Elisabeth Moriarty

Liz helps clients navigate and resolve matters involving their most valuable businesses, creative works, and intellectual property, where the outcome can have a lasting impact on ownership, control, reputation, and enterprise value.

Media and entertainment litigation has long been the cornerstone of Liz's practice, where she represents production companies, talent, rights holders, financiers, and other industry participants. She is best known for complex rights disputes involving high-value entertainment properties, matters that frequently arise out of film and television production, distribution, licensing, digital media, and other commercial relationships unique to the entertainment industry, from development through commercial exploitation.

She has represented clients such as the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, Marvel Entertainment, the Estate of Bob Marley, and the rights holders to Winnie the Pooh in matters involving some of the entertainment industry's most iconic creative properties. Her practice also encompasses music, publishing, and television disputes, right of publicity and name, image, and likeness claims, and emerging issues at the intersection of intellectual property and artificial intelligence.

Beyond her entertainment practice, Liz maintains a commercial litigation practice representing businesses, founders, shareholders, partners, and LLC members in issues involving ownership, governance, fiduciary duties, and control of closely held businesses. She regularly handles business divorces, partnership conflicts, and other controversies involving the ownership and management of these enterprises.

She also has substantial experience litigating the complex financial and business issues that arise in high-net-worth dissolution proceedings, particularly those involving business valuation, ownership interests, and the characterization of marital assets.

An accomplished trial lawyer, Liz served on the trial team representing Jeffrey Katzenberg in his landmark profit participation litigation against The Walt Disney Company and second-chaired the 14-week jury trial on behalf of bestselling author Clive Cussler in his dispute over the motion picture rights to Sahara. She has successfully represented clients through trial, arbitration, and appeal in cases where the stakes extend well beyond the courtroom.

Clients value Liz for her practical judgment, strategic thinking, and creative approach to solving difficult problems. She works closely with clients to understand both the legal issues they face and the business objectives that drive them, recognizing that successful litigation is measured not only by courtroom victories, but by achieving outcomes that advance their broader goals.