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Mr. O’Connell is a partner in the Firm’s Business Department, and the hiring partner for the Firm. His general business practice focuses on intellectual property law and representation of emerging growth companies. His practice also includes mergers and acquisitions, private placement financings, venture capital transactions and advising partnerships and limited liability companies. Mr. O’Connell’s intellectual property practice includes trademark and copyright counseling, technology and intellectual property licensing and entertainment law. He administers United States and international trademark portfolios for several companies, and advises clients on protection and exploitation of copyrights and trade secrets. He has extensive experience in licensing transactions of all types (software, technology, product distribution, as well as merchandise and character licensing). Mr. O’Connell has extensive experience in legal matters relating to the entertainment, arts and publishing industries. He represents numerous authors, illustrators, photographers and computer game developers in all aspects of their businesses, including publishing agreements, licensing transactions and television, movie and internet deals. He also represents a number of nationally syndicated cartoonists. Mr. O’Connell represents a variety of start-up and emerging growth companies in both high technology and traditional industries. This practice involves counseling on issues such as entity formation, investor financing, strategic alliances and long-range planning. He also represents sellers and purchasers in merger and acquisition transactions, and advises in the organization of complex joint ventures. His practice includes representation of professional service partnerships and limited liability companies such as law firms, accounting firms and medical groups.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Mr. O’Connell served on the California State Bar Business Law Section’s Committee on Partnerships and Unincorporated Business Organizations from 1993 to 1996 and participated in the adoption and implementation of the Limited Liability Company Act. He has lectured and served on numerous panels on various business law topics, particularly limited liability companies and intellectual property matters. As a long-time member of the Board of Directors of California Lawyers for Arts, Mr. O’Connell has served as Chair of the Legal Referral Committee of CLA for several years. He has also served on the Board of Directors of other non-profit organizations such as The Cartoon Art Museum and Pros for Kids.
EDUCATION
Mr. O’Connell received A.B. degrees in economics and political science from the University of California, Berkeley. He received his J.D. from Columbia University, where he was an editor of the Columbia Law Review. | 