Peter Shimamoto is senior counsel in the firm’s litigation and intellectual property litigation workgroups. He was a law clerk to the Honorable Robert R. Merhige, Jr., in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Mr. Shimamoto has litigated cases involving copyright, trademark, unfair competition, First Amendment, right of publicity, securities, antitrust, product liability, banking, and employment. .

Representative Matters

Cases on which he has worked include the following:

• Represented MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures Corporation and Viacom Inc. in an action brought by an alleged profit participant in a television show and related motion pictures. The matter was resolved successfully.
• Represented MTV Networks against claims that MTV's Emmy award winning television series The Osbournes violates plaintiff's purported contractual right to exploit the Osbournes in a television show. The claims against MTV were dismissed with prejudice.
• Represented software company against breach of contract claims by a licensor. Defeated motion for preliminary injunction. The matter was resolved successfully.
• Represented Viacom Inc. and Paramount Pictures Corporation in connection with their acquisition of Dreamworks L.L.C.
• Represented Paramount International Television in litigation against Japanese licensee of motion picture and television product. The matter was resolved successfully.
• Represented Mariah Carey and Sony Music Entertainment Inc. against claims of copyright infringement. The matter was resolved successfully on summary judgment.
• Represented Bruce Springsteen in claim of copyright infringement against seller of bootleg recordings. The matter was resolved successfully on summary judgment.
• Represented the New York Daily News against a claim of libel based on an article that stated that the plaintiff had ties to Chinatown gangs. The matter was resolved successfully on summary judgment.

Bar & Court Admissions

• 1986, California; 1987, New York