Zuber Lawler & Del Duca

Mr. Michail primarily represents high growth start-up and Fortune 500 companies in a myriad of strategic domestic and international business transactions. His practice area focuses mainly within the media, technology and entertainment verticals with a particular emphasis on advertising and marketing law, intellectual property, information management and data privacy, entertainment, outsourcing, technology and internet, corporate, finance, mergers and acquisitions and other strategic advisory services.

Having run his own law firm for over eleven years, Mr. Michail has successfully closed over 400 technology-related transactions within the U.S. and abroad. In addition, Mr. Michail is a frequent guest speaker and panelist regarding various corporate, finance, internet, advertising and business related issues throughout Southern California. Mr. Michail has been recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as one of Southern California’s top attorneys with its prestigious Southern California Super Lawyers award for 2005 through 2010. He is also recognized by his peers as among the top two California lawyers and top 43 U.S. lawyers in technology/outsourcing law by Law & Politics magazine for 2008 and 2009.

Prior to forming his own law practice, Mr. Michail served as Rare Medium, Inc’s West Coast Director of Legal Affairs, advising on all business and technology initiatives for Rare Medium’s Western U.S. offices. Mr. Michail also served as Rare Medium’s Venture Manager for its $70 MM Institutional Venture Fund, underwritten by Bear Stearns and Apollo Capital. In this capacity, Mr. Michail was responsible for evaluating financing transactions and performing corporate, business and legal due diligence on Internet-based investment opportunities.

Notable Representations

• Counseled one of the largest multi-national beverage companies on global cross-platform social media contest featuring two prominent NBA celebrity athletes.
• Advised global beverage brand in launching national branded entertainment contest campaign with theatrical distribution to over 2000+ screens.
• Represented major US health care provider in negotiating and closing over 100 technology related transactions over an 18-month period.
• Facilitated the closing of various multi-million dollar ad agency engagements with over a dozen Fortune 500 Companies.
• Advised prominent consumer brand company in conducting over 120 sweepstakes and contests over a 12 month period.

Representative Speaking Engagements

• Panel Speaker, “Start-Ups Do’s and Don’ts: Business and Legal Considerations For IP Start-Up Companies,” LA County Bar Association IP Section (June 2012)
• Featured Speaker, “SOPA and The Implications on Technology Companies,” Metal International (January 2012)
• Featured Speaker, “Capitalization, Structuring and Building Enterprise Value for Maximum Exit,” Founder’s Institute (May 2010 / March 2011)
• Panel Speaker, “Multi-Platform Content Acquisition and Clearance,” International IT Law Summit (June 2007)

Representative Articles and Video Blogs

• Best Practice Brief: “Waging a Privacy War In The Global Marketplace: How are Targeted Advertising Business Models At Risk?” Electronic Retailer’s Association (July 2012)
• ICANN’s New Top Level Domain Program: “A Second Wave of Cybersquatting on the Horizon?” Online Distribution (August 2011)
• Legal Guide To Online Video: “What Web Video Publisher Need To Know.” Real SEO (June 2011)
• Best Practice Brief: “From Waterloo to Silicon Valley - How Social Media Is Changing Consumer Engagement Through Contests and Sweeps” Electronic Retailing Association (August 2012)