June 2023 – Chambers USA Legal Guide 2023 recognized Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP as one of California’s top litigation firms in two practice areas: Media and Entertainment Litigation and White Collar Defense and Government Investigations. The prestigious legal ranking organization also honored seven of the firm’s attorneys as among the best in their respective practices: Laura W. Brill, Bert H. Deixler, Robert Edward Dugdale, Philip M. Kelly, Richard B. Kendall, Janet I. Levine, and Jeffrey H. Rutherford.
Chambers described KBK as a “compact litigation boutique capable of representing sizable media and entertainment companies, including major motion picture studios and top broadcasters.” The organization cited clients who praised the firm’s attorneys as “real leaders in this market” who “can handle any matter and know how to obtain great results in all.”
Chambers also described the firm as a “highly rated litigation firm with considerable strength in white-collar trials and investigations.” It noted that the firm represents high-ranking individuals and corporations across a wide range of industries and “possesses vast experience defending clients against a diverse array of claims including corruption and securities and healthcare fraud.”
In acknowledging the firm’s individual attorneys, Chambers ranked Mr. Kendall as one of California’s top entertainment and media litigators, saying he is “admired for his command of high-stakes litigation” and known as “a go-to lawyer for top-echelon clients in the entertainment sector.” As one client said of Mr. Kendall, “he is brilliant – smart and a tough litigator when he needs to be.”
Chambers recognized Mr. Kelly for his representation of major film studios, television networks, and other “sizable clients in the entertainment sector” and his experience in contractual, intellectual property, and profit participation disputes. Clients said that Mr. Kelly is “an excellent attorney” and “a very strong advocate, incredibly practical and knowledgeable in his areas.”
It recognized Mr. Deixler as one of California’s leading entertainment and media litigators and noted his frequent representation of talent in the music industry, as well as quoting a client who described Mr. Deixler as “a very smart guy and an effective lawyer.”
In honoring Mr. Dugdale’s white collar and government investigations practice, Chambers cited a client who called Mr. Dugdale an “amazing trial lawyer.”
Ms. Levine was praised by one client as “someone you want in your corner. She leaves no stone unturned and will fight incredibly hard until the very end for her clients.” She was listed among the nation’s best trial attorneys and California’s best white collar litigators, with the organization noting that Ms. Levine is “an impressive performer in a wide range of white-collar criminal matters and is regularly sought after to represent clients in high-stakes trials.”
Chambers also recognized Mr. Rutherford for his extensive trial experience and representation of clients facing criminal investigations, with one client calling him “my go-to lawyer” due to his “trial experience, his very calm demeanor and his excellent judgment.”
Chambers ranked honored Ms. Brill as one of the state’s leading appellate lawyers, citing her “notable expertise in intellectual property matters, as well as constitutional and regulatory issues.”
To determine its annual rankings, Chambers said it relies on input from more than 200 individuals who assess lawyers and law firms across the USA, conducting thousands of one-on-one interviews per year with in-house counsel and third-party experts.