Education:
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles

Practice Areas
Entertainment, Infomercial and Direct Response
Business and Entertainment Transactions
Real and Intellectual Property

Shannon L. Van Dorn is an experienced entertainment and business transactional attorney with a primary focus on representing individuals and companies conducting business in the infomercial, entertainment and home shopping industries.  Her legal background includes working as in-house counsel for two publicly-held global corporations:  e4L, Inc./Quantum Television (formerly known as National Media Corporation), a leader in the direct response and infomercial industry; and Image Entertainment, Inc., the largest independent home video distributor in the United States. 

Ms. Van Dorn’s transactional expertise includes drafting and negotiating product placement, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, supplier and purchasing agreements; drafting talent, production and a variety of independent contractor agreements with agents, managers, producers, composers, graphic designers, writers, sales agents and finders; drafting and negotiating employment, advertising and sponsorship agreements;  drafting and negotiating domestic and international home video, audio, broadcast, internet and licensing agreements.

Ms. Van Dorn also focuses on business entity formation, and directs clients in setting up a variety of business entities including corporations, LLCs, general and limited partnerships and joint ventures.  Additionally, Ms. Van Dorn guides clients through venture capital solicitation and prepares all necessary related documents such as private placement memoranda.

Ms. Van Dorn’s expertise also extends to real estate and intellectual property.  She perfects, secures and defends the registration of copyright and trademarks.  She also is a licensed real estate broker who can assist with a variety of real property needs. 

Ms. Van Dorn was born and raised in Pendleton, Oregon. She attended Blue Mountain Community College and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo where she competed on the varsity rodeo teams, and later attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles where she earned her law degree. An animal lover, Ms. Van Dorn has one dog, one cat and three horses. She has been practicing law since 1998 and was named a Southern California Rising Star by Superlawyers Magazine for the years 2005-2007.

Education:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles

Practice Areas

Business and General Civil Litigation

Business Formation and Transactions

Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law

Jerry B. Marshak has equally devoted his practice and experience between transactional work and litigation, with an emphasis in intellectual property, entertainment and general business and commercial contracts.

In the entertainment transactional realm, Mr. Marshak has represented production companies, distributors, producers, directors, writers, actors, managers and management companies and artists, in the preparation of contracts, options and licenses incidental to their work, as well as perfecting, securing and defending the registration of copyrights and trademarks. While still in law school, Mr. Marshak completed externships at both Paramount Pictures and Fox Broadcasting Network and has experience in the negotiation and drafting of contracts unique to the film and television industries.

In the business world, he has represented manufacturers and consumers, both established and nascent proprietors, partnerships and corporations, in the formation, buying and selling of businesses and business interests. He has also advised and represented both employers and employees in labor relations, including employment and consultant contracts and contract disputes.

When litigation arises, Mr. Marshak has been involved in over 100 civil lawsuits and appeals, in both California state and federal trial courts as well as the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Mr. Marshak has brought and defended actions involving: copyright and trademark infringement; false designation and false representation; breach of contract and breach of warranty; unfair competition; defamation; breach of employment agreements and wrongful termination; trade secret misappropriation; interference with contract and business opportunity; fraud and other commercial and personal torts; and insurance bad faith.  In the criminal realm, his published decisions include People v. Gofman, 97 Cal. App. 4th 965 (2002) (double jeopardy, following federal prosecution for the same acts) and Rayyis v. Superior Court, 133 Cal. App. 4th 138 (2005) (corpus delicti of evidence necessary at a preliminary hearing).

Mr. Marshak was born in Louisiana and has resided in Los Angeles since childhood. He was educated at the University of California, Santa Barbara and at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, and has been practicing law since his graduation from law school in 1998.