Manatt’s Michelle Cooke, co-chair of the firm’s intellectual property practice, and Robert Jacobs, co-chair of the firm’s entertainment, sports and media litigation practice, were named two of the top intellectual property lawyers in 2018 by the Daily Journal.
The publication noted that Cooke frequently works with companies that have concerns about safeguarding their international branding, highlighting her experience in handling challenging jurisdictional matters with China. Recently, Cooke represented Herbalife International of America Inc. in a lawsuit involving an infringed domain name in China. Cooke said that after exploring other areas of legal practice, intellectual property felt right, noting that the digital age has dramatically altered the trademark, copyright and trade secret sectors during her career.
In its profile of Jacobs, the publication noted that he handles complex, high-profile disputes on behalf of some of the top recording artists, songwriters, producers and companies in the music business. Recently, Jacobs served as lead counsel for Warner Bros. Records in a multimillion-dollar action against Avenge Sevenfold, who attempted to cancel its contract with the label. Jacobs explained that lack of precedent made the case particularly challenging, adding that each case presents its own challenge in that it has the potential to forge or reinterpret the law.