Jonathan Pink

Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, and early work

Pink began his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and French in the spring of 1983. From there, Pink went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of Motion Pictures and Television from University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, Pink started screenwriting for various studios around Los Angeles, including TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures. His work eventually led him to become a Samuel Goldwyn Award finalist in 1985.

During his final year at UCLA, Pink landed a writing internship for Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles where he worked on the highly popular sitcom Cheers, then in production for its sixth season. After his internship with Paramount ended in the summer of 1988, Pink shifted his focus back towards screenwriting until 1991, when he became a syndicated cartoonist for Tribune Media Services.

Law School

In 1992, while still working as a cartoonist and screenwriter, Pink attended Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. His cartoons were carried by Tribune Media Services and King Features Syndicate. While at Southwestern, Pink wrote for the Journal of Law and Trade, eventually becoming Editor-in-Chief of the publication. Pink graduated from Southwestern with a Juris Doctor in 1995.

Legal career

Pink launched his legal career in 1996 at Bye, Hatcher and Robinson, and then moved to Stephan, Oringher, Richman & Theodora, P.C in 1998. He worked there until 2000 then moved to Sedgwick, Detart, Moran & Arnold LLP where he practiced as an Associate in the Intellectual Property Group until 2004. While at Sedgwick, Detart, Moran & Arnold LLP, Pink defended trademark infringement action involving the Oscar in a claim brought by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences against the world’s largest statuette manufacturer. (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences v. Plastic Dress-Up co., et al.; Civil Case No. 2:02-cv05635-ABC-CW.) In subsequent years, Pink litigated a multimillion-dollar catalogue copyright dispute between mail order companies in the Eastern District of New York, served as lead litigation counsel for internationally known music group, The_Black_Eyed_Peas, defended the former members of the band, Black Flag, in a trademark claim brought by one of their former bandmates, represented Tony Award-winning performer, Ben Vereen[Vereen], in the actor's action for misappropriation of his name and likeness in connection with a toothpaste advertisement, and represented BMG Rights Management (U.S.) LLC on behalf of Tame Impala in an action for copyright infringement and recovery of royalties against Universal Music Group.

Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith, LLP

In 2004, Pink made partner at Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm with 31 offices across the U.S. He served as Vice Chairman of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group.

During his four years at Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith LLP, Pink served as lead defense counsel in a seminal intellectual property case invalidating as unconstitutional Section 511(a) of the United States Copyright Act: Marketing Information Masters, Inc. v. Board of Trustees of the California State University System, 552 F. Supp. 2d 1088 (S.D. Cal. 2008).

In addition, Pink successfully represented Sephora USA in a suit brought by Sophia Loren and the estate of Marilyn Monroe in a claim for misappropriation of name and likeness; motion picture producer John Doe in defending a copyright claim regarding a feature film released by Lions Gate Entertainment; and prevailed in defense of a $10 million claim for a breach of contract dispute in the Northern District of California.

In March 2014 Pink returned to Lewis Brisbois as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property practice, and national Co-Chair of the firm's Entertainment, Media and Sports practice group.

Bryan Cave, LLP

Pink moved to international law firm Bryan Cave LLP in 2008 to head the firm’s Internet and New Media Team. His practice focused on intellectual property and commercial litigation, including arts and entertainment-related matters. Beginning February 2013, Pink served as leader of the firm’s Entertainment and Media Team. Among other high-profile cases, Pink served as lead litigation counsel for internationally known music group The Black Eyed Peas, defended the former members of the band Black Flag in a trademark claim brought by one of their former bandmates., and represented Tony Award-winning performer, Ben Vereen, in the actor's action for misappropriation of his name and likeness in connection with a toothpaste advertisement.

Additional Work

Pink is a frequent speaker at intellectual property conferences and is the author of more than three dozen intellectual property-related articles. He has provided commentary on intellectual property issues to ESPN’s Morning Show and NPR’s All Things Considered, and has been quoted by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He was mentioned and publicly thanked in the liner notes to pop star David Guetta's album, "Listen".

Although his cartoons no longer appear in publications with any regularity, in 2008, Pink's illustrations were included in the international cartooning exhibition, Salon d'Humor, in St. Just le Martel, France.

Pink has been named a “Southern California Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine every year since 2008, as well as 2006. He is a 2015 recipient of the IP Vanguard Award, the highest distinction awarded by the Intellectual Property Section of the California State Bar.