Laura R. Washington

Washington represents many high-profile clients in complex business disputes, primarily in the entertainment and media worlds. She refers to her most high-profile client simply as "Mrs. Carter."

"Others know her as Beyoncé," she noted.

Washington represents Mrs. Carter and her companies, BGK Trademark Holdings and Parkwood Entertainment, in many areas, including managing her intellectual property portfolio, defending against copyright litigation and advising on "a number of things she may be doing in the future."

"To the extent any other legal issues arise she needs advice on, I provide that advice, or I point her to my many partners at Latham," Washington said, adding, "She is a lovely & appreciative client."

Washington also has been defending entertainment-industry clients in some high-profile litigation. She represents two movie production companies that in 2018 were filming "Motherless Brooklyn" in a Harlem apartment building when it caught fire, leading to the death of a firefighter. Multiple lawsuits followed, which now largely have been resolved, she said.

Washington also represents Miramax LLC and Tim Sarnoff, the former Deputy CEO of Technicolor, in litigation related to Harvey Weinstein's wrongdoing. Sarnoff was a member of the board of The Weinstein Company, but he resigned immediately in 2018 when the scandal broke, she said. All but one of those lawsuits have also resolved, she said.

In her most active litigation, she represents the company that makes the popular beef substitute Beyond Meat in a trade secrets battle with a former co-manufacturer. Trial is set for September. Don Lee Farms v. Savage River Inc., BC662838 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed May 25, 2017).

In August last year, Washington and her "pretty fabulous associates team" won an important motion for summary adjudication, eliminating Don Lee's secrets claim and leaving her clients' claims predominant. "We're now in the envious place of having more claims than the plaintiff," she said. "When you primarily do defense work, it's kind of nice to be [in the role of] the plaintiff."

- Don DeBenedictis