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  • Nathaniel L. Bach
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Nathaniel L. Bach

Partner

Manatt Entertainment
Contact
  • nbach@manatt.com
  • Phone: 310.312.4204
  • Download vCard
  • Los Angeles
Bar Admissions
  • California

Education
  • University of California, Los Angeles – School of Law, J.D., 2006

    University of Pennsylvania, B.A., Diplomatic History, French, 2002

Services
  • Advertising Litigation
  • Advertising, Marketing and Media
  • Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
  • Branding, Trademarks and Copyright
  • Class Actions
  • Entertainment Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement
  • Litigation
  • Trademark and Copyright Litigation
Industries
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Film, Television and Digital Content
  • Games and Esports
  • Manatt Digital and Technology
  • Manatt Entertainment
  • Metaverse
  • Music

Show Full Bio

  • Profile
  • Experience
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Honors & Awards
  • Memberships
  • Publications
Profile

Profile

A Los Angeles-based Manatt Entertainment litigation partner, Nathaniel Bach represents prominent clients in the media, entertainment and technology industries, including film and television studios and networks, artists, brands, retailers, music publishers, producers, entrepreneurs and journalists. Chambers USA honored him in 2023 as one of the media and entertainment industry’s notable Up & Coming lawyers, emphasizing that “He has incredible litigation expertise,” “provides great counsel,” and “His attention to detail is amazing." Legal 500 recognized him as a 2021 Rising Star in Media and Entertainment Litigation. And The Best Lawyers in America has recognized him as “One to Watch” in Entertainment and Sports Law from 2021-2023. 

Nat’s broad commercial litigation practice spans copyright, trademark, right of publicity, First Amendment, contract, fashion, brand-protection, telecommunications, class action, intellectual property, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, metaverse, digital assets, cryptocurrency and blockchain matters. In addition to his trial work, he maintains an active counseling practice, working with clients in pre-litigation and other risk-management matters. He has also represented clients in the financial industry in global regulatory and governmental investigations, and has played key roles in various other high-profile transactions and disputes.

Nat maintains an active pro bono practice. He successfully represented Dreamers to obtain a first-in-the-nation injunction blocking the Trump administration’s unlawful revocation of the DACA program. Nat also represented one of the first Dreamers unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration, obtaining (after arguing) an unprecedented preliminary injunction that barred ICE and USCIS from falsely calling his client a gang member. He has partnered with diverse legal services organizations including the ACLU of Southern California, Public Counsel, Bet Tzedek, Lawyers Without Borders and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Experience

Experience

Select Entertainment, Media & Technology Matters

  • Wolf v. NBCUniversal – Successfully defended NBCUniversal in a $150 million television profit participation licensing arbitration regarding a Law & Order series, including recouping arbitration fees.*
  • Herring Networks, Inc. v. Maddow et al. – Successfully obtained anti-SLAPP dismissal of a defamation claim brought by the owner of a television network against Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, NBCUniversal and Comcast.*
  • Optimum Productions v. Home Box Office, Inc. – Represented HBO against claims filed by Michael Jackson’s estate over the Emmy-winning documentary Leaving Neverland.*
  • LMNO Cable Group, Inc. v. Discovery Communications, LLC – Represented Discovery in complex copyright, trademark, profit participation, contract and fraud litigation against a reality television production company.*
  • Trump v. Trump – Successfully represented Mary Trump in defeating Robert Trump’s effort to enjoin publication of her best-selling memoir, Too Much and Never Enough.*
  • Brown v. Giongco et al. – Successfully obtained full dismissal of singer Chris Brown’s claims against a Philippine arena owner over alleged extortion following a Manila concert.*
  • DIRECTV, LLC v. Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. – Represented DIRECTV in a contract action in New York Supreme Court in a $12 million retransmission dispute.*
  • Defended a studio in a profit participation arbitration with a major TV franchise.

Select Intellectual Property Matters

  • Tracy Anderson Mind and Body LLC v. Megan Roup et al. -- Representing celebrity fitness entrepreneur Megan Roup and The Sculpt Society LLC against copyright, Lanham Act, UCL, and contract claims over dance-cardio fitness classes.
  • Real v. Yuga Labs et al. – Successfully represented artist Diplo in putative class action lawsuit claiming violation of securities laws in connection with ownership and alleged promotion of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs.
  • Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) v. Samson – Successfully obtained preliminary injunction and resolution of copyright infringement litigation against former minister who was infringing Church’s original hymns by broadcasting them via a worship service over Zoom.
  • Estate of Hugh M. Hefner – Representing the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation in intellectual property matters, including trademark, copyright and right of publicity matters.

Select Music Matters

  • Warner/Chappell Music v. EMI Entertainment World Inc. – Represented EMI and affiliates in litigation brought by Warner/Chappell and affiliates over royalty accounting matters for multiple song catalogues by artists such as Curtis Mayfield and Kool and the Gang, as well as film and television library catalogues with contracts dating back to the 1930s.
  • In re Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson – Successfully obtained rescission of a music licensing agreement and full return of funds for record company in deal with Prince’s estate.*
  • Soundgarden et al. v. UMG Recordings, Inc. – Successfully represented record company in a putative class action over master recordings allegedly destroyed in a fire on the Universal Studios backlot.*
  • Johansen v. Sony Music Entertainment – Represented record company in a putative copyright class action brought by recording artists over Section 203 termination rights and related infringement claims.*
  • Francisco Partners – advised Francisco Partners Management, a U.S.-headquartered global investment firm, in its 2022 majority stake investment in Kobalt Music.
  • Square Inc. – advised Square in its 2021 acquisition of music-streaming platform TIDAL.*
  • Edmunds v. Coleman – Representing music manager in litigation seeking commissions from artist’s catalog sale.

Select Pro Bono Matters

  • State v. Martin – Representing a former death-row inmate in challenging a capital murder conviction in Alabama. Served as one of the lead counsel at a three-week murder trial in 2019, examining multiple witnesses on direct and cross-examination before a jury.
  • Moore v. Harper – Filed U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief for UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen in support of respondents in case considering the so-called “independent state legislature theory.”
  • Garcia v. United States – Member of the litigation team that successfully blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate the DACA program and that was honored with California Lawyer’s 2018 Attorneys of the Year award.*
  • Ramirez Medina v. DHS – Represented Dreamer in litigation challenging denial of DACA benefits. Argued two motions for preliminary injunction, motion for summary judgment and motion to dismiss before the chief judge of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington.*
  • Partnered with ACLU to successfully protect a homeowner’s association member’s free speech rights.*
  • Represented Cayton Children’s Museum in various matters, including trademark and right of publicity matters.*
  • Designed and drafted Lawyers Without Borders’ 2014 Liberia Anti-Human Trafficking training program and its 2013 Kenya Anti-Corruption training program.*
  • Successfully obtained the release of $76 million in California state funding for educationally related mental-health services on behalf of a class of mentally disabled children.*
  • Led a litigation team in securing a settlement for the full amount of liability ($1.6 million) in a class action lawsuit on behalf of developmentally disabled foster children.*

* Denotes prior firm experience

Speaking Engagements

Speaking Engagements

Moderator, “New Frontiers: How Artificial Intelligence Presents New Opportunities (and Risks) for the Entertainment Industry,” Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium, June 7, 2023.

Speaker, Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, “Music and Sound Recordings Listening Session,” U.S. Copyright Office, May 31, 2023.

Panelist, “Keeping it Real: Fake Drake and the Legal Implications of AI-Created Music,” Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Webinar, May 9, 2023.

Moderator, “Rapid Evolution: The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Copyright,” Copyright Symposium, The McCarthy Institute at ASU Law and the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy, March 16, 2023.

Moderator, “Rise of the Machines?: Legal, Ethical and Practical Implications of the Artificial Intelligence Boom,” Los Angeles Copyright Society, March 8, 2023.

Panelist, “Hot Issues in Entertainment,” Forum on Communications Law 28th Annual Conference, American Bar Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 4, 2023.

Presenter, “IP Year in Review – 2022: Critical Copyright, Patent and Trademark Cases, Issues and Legislation,” Pincus Professional Education, January 26, 2023.

Moderator, “Docudramas & Defamation: How to Weigh Risk and Creative Freedom Where Fact Meets Fiction,” Los Angeles Copyright Society, November 16, 2022.

Honors & Awards

Honors & Awards

Named as one of the Top-Ranked Attorneys, Chambers USA, 2023

“One to Watch” in Entertainment and Sports Law, The Best Lawyers in America, 2021–2023

Rising Star in Media and Entertainment Litigation, Legal 500, 2021

Litigator of the Week, AmLaw Litigation Daily, 2020

Memberships

Memberships

Admitted to practice in the state of California

Trustee, Los Angeles Copyright Society

Board Member, ShareWell, which operates the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica

Member of Board of Trustees, Mirman School

Publications

Publications

Quoted, “The AI Future Is Bright But You Gotta Look At Shades Of Perspective,” Forbes, June 22, 2023.

Quoted, “Adobe Stock creators aren’t happy with Firefly, the company’s ‘commercially-safe’ gen AI tool,” VentureBeat, June 20, 2023.

Featured, “How AI will reshape the music industry, according to 5 entertainment lawyers,” Insider, May 24, 2023.

Co-author, “The Road Ahead For AI-Generated Works And Copyright,” Law360, April 10, 2023.

Co-author, “The MetaBirkins Verdict: 5 Key Takeaways for Brands and Creators,” The Fashion Law, March 8, 2023.

Co-author, “Generative AI is here, along with critical legal implications,” VentureBeat, February 18, 2023.

Co-author, “Move Fast and Make (Break?) Things: IP-Related NFT Litigation Trends,” The Computer and Internet Lawyer, January 2023.

Co-author, “The Supreme Court Is Headed for a Self-Imposed Voting Caseload Disaster,” Slate, October 26, 2022.

Author, “What Vin Scully taught me about life (and law), Daily Journal, August 9, 2022.

Featured, “Manatt Snags Gibson Dunn Entertainment Pro For LA Office,” Law360, January 31, 2022.

Featured, “Manatt Beefs Up Entertainment Practice with Gibson Dunn Litigator,” The Recorder, January 27, 2022.

Nat writes regularly on cutting-edge developments in the media and entertainment industries, including on defamation, anti-SLAPP, copyright, trademark, music, sports, and NIL (name, image and likeness) issues. His articles have appeared in Business Law International, Law360, and MLRC’s MediaLawLetter.
.

Nat in the News

  • 06.20.23

    Bach Quoted in VentureBeat Article on New Generative AI Tool

    Nathaniel Bach was quoted in a VentureBeat article on a new generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tool that creates royalty-free stock images fr...

  • 06.01.23

    Manatt Receives Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023

    Manatt has once again been ranked among the nation’s leading law firms in Chambers’ 2023 USA Guide.

  • 05.24.23

    Manatt Entertainment Featured in Insider on Legal Implications of ...

    Manatt Entertainment Leader Jordan Bromley and Partners Nathaniel Bach and Sarah Moses were featured in Insider following their recent ...

  • 10.27.22

    Manatt Files Amicus Brief in State Election Laws Case Before the ...

    A Manatt team led by Nathaniel Bach and including Matthew Bruno and Tina Lapsia filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Moore v. ...

Show More

Nat's Articles

  • 04.10.23

    The Road Ahead For AI-Generated Works And Copyright

    Manatt Partners Nathaniel Bach and Jessica Wood and Associate Sandra Bignone wrote an article in Law360 about recent policy guidance from ...



  • 03.08.23

    The MetaBirkins Verdict: 5 Key Takeaways for Brands and Creators

    Manatt Entertainment Partner Nathaniel Bach and Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Counsel Sherli Furst wrote an article for The ...



  • 02.18.23

    Generative AI is Here, Along With Critical Legal Implications

    Manatt Entertainment Partner Nathaniel Bach, Digital and Technology Partner Eric Bergner and Entertainment Litigation Associate Andrea ...



  • 08.09.22

    What Vin Scully Taught Me About Life (and Law)

    Manatt Entertainment Partner Nathaniel Bach wrote a column for the Daily Journal about lessons he learned from Vin Scully’s storytelling ...



Nat's Newsletters

  • 07.20.23

    Five Takeaways From the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual ...

    On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property held its second hearing on artificial ...

  • 06.21.23

    Protecting Musicians in GenAI: Key Takeaways From the U.S. Copyright ...

    Generative AI presents a profound opportunity and challenge for artists in the music industry.

  • 04.28.23

    AI Has Captured the Attention of the U.S. Public—and Federal Enforcers

    Four federal agencies issued a unique Joint Statement this week on enforcement priorities related to “automated systems,” including ...

  • 02.28.23

    A New Dawn for Copyright? USCO Recognizes Some Protections for ...

    What’s the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and a monkey (or, more accurately, a crested macaque named Naruto)?

Show More


Nat's Events and Webinars

  • 06.28.23

    Episode 24: AI-Generated Marketing: Who Owns the IP?

    As the Artificial Intelligence space continues to quickly evolve, generative AI is making its way into every facet of our lives, including ...



  • 05.31.23

    Bach to Speak During U.S. Copyright Office’s AI Listening Session on ...

    Manatt Entertainment Partner Nathaniel Bach will speak on copyright and artificial intelligence (AI) on behalf of Music Artists Coalition (MAC) ...



  • 05.09.23

    Keeping it Real: Fake Drake and the Legal Implications of AI-Created ...

    With the recent viral AI-created song that replicated Drake and The Weeknd’s vocals, questions continue to mount around the use of generative ...



  • 03.16.23

    Bach to Moderate AI Copyright Panel at The McCarthy Institute’s ...

    Manatt Entertainment Partner Nathaniel Bach will moderate a panel session titled “Rapid Evolution: The Intersection of Artificial ...



Show More
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