Overview

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Yaphett K. Powell is Special Counsel in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Intellectual Property practice group and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Entertainment Industry Group. His practice focuses on film, television, streaming, music, sports, video games, book publishing, social media, and entertainment industries and transactions across the U.S. and international markets, including Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America. Prior to establishing his global intellectual property and entertainment law practice, he spent eight years as a corporate attorney focusing on U.S. and international capital markets, finance, and M&A transactions at major law firms and fifteen years as a studio attorney and international business affairs executive at global Hollywood studios. His strengths include negotiating and closing complex and strategic deals, leading high-performing legal teams, and protecting his clients’ legal rights and interests.

He is also currently the leader and Director of the Entertainment & Media Law Institute and Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Admissions

  • California
  • Florida

Education

  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
  • UCLA Anderson School of Management, M.B.A.
  • University of Florida, B.S. in Sports Management, with honors

  • Member, International Bar Association
  • Member, International Association of Entertainment Lawyers
  • Member, The Television Academy
  • Member, Recording Academy (NARAS)
  • Member, The Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel (AMEC)
  • Member, Sports Lawyers Association (SLA)

  • Head of Global Entertainment, Media & Sports Law Institute, LMU Loyola Law School, 2025 – Present
  • Board Member, Advisory Board, USC Center for Transnational Law & Business, 2022 – Present
  • Adjunct Professor, International Business Transactions, USC Gould School of Law, 2018-Present
  • Board Member, Community Advisory Board, KCET Television & Media, 2015 – 2018
  • Career Coach, Mentor, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2016 – 2018
  • Career Coach, Mentor, The Posse Foundation
  • Committee Member, Volunteer, Association of Corporate Counsel
  • Youth Teacher, Volunteer Co-Leader, Street Law
  • Pro Bono Attorney, Children’s Rights Project (Adoption Law), Public Counsel
  • Pro Bono Attorney , Children’s Rights (International Law), Kids in Need of Defense

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