David Shraga

David R. Shraga is a partner at Kawahito Shraga & Westrick LLP.  David has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local entrepreneurs and high wealth individuals in a wide variety of disputes and at all stages of litigation.  Over the last ten years he has developed experience litigating complex business cases in the areas of Entertainment & Media/Internet, Intellectual Property, Real Estate and Business Law, and Class Action Litigation. 

David works closely with his clients to evaluate their claims and defenses and explore all options for resolution at each stage of the case.   David is experienced in negotiating settlements of disputes before litigation is commenced and has successfully mediated and resolved many conflicts without the need for expensive and time consuming litigation.  However, when no such options are feasible, he has successfully litigated and tried complex, “bet the company” cases before juries, judges and arbitrators.  In addition, he has also prevailed in appeals to the higher courts when necessary.  David also serves as outside general counsel to many of his clients, and assists them with the negotiation of a variety of agreements involving licensing, employment and consulting, and other general corporate matters.

Entertainment & Media/Internet Law – David has represented actors, writers, producers, directors, agents, manager, international and domestic distributors, artists, models, and musicians in a range of matters in the entertainment and media industries.  He has filed lawsuits to protect the publicity and privacy rights of his clients, secure payment when their ideas are misappropriated, obtain restraining orders to protect them from stalkers, recover royalties and profits they are owed from the exploitation of various entertainment properties (films, albums, etc…), and resolved disputes relating to the financing and distribution of motion pictures.  David also has extensive expertise representing parties who distribute and market content on the internet, and has handled disputes relating to search engine optimization techniques and the ownership and exploitation of content and advertising revenues on YouTube and other platforms. 

Intellectual Property Law – In addition to those intellectual property matters relating directly to the entertainment industry, David has also developed expertise in handling a wide range of intellectual property disputes for businesses in other sectors (including manufacturers of goods and a host of service providers).  He has litigated claims involving trademark infringement, counterfeiting, unfair competition, misappropriation/theft of trade secrets, copyright infringement, cyber-squatting/recovery of misappropriated internet domain names, and patent infringement.  David has experience handling disputes involving the Trademark and Trial Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as arbitrations before the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Real Estate and Business Law – David has also developed a diverse practice representing owners of commercial and residential properties, landlords and property management companies, hoteliers and resort property developers, real estate lenders and financiers, and interior designers in a range of disputes involving domestic and international properties.   He has handled disputes at all stages of the planning, financing, development, construction, and operation of commercial properties and hotels (including disputes related to common area maintenance). 

In addition, David handles a wide range of general business disputes involving various contractual breaches and business torts, including claims for interference with contracts and prospective business relationships/economic advantage.  He also represents both employers and employees in a variety of matters arising from their working relationships, and in connection with proceedings pending before the California Labor Commissioner. 

David graduated from Yale University in 1996 with a B.A. in Political Science.  He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California School of Law in 2003, where he was a member of the Southern California Law Review.  During law school, David was an extern for Hon. Dean D. Pregerson, Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  He has served as the Chair of the Planning Committee for Bet Tzedek's "Justice Ball," an annual fundraising event for pro bono legal services, and has also served as Chair of the Fundraising Committee of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles' Associates Advisory Board.  David is also a member of the Yale Alumni Schools Committee.  He has been named as one of the “Top Young Lawyers in Southern California” in the Los Angeles Magazine “Rising Star” Section every year since 2007.