Alex M. Weingarten

Los Angeles

Litigation

With more than two decades of experience as a trial lawyer, Alex M. Weingarten has successfully represented many high-profile clients in numerous high-stakes business, probate and entertainment litigation matters.

"I absolutely love what I do," he said. "I love the challenge of it. I love the intellectual stimulation that comes with it. I love to argue ... I love to give a voice to people that don't have one of their own."

In September 2021, Weingarten joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as co-founder and managing partner of its Los Angeles office and has since grown its roster from three attorneys to 90 in under two years.

"The reason I wanted the role of managing partner for our office was to take on the challenge of building an office from scratch," he said. "I'm extremely proud of how much we've grown since."

Earlier this year, Weingarten won a summary judgment motion on behalf of Grammy-nominated singer Selena Gomez.

In 2020, he sued the developers of a mobile fashion game titled "Clothes Forever" for their unauthorized use of Gomez's name and likeness in the application. Selena Gomez v. Forgame U.S. Corporation, et al., 20STCV14383 (L.A. Sup. Ct., filed April 14, 2020).

The trial, which is scheduled to begin in the coming months, is expected to have "significant precedential weight in protecting individuals in the entertainment industry moving forward," he said.

In a confidential settlement in 2019, Weingarten successfully represented Petty Legacy LLC -- an entity formed by the daughters of the late rock musician Tom Petty -- in a dispute against Petty's second wife, Dana York. The matter revolved around the administration rights of Petty's music catalog.

"There was a fight between Petty's adult daughters and his widow, who was their stepmother," Weingarten said. "By the time I got involved, I was able to bring a fresh perspective to this dispute and worked to resolve it."

He mentioned that what made the case intriguing for him was its infusion of the multiple aspects of his practice all coming together at once. "I'm a business, entertainment and probate litigator, so that case kind of addressed all three of those ... Plus, being a Tom Petty fan and having a small role in the disposition of his artistic legacy was gratifying."

--Devon Belcher