EXPERIENCE

REPRESENTATIVE

MATTERS

A research-oriented record of selected matters handled as neutral, trial and appellate advocate, arbitration counsel, and senior in-house legal executive.

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01

As Arbitrator

& Mediator

Sole Arbitrator · NAM

Digital Platform & Civil Rights

Presided over a California civil-rights arbitration involving alleged age-based restrictions on a digital platform. Managed amended pleadings, dispositive-motion briefing, oral argument, and post-merits proceedings; issued reasoned rulings followed by a partial final award and a final award resolving the matter.

Issues: Unruh Civil Rights Act; choice of law; Section 230; First Amendment; Dormant Commerce Clause; pleading standards.

Sole Arbitrator · NAM

Consumer Finance & Secured Transactions

Presided over a dispute arising from vehicle financing, repossession, alleged debt discharge, credit reporting, and asserted statutory and common-law claims. Managed arbitrability, document exchange, merits briefing, a remote merits hearing, and post-merits issues; issued written procedural rulings, a reasoned merits award, and a final award.

Issues: Retail installment sales; secured transactions; repossession; UCC arguments; TILA; FCRA; fee and cost allocation.

Sole Mediator · Private Matters

Investor & Development Finance

Served as sole mediator in multiparty investor disputes involving real-estate development financing. Structured the process around competing stakeholder positions and intertwined legal and financial issues, helping the parties identify barriers to agreement and evaluate practical paths to resolution.

Focus: Investor interests; development financing; multiple stakeholders; interrelated legal, financial, and business concerns.

Representative matters are anonymized to preserve confidentiality. The descriptions are illustrative and do not identify parties or disclose confidential information.

02

Domestic &

INTERNATIONAL

ARBITRATION

Lead Counsel for Claimant · SIAC

Cross-Border Media Licensing & Distribution

Represented a media-rights company in a Singapore-seated arbitration against a foreign pay-television operator arising from nonpayment under a multichannel content licensing and distribution agreement. Managed the matter from pre-arbitration demand through final award, including amended pleadings, streamlined-procedure submissions, documentary evidence, respondent nonparticipation, and costs.

Result: Final award granting the full claimed amount, plus attorneys’ fees and costs.
Issues: Singapore law; unpaid license fees; renewal-term damages; cross-border content distribution; default procedure.

Counsel for Claimant & Subrogated Claimants · ICDR-Track

International Advertising & Media Recovery

Represented a media-buying company on its own behalf and as subrogee for several major studios, media companies, and advertising platforms in a multimillion-dollar dispute arising from a large-scale consumer-technology campaign. Structured and pursued a consolidated recovery claim under New York law.

Result: Resolved before appointment of the tribunal for the full outstanding principal balance plus contractual interest.
Issues: Cross-border advertising; subrogation; account stated; alter ego; fraudulent transfer; deceptive practices.

Counsel for Respondent & Counterclaimant · ARC

Entertainment IP, Copyright Security & UCC Rights

Represented an entertainment company in arbitration and parallel Los Angeles Superior Court litigation arising from a term sheet, security agreement, copyright mortgage, and UCC filings affecting valuable intellectual property. Asserted counterclaims, coordinated strategy across both forums, and negotiated a comprehensive resolution.

Result: Resolution of the claims and termination of the contested security arrangements, UCC filings, and copyright-related instruments.
Issues: Entertainment IP; copyright security interests; UCC filings; contract claims and counterclaims; parallel proceedings.

Counsel for Respondents · AAA

Independent Film Rights & Production Control

Represented producer and director respondents in an arbitration over control of an independent feature film and its production company. Prepared jurisdictional and merits submissions and presented evidence and argument at a full-day hearing concerning chain of title, screenplay and literary rights, guild documents, final-cut authority, financing, distribution, and company governance.

Result: Decision for respondents, with no liability imposed; claimant was required to bear the costs.
Issues: WGA and DGA agreements; final-cut rights; LLC authority; investor financing; self-dealing; fraud; conversion.

Counsel for Named Respondent · SAG-AFTRA

Guild Residuals & Production Status

Represented production entities and producers named in arbitrations concerning television residuals, benefit-plan contributions, late-payment penalties, and alleged distributor obligations. Investigated chain of title, production-company status, rights ownership, and potential guild obligations, and developed evidence establishing that the clients bore no responsibility for the asserted obligations.

Result: Clients ultimately dismissed from arbitrations with no liability imposed.
Issues: Performer residuals; pension and health contributions; distributor-assumption obligations; chain of title; production status.

Representative matters are anonymized where appropriate. Any result described depended on the facts and law of that matter. Results will differ when based on different facts or law.

03

litigation

through judgmenT

& Appeal

Counsel for POW! Entertainment · Federal & California Courts

Stan Lee Legacy Rights & Intellectual Property

Represented POW! Entertainment in related federal and California proceedings concerning competing claims to Stan Lee’s name, likeness, trademarks, creator rights, and related intellectual property. Obtained dismissal with prejudice of the federal action on preclusion grounds and pursued the related state-court dispute through appeal.

Result: Federal dismissal affirmed by the Ninth Circuit. In the state appeal, orders denying intervention and vacatur were reversed; the competing stipulated judgment was vacated as void and obtained by fraud on the court.
Decisions: Lee v. POW! Entertainment, Inc., 468 F. Supp. 3d 1220, aff’d in part, 857 F. App’x 434; Stan Lee Entertainment, Inc. v. Lee, B309080.

First-Chair Trial Counsel for Plaintiffs · Nevada District Court

Commercial Lending & Business Torts

First-chaired a ten-day jury trial arising from a collateralized life-insurance financing transaction. Tried contract, implied-covenant, conversion, unjust-enrichment, and damages claims, then handled post-trial offer-of-judgment fee and cost proceedings and the ensuing appeal.

Result: Jury verdict and judgment for plaintiffs, followed by a substantial recovery of attorneys’ fees and costs; matter settled during appeal.
Matter: Leerad, L.P. v. Imperial Credit Corporation, A-10-631490-C.

Trial Counsel for Plaintiff · Nevada District Court

Professional Negligence & Fiduciary Duty

Represented the plaintiff in an action against attorneys and a law firm arising from prior litigation. Tried professional-negligence, fiduciary-duty, contract, and related claims through presentation of evidence, directed-verdict proceedings, and closing argument.

Result: Resolved during jury deliberations through settlement and entry of a stipulated confession of judgment for the plaintiff.
Matter: Sewall v. Winterton & Associates, Ltd., A-12-658969-C.

Trial Counsel for Creditor · U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Nondischargeability & Willful Injury

Tried a federal bankruptcy adversary proceeding involving false-oath allegations and a debt arising from defamatory conduct and business interference. Presented witness testimony and documentary evidence bearing on intent and credibility and obtained findings of fact and conclusions of law after trial.

Result: Judgment for the creditor; debt held nondischargeable as a willful and malicious injury under 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).
Matter: Anderson v. Reed (In re Reed), Adv. No. 12-01211-mkn.

Counsel for Plaintiff & Derivative Claimant · Nevada District Court

Business Ownership, Injunction & Receivership

Represented a business owner individually and derivatively in litigation involving two jointly owned companies, alleged diversion of company and trust funds, fiduciary duties, fraud, and conversion. Pursued emergency relief to protect assets and represented the client through the resulting receivership, court-supervised asset disposition, and wind-down.

Result: Temporary and preliminary injunctive relief granted; receiver appointed; asset disposition and wind-down completed under court supervision.
Matter: Bissar v. Duffy, A-13-675420-C and related proceedings.

Representative matters are illustrative. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any other matter.

04

Operational

experience

behind disputes

Executive Vice President & Head of Business and Legal Affairs

Public-Company Legal Leadership

Leads legal and business affairs for Kartoon Studios, Inc. (NYSE American: TOON), advising senior management and the board on governance, enterprise risk, securities and regulatory matters, strategic transactions, corporate integration and restructuring, and significant disputes. Oversees outside counsel, litigation budgets, compliance, intellectual-property strategy, and legal operations across the company and its subsidiaries.

Organization: Publicly traded media and entertainment company.
Scope: Board advisory; governance; securities; enterprise risk; transactions; disputes; compliance; subsidiary oversight.

Kartoon Studios · Global Content Operations

Production, Licensing & Distribution

Oversees legal and business affairs supporting a global library of more than 800 film and television titles. Structures and negotiates development, production, financing, licensing, distribution, technology, services, and strategic-partnership agreements while addressing chain of title, guild and residual obligations, content clearance, and platform exploitation.

Portfolio: More than 800 film and television titles.
Reach: Transactions and operations spanning North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Kartoon Channel! & Ameba TV · Digital Operations

Streaming Platforms & Children’s Media

Oversees legal and compliance operations for direct-to-consumer streaming and digital-media businesses, including Kartoon Channel! and Ameba TV. The work encompasses privacy and COPPA compliance, age-verification practices, subscription terms, consumer interfaces, digital distribution, technology vendors, and productions and promotions—including KC! Pop Quiz and Kidaverse Roblox Rumble—involving children in the United States, United Kingdom, and Malaysia.

Platforms: Streaming, subscription, mobile, connected-TV, and web services.
Issues: Children’s privacy; age verification; subscription terms; contest compliance; international production; technology vendors.

General Counsel, POW! Entertainment · Director, Stan Lee Universe

Legacy Rights & Brand Stewardship

Following Stan Lee’s death, directed overlapping rights, chain-of-title, enforcement, and negotiation work that helped consolidate Lee’s name, image, and likeness rights, trademarks, and substantial related intellectual property within a coherent rights-holding structure. Built on that foundation by supervising commercial exploitation across media and consumer-product categories.

Rights: Name, image, and likeness; trademarks; creator rights; literary and entertainment properties.
Selected Work: Film and television development; publishing; merchandise and collectibles; consumer products; and licensing Stan Lee’s voice and likeness for AI-enabled platforms.

Early In-House Counsel · Lucky’s Race & Sports

Regulated Sports-Wagering Launch

Served as the first legal hire for a sports-wagering startup, helping build the licensing, internal-control, compliance, policy, and contracting infrastructure required to launch and expand in a closely regulated environment. Continued as outside counsel during the company’s growth and through its acquisition by William Hill. (Company was later further acquired by Caesars Entertainment for $3 billion)

Environment: Nevada gaming regulation and licensed wagering operations.
Lifecycle: Regulatory approval; operational launch; expansion; commercial contracting; acquisition.

The descriptions are representative and omit confidential information.

Select Reported

Decisions

California Court of Appeal · 2022

Stan Lee Entertainment, Inc. v. Lee

Stan Lee Entm’t, Inc. v. Lee, B309080 (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 18, 2022) (unpublished).

Represented POW! Entertainment as movant and appellant. The court reversed the orders denying intervention and vacatur, directed that POW! be permitted to intervene, and ordered the competing stipulated judgment vacated and set aside.

Subjects Intervention as of right; void judgment; fraud on the court; Stan Lee–related intellectual property.
C.D. California · 2020 / Ninth Circuit · 2021

Lee v. POW! Entertainment, Inc.

Lee v. POW! Entm’t, Inc., 468 F. Supp. 3d 1220 (C.D. Cal. 2020), aff’d in part and rev’d in part, No. 20-55928, 2021 WL 5768462 (9th Cir. Dec. 6, 2021).

Represented POW! Entertainment in a federal dispute concerning Stan Lee’s name, likeness, and creator rights. The district court dismissed the action with prejudice on preclusion grounds; the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal and reversed the separate sanctions ruling.

Subjects Res judicata; privity; publicity and creator rights; cybersquatting.
California Court of Appeal · 2021

Ablesoft, Inc. v. The Walt Disney Co.

Ablesoft, Inc. v. The Walt Disney Co., B304155 (Cal. Ct. App. Oct. 8, 2021) (unpublished).

Represented Ablesoft in an entertainment accounting and profit-participation appeal arising from Bill Nye the Science Guy. The court reversed summary judgment against Ablesoft and revived its contract claims after finding a triable issue concerning successor-in-interest status.

Subjects Profit participation; accounting; successor-in-interest; contract.
Ninth Circuit · 2016 / D. Nevada · 2014

Wilson v. Lynch

Wilson v. Lynch, 835 F.3d 1083 (9th Cir. 2016), aff’g Wilson v. Holder, 7 F. Supp. 3d 1104 (D. Nev. 2014), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 53 (2017).

Represented and argued for the plaintiff-appellant in a published constitutional and administrative-law appeal at the intersection of federal firearms law and Nevada’s medical-marijuana registry system. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district-court judgment.

Subjects Article III standing; First, Second, and Fifth Amendments; federal regulation.

These decisions identify Chaz Rainey as counsel of record and are included to document the scope of his public litigation record. Inclusion does not imply that his client prevailed on every claim, issue, or stage of a proceeding. Some decisions are unpublished and may be cited only as permitted by applicable rules. No past result guarantees a similar outcome.

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