Justin B. Wineburgh, Esq. '97

Widener Law Home | Alumni | Alumni Spotlight | Justin B. Wineburgh, Esq. '97

Education
B.A., 1994 Lafayette College, Electrical Engineering
J.D., 1997 Widener University School of Law, Delaware Campus

Employment Information
Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA - Member

Area of practice
Entertainment

Bar Admissions
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Florida
U.S.D.C. for the Eastern District of PA
U.S.D.C. for the Middle District of PA
U.S.D.C. for the District of New Jersey

What did you enjoy most about attending Widener U. School of Law?
There can be no doubt that the education I received at Widener University School of Law had a direct impact and played an integral role in my professional success. The care and dedication of Widener's faculty and staff to its students, along with the opportunity to participate on Law Review, Moot Court and in various extra-curricular activities, allowed me to develop the skills necessary to pursue and achieve all of my aspirations.

Justin B. Wineburgh at a Glance

Member of:
American Bar Association
Pennsylvania Bar Association
Philadelphia Bar Association
The Florida Bar - Sports and Entertainment Law Section
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
American Jewish Committee and Operation Understanding, Youth Leadership Council
Presidential Democratic National Convention Committee
Hillel Society Graduate Student Network
Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

Special distinctions or accomplishments
A true pioneer in the entertainment industry, Justin has implemented and fully developed Cozen O'Connor's entertainment practice group, making it Philadelphia's largest law firm specializing in this area of law. Justin has a solid reputation of achieving favorable results for his numerous entertainment industry clients including award-winning or nominated artists and producers, editors, screenwriters, managers, distributors and retailers of major motion-picture films, television shows, and commercials based in Philadelphia, PA, Hollywood, CA, and throughout the United States.

Justin has extensive experience litigating cases in the entertainment industry throughout the United States in both federal and state courts. Justin has a broad-based entertainment practice, representing clients in the film, television, music and sports industries in complex tort, commercial, defamation, privacy, corporate, employment and intellectual property matters.

Justin also represents writers, directors, distributors, retailers, managers, agents, music engineers, production companies and artists in a variety of matters, including contract negotiations and transactional matters, pre-litigation counseling, and as production counsel. Justin has also represented production companies and distributors at the 2005 and 2006 Sundance Film Festival, the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, the 2006 Cinevegas Film Festival, and the 2006 American Film Market.

Some of Justin's recent notable representations include:

• Serving as litigation counsel to the producers of movies such as American Pie (I and II), American Wedding, The Ring (I and II), The Butterfly Effect (I and II), Monster-in-Law, Red Eye and A History of Violence in a variety of matters;
• Obtaining a dismissal during the trial of a complex contractual dispute involving the production of a $260 million Hollywood film;
• Securing a temporary restraining order in federal court on behalf of the merchandising companies of hip-hop artists Bow Wow, Omarion and Marques Houston;
• Pursuing various claims on behalf of the producers of the feature-length film, Tamara;
• Representing the distributors in ongoing litigation in connection with the distribution of the critically acclaimed and award-nominated feature-length film, Mysterious Skin;
• Obtaining a dismissal of litigation involving the musical group, Salty the Pocketknife, whose members included Dustin Diamond ("Screech" from Head of the Class);
• Acting as production counsel for the upcoming feature-length film, Universal Signs, starring Margot Kidder, Lupe Ontiveros and Robert Picardo;
• Representing and negotiating international distribution agreements for the feature-length film, Pervert!, starring California gubernatorial candidate, Mary Carey;
• Serving as counsel to the upcoming Food Network television show, Dinner Impossible;
• Resolving claims on behalf of the director of the upcoming film, Columbus Day, produced by Kevin Spacey's Trigger Street Productions; and
• Representing the producers of the film Rock School, featured at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, in the development of their next project based on the life of punk rock legend, Glenn Danzig.
• Justin was selected as a 2006 Pennsylvania "Lawyer of the Fast Track" by American Lawyer Media, which recognized 45 of the top lawyers and leaders of the legal community under the age of 40 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• Justin is an active member of numerous civic organizations, serves as a mentor to law students and newly admitted attorneys, and regularly handles pro bono matters for a variety of organizations. Justin is frequently interviewed and cited in entertainment industry publications, and regularly lectures on a variety of topics affecting the industry. Some of Justin's recent lectures and seminars include the following:
• "Intellectual Property Issues in the Entertainment Industry," Intellectual Property Law Society of Widener University School of Law, November 15, 2006
• "Developing an Entertainment Practice," Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Cozen O'Connor, July 26, 2006
• "Ethics in Filmmaking," Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Greater Philadelphia Film Office, July 19, 2006
• "On the Streets of Philadelphia: Legal Realities and Obligations of Filmmaking in Philadelphia," Temple Law Sports & Entertainment Law Society, Nov. 14, 2005
• Sports and Entertainment Law CLE Symposium: "Sports, Music, Video Games & Film/TV," Sports and Entertainment Law Association of Widener University School of Law, Nov. 12, 2005
• "So You Want to be an Entertainment Lawyer," Sports and Entertainment Law Society of Villanova University School of Law, Nov. 10, 2005
• "Making Money Making Music: Representing Clients in the New Music Industry," Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Drexel University, Oct 21, 2005

Family Members
Mother - Iris Wineburgh
Brothers - Derek Wineburgh and Oren Wineburgh

Note: Alumni Spotlight is a quarterly feature on the Development and Alumni Relations website, highlighting a Widener University School of Law alumnus or alumna. If you know of someone who you think is worthy of recognition, please e-mail law_alumni@mail.widener.edu.