Michelle K. Millard
Associate
Tel:
213.955.9240
Email:
mmillard@willenken.comFax:
213.955.9250
Biography
- Bio
- Honors
- Winning Matters
- Cases
- Publications
- News
A seasoned and results-driven litigator, Michelle Millard focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, representing key clients in entertainment, intellectual property, and business matters in state and federal courts and arbitrations.
Michelle handles matters at every stage of litigation, from pre-trial motions and depositions to jury trials. Michelle’s experience includes second-chairing a jury trial, a bench trial, and an arbitration. She has been selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers each year since 2020.
Prior to joining Willenken LLP, Michelle was an associate at a boutique litigation firm in Century City. Before that, she served as a legal fellow in the in-house legal department of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
Michelle earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a research assistant for the Kernochan Center for Law, Media, and the Arts. During law school, she also contributed to the Columbia Journal of European Law and served as the Vice President of the Gastronomy Society. Michelle also served as a Judicial Intern for The Hon. Wayne Johnson in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of California, and as a Law Clerk for the Children’s Law Center of California.
Prior to law school, Ms. Millard graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a degree in French literature and was honored with the Martin-Turrill Best French Essay Award. She also was an Intern with the Orange County Public Defender.
Outside of the law, Michelle’s interests include practicing classical piano, reading English and French novels, and experimenting with vegan cookery. Michelle is conversant in French.
- SuperLawyers’ “Southern California Rising Stars,” 2019-2023.
- Accelerated Global Content LLC v. CBS Broadcasting Inc. et al. Obtained dismissal on a demurrer of a complaint alleging that the CBS television show Superfan was based on a proposed show that the plaintiff had previously pitched to CBS.
- Sukyas et al. v. Romania et al. (U.S. Federal District Court) Represented the government of Romania and the Romanian state-run film company, RADEF, against claims that the former communist regime improperly nationalized plaintiffs’ film production company and that Romania’s state-run film company, RADEF, is the direct successor of the plaintiffs’ prior company, upon which plaintiffs sought over $2 billion in damages. Trial court granted defendants summary judgment motion of all claims.
- Raphael Gort et al. v. LA6721, LLC et al. Second chair trial counsel for defendant film and television advertising company, “LA,” and its principals, in suit alleging that defendants intentionally interfered with and brought about the downfall of a motion graphics company jointly owned by the plaintiffs and some of the defendants, depriving the plaintiffs of millions of dollars in potential future revenues. Defendants counterclaimed, alleging that in fact the plaintiffs were responsible for the downfall of the company, and that their claims of expected future revenues are baseless. Following bench trial, trial court found for defendants on all interference claims, and defendants obtained substantial monetary recovery of costs as a result of tendered 998 offer.
- Drissi Advertising, Inc. v. IO2 Technology, LLC. Obtained a 7-figure judgment on behalf of the plaintiff in a contract dispute over advertising displays produced for the promotion of a tentpole motion picture series.
- CO|FXFOWLE Architects v. Saltzman et al. (California Superior Court) Won $1.6 million judgment on behalf of prominent architecture firm, CO|FXFOWLE Architects, for non-payment of fees against three developers of an $88 million Las Vegas real estate project.
- Kennedy v. Aero-Nasch Aviation, Inc. Assisted in drafting summary judgment motion that achieved a complete victory on on behalf of the defendant manufacturer of custom jet airplane interiors and its founder. The Court dismissed the suit in its entirety and entered summary judgment in favor of Aero-Nasch, rejecting the claims of a former owner of a jointly-owned custom jet engine cover business, Jet/Brella, that Aero-Nasch and its founder siphoned funds from Jet/Brella.
- Quality Investment Fund, Malta 1, Ltd. et al v. Martin Schuermann. Formulated argument and drafted motion that obtained vacatur of 7-figure default judgment and, eventually, dismissal of entire action against defendant Martin Schuermann over claims brought by his former investors in a clean energy venture. The court agreed that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear claims between the plaintiffs, Malta-based funds, and defendant, a German citizen.
- “Going Global: A Case Study of Lincoln Center’s Legal Department,” International In-House Counsel Journal, April 2014, co-author.
Willenken Earns “Best Law Firms” Ranking from Best Lawyers for the Second Consecutive Year
November 7, 2024
Willenken Recognized as a “Top Boutique” by the Daily Journal for 2024
October 30, 2024
Willenken Recognized As Top Firm to Work for by Los Angeles Business Journal for the Fifth Consecutive Year
September 9, 2024
Biography
A seasoned and results-driven litigator, Michelle Millard focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, representing key clients in entertainment, intellectual property, and business matters in state and federal courts and arbitrations.
Michelle handles matters at every stage of litigation, from pre-trial motions and depositions to jury trials. Michelle’s experience includes second-chairing a jury trial, a bench trial, and an arbitration. She has been selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers each year since 2020.
Prior to joining Willenken LLP, Michelle was an associate at a boutique litigation firm in Century City. Before that, she served as a legal fellow in the in-house legal department of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
Michelle earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a research assistant for the Kernochan Center for Law, Media, and the Arts. During law school, she also contributed to the Columbia Journal of European Law and served as the Vice President of the Gastronomy Society. Michelle also served as a Judicial Intern for The Hon. Wayne Johnson in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of California, and as a Law Clerk for the Children’s Law Center of California.
Prior to law school, Ms. Millard graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a degree in French literature and was honored with the Martin-Turrill Best French Essay Award. She also was an Intern with the Orange County Public Defender.
Outside of the law, Michelle’s interests include practicing classical piano, reading English and French novels, and experimenting with vegan cookery. Michelle is conversant in French.
Honors
- SuperLawyers’ “Southern California Rising Stars,” 2019-2023.
Winning Matters
Cases
- Accelerated Global Content LLC v. CBS Broadcasting Inc. et al. Obtained dismissal on a demurrer of a complaint alleging that the CBS television show Superfan was based on a proposed show that the plaintiff had previously pitched to CBS.
- Sukyas et al. v. Romania et al. (U.S. Federal District Court) Represented the government of Romania and the Romanian state-run film company, RADEF, against claims that the former communist regime improperly nationalized plaintiffs’ film production company and that Romania’s state-run film company, RADEF, is the direct successor of the plaintiffs’ prior company, upon which plaintiffs sought over $2 billion in damages. Trial court granted defendants summary judgment motion of all claims.
- Raphael Gort et al. v. LA6721, LLC et al. Second chair trial counsel for defendant film and television advertising company, “LA,” and its principals, in suit alleging that defendants intentionally interfered with and brought about the downfall of a motion graphics company jointly owned by the plaintiffs and some of the defendants, depriving the plaintiffs of millions of dollars in potential future revenues. Defendants counterclaimed, alleging that in fact the plaintiffs were responsible for the downfall of the company, and that their claims of expected future revenues are baseless. Following bench trial, trial court found for defendants on all interference claims, and defendants obtained substantial monetary recovery of costs as a result of tendered 998 offer.
- Drissi Advertising, Inc. v. IO2 Technology, LLC. Obtained a 7-figure judgment on behalf of the plaintiff in a contract dispute over advertising displays produced for the promotion of a tentpole motion picture series.
- CO|FXFOWLE Architects v. Saltzman et al. (California Superior Court) Won $1.6 million judgment on behalf of prominent architecture firm, CO|FXFOWLE Architects, for non-payment of fees against three developers of an $88 million Las Vegas real estate project.
- Kennedy v. Aero-Nasch Aviation, Inc. Assisted in drafting summary judgment motion that achieved a complete victory on on behalf of the defendant manufacturer of custom jet airplane interiors and its founder. The Court dismissed the suit in its entirety and entered summary judgment in favor of Aero-Nasch, rejecting the claims of a former owner of a jointly-owned custom jet engine cover business, Jet/Brella, that Aero-Nasch and its founder siphoned funds from Jet/Brella.
- Quality Investment Fund, Malta 1, Ltd. et al v. Martin Schuermann. Formulated argument and drafted motion that obtained vacatur of 7-figure default judgment and, eventually, dismissal of entire action against defendant Martin Schuermann over claims brought by his former investors in a clean energy venture. The court agreed that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear claims between the plaintiffs, Malta-based funds, and defendant, a German citizen.
Publications
- “Going Global: A Case Study of Lincoln Center’s Legal Department,” International In-House Counsel Journal, April 2014, co-author.
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