Page 2 - LA Games Conference Materials

Social Media & Games
Sheppard Mullin was one of the first major law firms to create a multidisciplinary games industry team. Our Social Media & Games Team comprises a cross-section of patent, transactional, and entertainment attorneys with expertise in industries such as online, console, and mobile games, eSports, fantasy sports, virtual and augmented reality, virtual goods and currency, gambling, social media, and mobile applications. Capable of handling any challenge, our team has expanded to more than 70 lawyers in 15 offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Sheppard Mullin’s Social Media & Games Team advises clients on legal and business issues that evolve the social media and videogame industries to new forms of entertainment and new platforms including:
• IP Protection for Games – We help clients develop and implement comprehensive IP protection strategies and are one of the most active filers of game-related patents in the United States.
• Legality of Business Models Involving Gamblification – We advise many clients regarding games using mechanics that require consideration of federal and state anti-gambling and/or anti-lottery laws. We have deep experience advising clients on the emerging legal issues with many of the hottest money-making game models in the industry, such as Fantasy Sports, Social Casino Games, and Real-Money Skill-based Games.
• eSports – We leverage our firm’s unparalleled depth in representing traditional sports teams, leagues, athletes, broadcasters, streaming services, and advertisers with our in-depth game experience to provide comprehensive advice to companies in the eSports space.
• Virtual Goods and Currencies – We advise clients, who leverage virtual goods and currencies for monetization, on the associated legal issues that can arise. We help ensure that the terms of service protect our client from foreseeable issues, including class action lawsuits, and advise on the regulatory issues that may arise depending on the virtual currency model and the impact of and strategy for addressing secondary markets.
• Transactions and Financings – We help clients with critical business issues including financings (e.g., innovative finance structures for game production budgets), complex transactions involving the purchase and sale of games and game companies, and licensing issues.
Beijing | Brussels | Century City | Chicago | London | Los Angeles | New York | Orange County | Palo Alto San Diego (Downtown) | San Diego (Del Mar) | San Francisco | Seoul | Shanghai | Washington, D.C. www.sheppardmullin.com