Phone: 310.770.1307
Email: aisaacs@rufuslaw.com

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Alexander Rufus-Isaacs

Alexander is an Oxford University graduate who began his career as a barrister in England in 1982. He moved to Los Angeles and was admitted to the California bar in 1988. He is a litigator with an emphasis on media, entertainment and business disputes. Many of his cases have international dimensions. He co-founded Rufus-Isaacs Acland & Grantham in 2010. He is immediate Past President of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, president of the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, has been selected as a Super Lawyer for 2018-2025 by Southern California Super Lawyer Magazine, and was voted Lawyer of the Year for Copyright in 2023 in LA by Best Lawyers.

In August 2024, Alexander was appointed a member of the Bench-Bar Coalition, a statewide organization formed in 1993 under the leadership of the California Association of Local Bars, the State Bar of California, and the Judicial Council to enhance communication and coordinate activities with the state, local, and specialty bar associations on issues of common interest to the judicial branch.

Practice Areas:

Media and High Profile Litigation: Alexander has significant experience with defamation and privacy torts, and other matters involving high profile clients. Representative cases include:

 

Entertainment Litigation: Alexander represents producers, financiers, distributors, managers, agents and talent in music, film, television, and digital distribution. His cases have involved disputes over film finance, international distribution/licensing, credits, accounting issues, unpaid royalties, artist/manager, and copyright issues in state and federal court and in arbitrations under AAA, IFTA and other rules. Representative cases include:

  • Mokhtarian et al. v Saperstein et al., Los Angeles Superior Court (ongoing dispute between producers and investors, in which Alexander won 13 motions for summary adjudication or judgment and prevailed on appeal);
  • Weinberger v UMG Recordings, Inc., Los Angeles Superior Court (settled suit by A&R executive client for unpaid royalties);
  • Sandoval v Yeter and Warner Music Group, U.S. District Court (C.D. Cal.) (settled suit by singer against producer and record companies for royalties);
  • ARP v Good Films et al., Los Angeles Superior Court (settled dispute between producer and investor/distributor);
  • Future Films USA, LLC v. Sriram Das, Los Angeles Superior Court (settled dispute between producers);
  • Initiate Productions, LLC v. American Cinema International, Inc. (wonIFTA arbitration by producer against foreign sales agent);
  • He has represented legendary television production company Carsey Werner in numerous lawsuits, e.g., Carsey Werner Distribution, LLC v Telewizja Polsat S.A., U.S. District Court (C.D. Cal.) (recovered over $2 million on summary judgment against a foreign broadcaster).
  • Other representative clients include Bitmax LLC, Relativity Media Distribution LLC, Sound Point Capital Management, LC, Ingenious, Affirmative Entertainment, and BAFTA Los Angeles.

 

General Business Litigation: Alexander has appeared in arbitrations and state and federal court litigation involving issues such as fraud, breach of contract, business interference torts, trade secrets, privacy (including HIPAA), non-profit corporations, and employee mobility/restrictive covenant issues.

Appellate Cases: Alexander has successfully conducted a number of appeals before the California and Illinois Court of Appeals.

International Alexander has retained his professional license in England, and has close contacts in the UK’s legal, financial, insurance and government sectors. He has litigated and/or taken depositions in many countries, including Singapore and Lebanon.

Education:

Inns of Court School of Law, London: 1981-82 (English Bar Finals)

City University, London: 1979-80 (Diploma in Law)

Oriel College, Oxford University: 1976-79 (Modern History – B.A. 1979, M.A. 1987)

St. Paul’s School, London: 1970-75

Previous Professional Career:

Glassman, Browning & Saltsman, Beverly Hills, California: 2000-2009

Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman, Beverly Hills, California: 1998-2000

Arter & Hadden, Los Angeles, California: 1992-1998

Parkinson, Wolf & Leo, Century City, California: 1989-1992

Barrister in private practice in London: 1982-87

Admissions:

2016, U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois/Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

1989, U.S. District Court for Central District of California/Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

1988, California

1982, England and Wales

Bar Associations:

Beverly Hills Bar Association: Entertainment Law Section (Senior Chair, 2016-2017; London Chapter Chair, 2013-); Litigation Section (Executive Committee member 2020-); Board of Governors (2017-2019); Secretary/Treasurer (2019-2020); 2nd Vice President (2020-2021); 1st Vice President (2021-2022); President Elect (2022-2023); President (2023-2024)

Lord Reading Law Society, Montreal, Canada (honorary life member)

Los Angeles Copyright Society (2015-present)

California Society of Entertainment Lawyers (Treasurer 2013-2016)

British American Bar Association of Southern California (Co-Founder, 1998; President, 2002-2022)

Middle Temple, London (1982-present)

Professional and Civil Associations:

Constitutional Rights Foundation, Los Angeles (volunteer attorney scorer for mock trials by high school students, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023)

British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles (Legal Advisor, 2002-2007; Director, 2003-2008; Secretary, 2005-2007)

British American Business Council, Los Angeles (President, 1998; Chairman, 1999)

Public Counsel/FEMA, Los Angeles (volunteer attorney)

Toynbee Hall, London (low income family support institute): 1985-87 (volunteer attorney)

Press Articles:

California like England? – LA Times, August 3, 1997  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-03-op-18959-story.html

English Common Law Still Reigns Supreme – The Daily Journal, September 14, 2022 https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/369082-english-common-law-still-reigns-supreme?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Foreign+spies+abound+at+Twitter%2C+whistleblower+says%2C+plus+other+legal+news&utm_campaign=Legal+News+Daily_09%2F14&vgo_ee=0WnJ2J3YC%2F9i9HOjT3Ohc3wFoqDlMHNmyq65fGLdufk%3D

Honors:

 Lawyer of the Year for Copyright in LA by Best Lawyers for 2023

       “Super Lawyer,” Southern California Super Lawyer Magazine, 2017-2021

Beverly Hills Bar Association’s annual President’s Award for 2017

Published Decisions:

Williams v. Netflix, Inc., United States District Court, D. Delaware. May 16, 2023, 2023 WL 3478568 CV 22-1132-CFC (denial of Netflix’s jurisdictional motion)

Ghazarian et al. v. Saperstein et al., 2023 WL 165276, (California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 1) (successful defense of appeal against order granting 3 motions for summary judgment).

Gaprindashvili v. Netflix, Inc., 2022 WL 363537 (C.D. Cal. 2022).

Basile v Prometheus Global Media, LLC, 2020 IL App (1st) 190602-U (June 30, 2020)  https://courts.illinois.gov/R23_Orders/AppellateCourt/2020/1stDistrict/1190602_R23.pdf (defeated appeal against orders in client’s favor denying anti-SLAPP and other motions in defamation case against The Hollywood Reporter)

Danelle Sandoval v. Burak Yeter, Warner Music Group, at al., 2019 WL 7905731 (C.D. Cal.) (successful motion to compel depositions and written discovery, plus award of sanctions)

Goodman v Dohmen, 2017 WL 3319110 (C.D. Cal.) (findings of fact and conclusions of law in bench trial awarding client substantial damages for breach of fiduciary duties in securities fraud case)

Williams v Cahill, 2014 WL 1234218 (Cal. Ct. of Appeal) (defeated appeal against order in client’s favor on anti-SLAPP motion in defamation case against ABC)

Future Films USA, LLC v. Sriram Das 2013 WL 265449 (Cal. Ct. of Appeals) (successful appeal against order granting demurrer)

Bailey v. Brewer, (2011) 197 CA4th 781, 792–793, 128 CR3d 380, 390 (defeated appeal against order in client’s favor denying anti-SLAPP motion)

Price v. Stossel and ABC, (2008) 590 F.Supp.2d 1262 (discussing the good cause standard for discovery under the anti-SLAPP statute)

Rosalie Tapper et al., v. Edward J. Wedelstedt et al., 2008 WL 2477391 (Cal. Ct. of Appeals) (defeated appeal against ruling on motion seeking to enforce arbitration clause)

Bill Medley v. Sandals Resorts Intern., 2001 WL 34349043 (L.A. Superior Court) (defeated motion for summary judgment against client plaintiffs in major voice misappropriation case, leading to substantial settlement)

Speaking Engagements:

May 2023: Program chair of BHBA seminar entitled Lock ‘Em Up! How State Legislatures Are Criminalizing Protests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGmZ2SmgCBE

April 2023: Speaker on BHBA seminar entitled Dominion v Fox: Legal Insights, Defamation, and the Evolving Media Landscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeHaNzVG4XM&t=280s

January 2023: Interviewer for BHBA War Stories: John Sharer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP27mOq_LB4&t=432s

October 2022: speaker at Brooklyn Law School (Entertainment and Sports Law Society) on defamation

October 2022: program chair and moderator for BHBA program entitled The Extradition of Julian Assange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpkFGg4HNsc

September 2022: Speaker and program chair on BHBA seminar entitled How English Common Law Remains Relevant to Your Case:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwote8fY7R4&t=6s

September 2022: interviewer for War Stories: Gary Bostwick  on the Masson v New Yorker trial – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7VlSloFTrk

April 2022: Moderator and program chair on BHBA seminar entitled That’s Entertainment! Bicoastal Profit Participation Disputes in Films and Other Entertainment Deals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIzHKImrKWs&t=184s

March 2022: moderator and program chair of BHBA seminar entitled ANTI-SLAPP ACROSS THE USA: Developments in State Anti-SLAPP Laws, with Tom Burke, Laura Lee Prather and Lane Shetterley – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOLI0pywCrM   

December 2021: interviewer for War Stories: Neville Johnson on the Sanders v ABC trial – 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnbWyvA4CJQ

June 2021: panelist and program chair of BHBA seminar on the BHBA’s Inner City Pro Bono Legal Clinic program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdnnMOhmYdI&t=16s

May 2021: moderator and program chair of BHBA seminar about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act entitled Section 230 – The Furious Debate Over the Future of Free Speech on The Internet, with Jeff Kosseff, Carrie Goldberg,  Cathy Gellis and Doug Mirell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cvhy5jFcGU&t=343s

Interviewed for BHBA’s Litigator’s Corner, November 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP31YssATqI

June 2020: interviewer for War Stories 2: Patricia Glaser on the Boxing Helena trial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKtAEusCeiM

May 2020: originator of the BHBA series, War Stories, and moderator of the first program featuring Pierce O’Donnell on the Art Buchwald trial – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt8xa3WWdNU&t=52s. Each program features one of our most prominent trial lawyers discussing one of their trials in detail. The series will be archived and made available online by the BHBA.

February 2020: program chair and moderator of BHBA seminar entitled The New Wave of Defamation Cases with Charles Harder and Bobby Schwartz – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLir4z2J98U

January 2020: program co-chair of litigation panel for BHBA’s Annual Entertainment Review 2019

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