Neville L. Johnson

Professional Experience Mr. Johnson has spent decades defending the rights of individuals in the entertainment industry. The Los Angeles Times has referred to him as “one of the most feared litigators in Hollywood” who “has wrangled more than $350 million for actors, writers and other clients he contends were shortchanged their fair share of royalties and profits.” With dozens of civil jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, mediations, and criminal cases under his belt, Mr. Johnson is routinely recognized as the “go-to” attorney for wronged talent and is a mainstay on The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of the top 100 “Power Lawyers” in entertainment. Mr. Johnson’s clients include some of the most legendary names in music, film, and television, who regularly turn to him for counsel in protecting their legacies, assets, and income streams from unscrupulous individuals. Mr. Johnson has litigated and settled countless cases against a wide array of defendants concerning royalty accounting, profit participation, publicity rights, idea theft, copyright infringement, and many other entertainment law matters. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School since 2012, where he teaches Entertainment and Media Litigation. However, his greatest pride has been in defending the privacy rights of all citizens against the worst malefactors in the media. His work in this field was perhaps best summarized by Professor David A. Elder, a leading expert on the law of privacy, who published the following special dedication in his treatise, Privacy Torts: To Neville L. Johnson…who has led the charge, often successfully (and always creatively and with great passion) in exposing some of the worst outrages of media newsgathering. Neville ranks with Brandeis and Warren as the great defenders of privacy. All America is in his debt. Representative Matters Obtained a unanimous landmark privacy ruling from the California Supreme Court in Sanders v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (1999) 20 Cal.4th 907, a decision that is included in multiple leading casebooks and taught in law schools across the country. Represented numerous victims of notorious wiretapper Anthony Pellicano and obtained a favorable partial affirmance of a significant sanctions award by the California Court of Appeal in Gerbosi v. Gaims, Weil, West & Epstein LLP (2011) 193 Cal.App.4th 435, which concerned a law firm’s use of Pellicano’s services. Pioneered the use of class actions against studios and record labels for improperly accounting to artists regarding royalties and profit participation, obtaining multiple eight-figure settlements therefrom. Represented the heir of songwriter Gram Parsons in Parsons v. Tickner (1995) 31 Cal.App.4th 1513, defeating a statute of limitations defense and establishing a fiduciary duty claim against a music publisher. Represented numerous legendary musicians and/or their estates on a variety of contractual, accounting, and intellectual property matters, including Buddy Holly, Michelle Phillips, Rick Nelson, P.F. Sloan, and others. Obtained a $15 million award in a business fraud case. Honors Mr. Johnson has been selected as one of the top 100 Power Lawyers in Entertainment Law by The Hollywood Reporter every year since 2008. He has also been designated one of the top 50 lawyers in entertainment by both Variety and The Daily Journal, as well as nominated for Trial Lawyer of the Year by the California Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles. He is a fellow at the American Bar Association and has been repeatedly selected by Super Lawyers as one of the top entertainment attorneys in Southern California. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Neville L. Johnson included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors One of the top 100 Power Lawyers in Entertainment Law, Hollywood Reporter, 2008-Present One of the top 50 Lawyers in Entertainment, Variety, 2013 One of the top 50 Entertainment Attorneys in the Last Two Rankings, The Daily Journal Nominated for Trial Lawyer of the Year, California Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles, 2005 Deemed a “SuperLawyer” Fellow, American Bar Association Other Sources of Feedback About Neville L. Johnson Included on the 2026Southern California Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2015 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2008 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2007 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2006 Southern California Super Lawyers list

• Senior Partner

• Adjunct Professor, Southwestern Law School, Entertainment and Media Litigation, 2012 - Present

• Sanders v. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., 20 Cal.4th 907(Cal. 1999)
• Gerbosi v. Gaims, Weil, West & Epstein LLP (2011) 193 Cal.App.4th 435
• Richert v Writers Guild of America west, Inc.; Osmond v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.; Webb v. Directors Guild of America, Inc.
• Parsons v. Tickner, 31 Cal. App.4th 1513 (1995)

• National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, Voting Member
• Public Justice, Board of Governors, 2011-Present
• Loyola Productions, Co-Chair of the Board, 2009-Present
• Planning Board USC Entertainment Law Institute, 2011-Present
• Representative Clients
• Bug Music
• Charly Records
• Christian de Walden
• Dr. Dream Records

• California
• United States Supreme Court

• American Bar Association, Fellow (distinction granted to only 2% of attorneys)
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• American Association for Justice
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers
• Beverly Hills Bar Association (Co-Chair Entertainment Section, 2009-2011)
• Beverly Hills Bar Association (Board of Governors, 2012-2015)
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Board of Governors, 2006-Present
• Consumer Attorneys of California
• Los Angeles Copyright Society
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (The Grammy Organization) (voting member as a professional musician, songwriter and producer who is releasing music as Trevor McShane).
• Public Justice (Board of Governors 2011-present)
• USC Entertainment Law Institute, Planning Board, 2011-Present
• Fraternities and Sororities
• Phi Beta Kappa