Alexander Rufus-Isaacs

Alexander is an Oxford University graduate, a qualified British barrister and an experienced California business litigator with an emphasis on business, entertainment, media, and insurance disputes. Many of his cases have international dimensions. He began his career as a barrister in England in 1982, and then moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and passed the California bar exam. Before co-founding Rufus-Isaacs, Acland & Grantham LLP, Alexander was a shareholder at Glassman, Browning & Saltsman, and before that, he worked at Rosenfeld Meyer & Susman, and Arter & Hadden.

Practice Areas:

General Business Litigation Alexander has appeared in mediations, arbitrations and state and federal court litigation involving issues such as fraud, breach of contract, business interference torts, electronic transactions, partnership dissolutions, trade secrets, and employee mobility/restrictive covenant issues.

Entertainment Litigation Alexander has represented producers, managers, agents and talent in film, music, television, internet, advertising and new media disputes involving film finance, international distribution/licensing, credits, profit participation/accounting, artist/manager, copyright and trademark issues. Alexander recently obtained a six figure award for a producer client in an IFTA arbitration against a foreign sales company.

Appellate Cases Alexander has successfully conducted a number of appeals before the California Court of Appeals. He recently won two appeals: One for a producer client in a published decision involving the application of the litigation privilege to an anti-SLAPP motion, and another for a film finance company which is suing a producer for tortious interference. See below for details.

Media Litigation Alexander has significant experience with libel, defamation and misappropriation of likeness/privacy torts, and has defeated numerous anti-SLAPP motions. He also counsels clients in crisis management and works closely with a number of leading PR firms who work in that area. He is currently plaintiff’s counsel in Williams v ABC et al. read The Hollywood Reporter report.

Insurance Litigation Represented London Market insurers in bad faith and coverage litigation, monitoring/settling underlying cases, defending insureds in inland marine/armored car cases, and subrogation actions.

Insurance Coverage Rendered complex coverage opinions to London Market insurers regarding general liability, commercial property, inland marine, personal lines (including homeowners), jewelers’ block, non appearance/contingency, fine arts, AD&D, and garage keepers policies. Alexander is listed in the Chambers USA Guide as a recognized insurance law specialist.

International Retained professional license in England, and has kept close contacts in UK legal, financial, insurance, political and government arenas. He has taken depositions in recent years from Singapore to Beirut.

Education:

Inns of Court School of Law, London: 1981-82 (English Bar Finals)

City University, London: 1979-80 (Diploma in Law – distinction in tort)

Oriel College, Oxford University: 1976-79 (Modern History – B.A. 1979, M.A. 1987)

St. Paul’s School, London: 1970-75

Professional Career:

Glassman, Browning & Saltsman, Beverly Hills, California: 2000-2009

Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman, Beverly Hills, California: 1998-2000

Arter & Hadden, Los Angeles, California: 1992-1998

Parkinson, Wolf & Leo, Century City, California: 1989-1992

Barrister in private practice in London: 1982-87

Admissions:

1989, U.S. District Court for Central District of California/Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

1988, California

1982, England and Wales

Bar Associations:

British American Bar Association of Southern California: 1998-present (co-founder; president, 2002-present)

Beverly Hills Bar Association: 2000-present (executive committee of the Entertainment Law section: 2010-present)

Middle Temple, London: 1982-present

Professional and Civil Associations:

British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles: 1998-present (legal advisor, 2002-2007; co-opted director, 2002; elected director, 2003-2008; secretary, 2005-2007)

British American Business Council, Los Angeles: 1992-2002 (president, 1998; chairman, 1999)

Public Counsel/FEMA, Los Angeles: 1992 (volunteer attorney)

Toynbee Hall, London (low income family support institute): 1985-87 (volunteer attorney)

Published Decisions and Speaking Engagements:

Future Films USA, LLC v. Sriram Das 2013 WL 265449, Cal.App. 2 Dist., Jan. 24 , 2013 (successful appeal against demurrer without leave to amend)

Bailey v. Brewer, (2011) 197 CA4th 781, 792–793, 128 CR3d 380, 390 (litigation privilege/ anti-SLAPP statute: a statement made in anticipation of litigation must relate to litigation that is contemplated in good faith and under serious consideration)

Price v. Stossel and ABC, (2008) 590 F.Supp.2d 1262, 1267 (discussing the good cause standard for discovery under the anti-SLAPP statute).

January 2013: program chair of a Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) seminar reviewing notable entertainment cases in 2012

June 2012: program chair and moderator of a BHBA seminar on European entertainment law entitled “On The Other Side Of The Pond”

October 2011: program chair for a BHBA panel entitled “Entertainment Litigation: The Very Latest Developments From The Professionals At The Cutting Edge.”

August 2011: speaker on a BHBA panel entitled ‘What Every Transactional Lawyer Should Know To Avoid Litigation.”

July 2011: speaker on a BHBA panel entitled “Everything You Wanted To Know About Entertainment Law But Were Afraid To Ask.”

June 2011: program co-chair for a BHBA seminar on Reality TV.