Chad Fitzgerald, KWIKA

Chad Fitzgerald

Partner

Practice Areas

Honors & Awards

“The Best Lawyers in America,” Best Lawyers (2021)
“Power Lawyers,” The Hollywood Reporter (2019)
“Legal Impact Report,” Variety (2019)
“Hollywood’s New Leaders: Law & Finance,” Variety (2015)
“Super Lawyer,” Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2015-Present)
“Rising Star,” Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
“Top 10 Defense Verdicts,” Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal (2007)

Education

Yale University, B.A. (with distinction in English), 1998
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2001

Chad Fitzgerald specializes in complex entertainment industry disputes as well as business and intellectual property litigation. He represents actors, directors, producers, writers, showrunners, musicians, professional athletes, production and distribution companies, clients in the fitness, apparel, toy, and gem industries, the entertainment guilds, talent and business managers, and the major talent agencies. Mr. Fitzgerald specializes in entertainment industry disputes regarding profit participation, “vertical integration,” and distribution (including streaming), and also handles litigation involving copyright, trademark and trade secrets, fraud, rights of privacy, and defamation.

Mr. Fitzgerald has written numerous articles on legal issues in the entertainment industry, regularly appears on panels and seminars discussing entertainment litigation, is frequently quoted in media outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Deadline, The Wrap, E! Online, and the Daily Journal, and has taught entertainment law classes at the UCLA School of Law. He has been named a “Power Lawyer” by The Hollywood Reporter, a member of the “Legal Impact Report” and one of “Hollywood’s New Leaders” by Variety, a “Super Lawyer,” and one of the “Best Lawyers in America.” He sits on the Advisory Board for UCLA School of Law’s Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law.

Chad graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2001. While in law school, he externed for the Honorable J. Spencer Letts of the United District Court, Central District of California, and volunteered with the HIV/AIDS Legal Services Alliance. He graduated, with honors, from Yale University in 1998 with a BA in English. Prior to joining KWIKA in 2007, he worked in the Business and Legal Affairs department of Universal Pictures. Chad was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where his family has worked for generations in the gaming industry.

Admitted to practice in California State and Federal Courts
Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, UCLA School of Law (Board Member)
weSPARK Cancer Support Center, Sherman Oaks (Board of Directors)
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Santa Monica (former President of Congregation Council)

Representative Matters

Represents the creator, writer, and executive producer of the worldwide hit television series The Walking Dead, and leading talent agency CAA, in a suit against the AMC television network. The plaintiffs allege that AMC produced the show and licensed it for broadcast to itself for license fees well below market rates, resulting in diminished profits for the show and its participants. The suit is currently pending in New York.
Represented the executive producer of the hit television series Bonesin a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Television, the Fox network and affiliated companies. The plaintiff alleged that 20th Century Fox Television cheated him out of his share of profits from the show, and that network executives threatened to cancel the series if he did not accept a lower licensing fee from Fox. The arbitration resulted in a $179 million award for the plaintiffs. The case settled pending appeal of the award.
Represents CAA in a dispute with filmmaker Rian Johnson’s former agent over commissions from Mr. Johnson’s new Star Wars films.
Represents a famous director/producer whose film was released on a studio’s affiliated streaming service rather than theatrically, as contemplated by the parties. The matter is currently in arbitration.
Represents the estate of Sam Simon in profit participation audits of Twentieth Century Fox regarding The Simpsons.
Represented an independent film producer in a dispute with the foreign financiers.
Represented television creator/showrunner Darren Star in a dispute regarding Emily in Paris.
Represented the producer of the classic “Spaghetti Westerns” The Good, The Bad & The Ugly and For a Few Dollars More in a lawsuit against MGM for unpaid profits. The case settled shortly after Chad and his partner Nick Soltman defeated MGM’s motion for summary judgment and two of its key motions in limine.
Represents national insurance brokerage USI in disputes regarding trade secrets and solicitation of clients and employees. Served as lead trial counsel in a jury trial held in Los Angeles Superior Court against a former USI producer for breaching her duty of loyalty. The jury returned a verdict in favor of our client.
Represented the creators, writers, and executive producers of the hit television series Smallville in a suit against Warner Bros. Television (the studio that produced the series), The CW network (the network that broadcast the series) and other Time Warner entities. The plaintiffs alleged that Warner Bros. Television licensed the show for broadcast on its affiliated “sister” network The WB (which later became The CW) for fees well below market rate, resulting in diminished profits for the show. The case settled after Chad and his partner Aaron Liskin defeated two Warner Bros. motions for summary judgment.
Represented Mattel, Inc. in a month-long jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court regarding a contract dispute; in a hearing before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board regarding the famous “Hot Wheels” toys; and in federal trademark litigation regarding the famous “He-Man, Masters of the Universe” toys.
Represented a fitness business consulting firm in federal trademark litigation brought by one of the largest fitness companies in the world.
Represented business managers in a lawsuit brought by the ex-wife of Law & Order creator Dick Wolf.
Represented the showrunner of the hit series Family Guy in a dispute with 20th Century Fox Television regarding profits from the series.
Represented the creators of the hit series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in a dispute with NBCUniversal regarding profits from the series.

Practice Areas

Honors & Awards

“The Best Lawyers in America,” Best Lawyers (2021)
“Power Lawyers,” The Hollywood Reporter (2019)
“Legal Impact Report,” Variety (2019)
“Hollywood’s New Leaders: Law & Finance,” Variety (2015)
“Super Lawyer,” Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2015-Present)
“Rising Star,” Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
“Top 10 Defense Verdicts,” Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal (2007)

Education

Yale University, B.A. (with distinction in English), 1998
UCLA School of Law, J.D., 2001

Chad Fitzgerald

Partner

Practice Areas

Honors & Awards

Education

Please Share

Representative Matters

Practice Areas

Honors & Awards

Education

Related News

March 10, 2021

Chad Fitzgerald Quoted in TheWrap on Bob Chapek’s First Year as Disney CEO

January 21, 2021

14 KWIKA Attorneys Named 2021 “Super Lawyers”

December 16, 2020

Chad Fitzgerald Speaks to TheWrap on Disney, Warner Bros. Streaming Strategies

August 20, 2020

Eleven KWIKA Attorneys Named 2021 “Best Lawyers;” One Named to “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”

April 15, 2020

AMC’s Motion for Summary Judgment Denied – “The Walking Dead” Trial to Start in November 2020

February 8, 2020

Chad Fitzgerald a Panelist for AAA Entertainment Dispute Resolution Program – Hot Topics in Profit Participations

October 31, 2019

Chad Fitzgerald Featured on Bones Case Podcast

April 10, 2019

Seven KWIKA Attorneys Named to Variety’s 2019 “Legal Impact Report”

March 29, 2019

Four KWIKA Attorneys Named Among THR’s 2019 “Power Lawyers”

February 1, 2016

Chad Fitzgerald comments on streaming revenues

January 20, 2016

Twelve at KWIKA named Super Lawyers for 2016

December 8, 2015

KWIKA sues 20th Century Fox on behalf of ‘Bones’ producer

October 27, 2015

Chad Fitzgerald named to Variety’s ‘Hollywood’s New Leaders’

January 22, 2015

Ten at KWIKA named Super Lawyers for 2015

November 11, 2014

Firm Scores Big Win in Darabont/AMC Case

October 23, 2014

Chad Fitzgerald a Panelist at Digital Hollywood Fall

June 6, 2014

Super Lawyers Magazine: KWIKA quintet named Rising Stars for 2014

March 11, 2014

KWIKA obtains summary judgment for Mattel in copyright dispute over ‘Masters of the Universe’

December 10, 2013

Actors still getting short end of stick on home video profits

October 30, 2013

KWIKA wins appeal of Mattel board game win

June 13, 2013

Super Lawyers Magazine: Six from KWIKA named Rising Stars for 2013

February 28, 2013

Interview with Chad Fitzgerald: Music sales up for first time since 1999

December 18, 2012

Disney ordered to pay $289 million in ‘Millionaire’ dispute

October 8, 2012

Mariah Carey vs. Nicki Minaj: How real is their feud?

July 12, 2012

Chad Fitzgerald sees ‘new frontier’ in TV revenue-sharing

June 15, 2012

Super Lawyers Magazine: Five from KWIKA named Rising Stars for 2012

September 21, 2011

Daily Journal: ‘Bloody noses’ notwithstanding, studios still battling profit participation claims

June 22, 2011

KWIKA Obtains Jury Verdict for Mattel, Inc. in Licensing Dispute Over Board Game

February 3, 2011

Chad Fitzgerald and Jonathan Steinsapir Named Partners

October 19, 2010

Daily Journal: ‘Hollywood Accounting’ Exposed; Verdicts Forcing Studios to Re-examine Profit-Participation Contracts

March 29, 2010

Houston Chronicle: Writer not changing his toon; Katy (Texas) man has bone to pick with Disney about his dog script

April 1, 2009

Pepperdine University School of Law: Entertainment Law Forum