Jeffrey G. Benz
BenzADR
12021 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 256
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Broad based legal background and experience spanning many industries both as outside litigation counsel and as in house general counsel acting in or for private, non profit, and public companies of all sizes in matters around the world during 20 years of practice.
LITIGATION
-All forms of commercial disputes including breach of contract, fraud, B&P section 17200, infringement of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and publicity rights, unfair competition, antitrust, business torts & employment.
-All forms of personal injury/wrongful death claims (including SCUBA and waterfront claims), and general negligence, products liability, premises liability, intentional torts, defamation (libel, slander), conversion, misappropriation, emotional distress, & statutory/quasi-/government torts.
-Substantial expertise in arb. and litigation involving corporate governance, corporations, LLCs, partnerships, agency, joint ventures, appraisals, and breakups.
-Substantial experience litigating in state and federal courts nationwide and in various arbitration, mediation & administrative fora; represented class action plaintiffs & defendants.
EMPLOYMENT/LABOR
-Substantial experience advising employers, employees & independent contractors in wide variety of employment/labor matters.
-Negotiated and documented executive compensation agreements, including stock option grants, for employers & executives.
-Substantial investigation, litigation, and arb. experience regarding claims of wrongful termination, discipline, and claims based on harassment, age, gender, national origin, and other bases for discrimination, unfair labor conditions/practices, collective bargaining, grievances, and similar aspects of employer/employee relationship.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY/TECHNOLOGY/TELECOMMUNICATIONS
-Executive at mobile technology/telecom and social network startup in US/China; served as seconded counsel for Yahoo! drafting/negotiating Internet-related licensing contracts.
-Extensive patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets and publicity rights licensing and litigation experience (both plaintiff & defendant).
-Managed worldwide rights acquisition/enforcement for trademark portfolios.
-Regulatory and litigation experience in telecommunications, computers, consumer electronics, medical devices, online privacy & the Internet.
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS/TRANSACTIONS/REAL ESTATE/BANKING
-Substantial experience negotiating, structuring, drafting, and enforcing wide variety of complex commercial agreements, as well as NDAs, corporate financing documents, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, partnership/LLC/corporation formation and governance documents, agency documents, business sales and purchases, and contracts relating to finders, agency, licenses, sponsorships, financing documents, letters of credit, credit facilities, outsourcing & complex contracts.
-Strong international experience in China, Japan, Europe and Australia.
-Expertise in SEC, FINRA, FCPA, banking & public company compliance and disputes; experienced as corporate secretary.
-Negotiated real estate/facilities & commercial real estate services agreements.
-Litigated nuisance, premises liability & trespass claims.
ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS
-Extensive experience representing independent producers, actors, musicians, writers and talent managers including in reality and scripted television, co-productions, agency contracts, financings, music recording & music publishing.
-Extensive experience negotiating/drafting sponsorship, licensed merchandise, and live event contracts, sports broadcasting rights fee deals, time buys, revenue shares, and blended TV deals, & sports agent & talent agent/manager agreements.
-Arbitrator in manager/agent disputes.
-Represented athletes and sports governing bodies.
INSURANCE/TRANSPORTATION
-Extensive experience representing insureds/insurers in general liability/CGL, excess, umbrella, errors and omissions, employment practices (EPLI), D&O & marine insurance coverage disputes.
-Extensive experience with admiralty/maritime claims and transportation and common carrier issues, including negotiating/drafting or resolving disputes over logistics, shipping, supply chain, bills of lading, cargo and customs clearance.
I believe that arbitration is a truly cost effective and confidential alternative to litigation and in crafting the process or procedure I endeavor to manage costs and the case to make it an effective alternative. I only deliver one product at the end of the day and that is a final and binding decision by a neutral decision maker and I strive to ensure that I deliver that in every case.
2010-Present Full-time arbitrator and mediator
2009-2010 General Counsel, GoldenSpear, LLC, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing
2007-2009 General Counsel, AVP, Inc., Los Angeles
2006-2007 General Counsel, A2 Holdings, LLC, Los Angeles
2001-2006 General Counsel, US Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs
1996-2001 Attorney, Coudert Brothers, San Francisco
1993-1996 Attorney, Boughey, Garvie & Bushner, San Francisco
1992 Intern, Lloyd's Claims Office, Lloyd's of London
American Bar Association
State Bar of California
Hawaii State Bar Association
American Arbitration Association (Commercial, Large Complex Case, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Transportation, Banking, Real Estate panels)
Hong Kong International Arbitration Center
Beijing Arbitration Commission
Republic of China Arbitration Association
London Court of International Arbitration
ICC-USCIB
Court of Arbitration for Sport
Broad-based experience representing parties, and serving as wing arbitrator, sole arbitrator, Panel Chair, or mediator in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, insurance defense, wrongful death/personal injury, products liability, sports, entertainment, breach of contract, antitrust, unfair competition, international, doping, athlete eligibility, banking, finance, agency, corporate, and commercial cases in arbitration, mediation, and other forms of contested dispute resolution in nearly 100 cases spanning hundreds of millions of dollars in dispute; drafted and implemented arbitration procedural rules governing certain arbitration disputes.