Bona Law Adds Former U.S. Supreme Court Clerk and Star Litigator as Partner

Bona Law is pleased to announce the arrival of a star litigator with more than two decades of experience in antitrust, entertainment, constitutional, securities, and appeals in a career that began with high profile clerkships at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

David C. Codell agreed to join Bona Law as a partner in September and will greatly enhance the firm’s litigation and appellate firepower, its commitment to challenging government conduct, and its expertise in the entertainment and media industry. David has:

• Represented major clients in television, motion picture, recording, and advertising industries in First Amendment, copyright, antipiracy and internet disputes, idea origination, defamation, rights of publicity, talent contracts, profit participation, employment discrimination, and insurance, among others;
• Successfully defended clients in class action litigation;
• Handled a wide variety of appellate matters involving constitutional issues, business disputes, employment law, land use, securities law, and arbitration; and
• Secured ground-breaking, historic rulings that advance civil rights on behalf of individuals and organizations that he represented pro bono.

David earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College summa cum laude and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was a Supreme Court Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

After law school, David served as a law clerk for Judge David S. Tatel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court. After completing his clerkship, he practised constitutional litigation with legendary Constitutional Law Professor Laurence H. Tribe.

According to CEO Jarod Bona, “David Codell is an important part of our plan to become the go-to law firm for antitrust and competition litigation. We are excited to add someone of his talent and tenacity to the team.” Bona added that the firm “expects that structural changes in the media and entertainment landscape will create many antitrust and competition issues and David’s expertise in that industry will help us serve those clients.”

Before joining Bona Law, David managed a diverse litigation and appellate practice at his own law firm, which he opened in 2003. During that time, he also served for several years as of counsel to Caldwell, Leslie & Proctor LLC (now merged with Boies Schiller Flexner LLP) and as Visiting Legal Director of the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, and Constitutional Litigation Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Before opening his own firm, David was a partner at Irell & Manella LLP, where he practised in the litigation, intellectual property, and appellate practice groups.

David has been rated a Southern California Super Lawyer for fifteen consecutive years and has been awarded numerous accolades in service of his clients and the public interest.

“I am thrilled to join Bona Law,” David said. “Its lawyers are outstanding both in their work and in their care for their clients’ interests. Working with a team of such intelligent, experienced, and dedicated attorneys will be an honour.”

David’s practice at Bona Law will focus on trial and appellate litigation, actions against government conduct, antitrust, and entertainment and media issues.

David is admitted to practice in California, Massachusetts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and many other federal courts.