone messages list.
Founded in 2006, KHIKS has become a fixture on THR, Billboard + Variety’s annual Power Lawyers lists. Their client roster reads like the opening credits of modern Hollywood—from the Kardashians + Jenners to Chuck Lorre + Justin Bieber. But the network runs far deeper. Producers, studios, executives, personal + business managers, sports agencies, and music publishers all call KHIKS when the stakes are sky-high.
The firm’s major practice areas include:
𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
KHIKS is the first call when entertainment deals go sideways—especially profit-participation fights, backend disputes + partnership fallouts that demand not only legal precision but fluency in how Hollywood actually works. Most of these matters are handled quietly: negotiated, resolved + buried before the trades ever catch wind.
But when settlement isn’t possible, KHIKS litigates—and wins. Example: Greg Korn recently led the team defending New Republic Pictures in a high-profile suit by its former president, producer Bradley Fischer, who claimed $23M in profits + compensation. Greg methodically narrowed the case before trial, convincing the court to toss key damages claims. When the dust settled, the jury awarded Fischer less than 5% of what he sought + agreed he wasn’t entitled to profits from Paramount films made after his departure.
𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
KHIKS handles many of the entertainment industry’s most-watched defamation, reputation + privacy disputes. For example, Michael Kump, Shawn Holley + Katherine Kleindienst secured a major win for Evan Rachel Wood when Marilyn Manson dropped his defamation suit in Nov 2024 + agreed to reimburse Wood nearly $327k in attorneys’ fees.
But as Michael + I were discussing recently, KHIKS’s work in this space extends far beyond Hollywood headlines. On behalf of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Michael twice won dismissal of her half-sister’s defamation-by-implication case in the Middle District of Florida—culminating in judgment for Meghan + dismissal with prejudice. The plaintiff appealed + Michael argued before an Eleventh Circuit panel in September.
𝗜𝗣 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Like its defamation practice, KHIKS’s IP docket regularly crosses from pop culture into broader commercial terrain. For example:
Jonathan Steinsapir recently notched both trial and appellate victories as lead counsel for the Estate of Michael Jackson in its dispute with Jackson’s mother over the Estate’s $1.2 billion catalog deal. And Larry Iser led a team (including Patti Millett, Kristen Spanier + Chad Fitzgerald) that obtained a complete defense jury verdict for Mattel, Inc. in a $46 million suit accusing the company of stealing the idea for the 2017 reality-TV show Toy Box.”
