Professional Experience
Jordan Yospe is recognized as one of the country's leading brand integration experts and an authority in sourcing, negotiating, and managing brand integration deals for feature films, television, new media, music, and video games. His work includes negotiating and drafting multimillion dollar integration and activation agreements, as well as executing the business and creative elements of those agreements during pre-production, principal photography, post-production, and domestic / international distribution.
Mr. Yospe was included in Variety's Annual Dealmakers Impact Report List in 2011 and The Hollywood Reporter's annual "Power Lawyers" list in 2008, 2009, and 2010; was named among the "Top 40 Entertainment Lawyers" by The Los Angeles Business Journal in October, 2010; and his pioneering work on the integration of brands into entertainment was featured in a front page article in the April 5, 2010 issue of The New York Times. When describing Mr. Yospe's work to The Hollywood Reporter, Eric Baum, Sony Pictures Senior VP of business and legal affairs for consumer and worldwide marketing, states "Jordan has earned the trust of those not just in Hollywood, but all the way out in places like Peoria and Georgia. They rely on his expertise and hard work to keep the integrity of their brands." Mr. Yospe's mission is to make these "integrations" live up to the brands', producers', and distributors' expectations in today's rapidly changing commercial environment.
As former General Counsel and Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Mark Burnett Productions, Mr. Yospe was integrally involved in numerous well-known network television series, including "Survivor" and "Rock Star: INXS" with CBS; "The Apprentice" and "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" with NBC; and "The Contender" with NBC and DreamWorks. He also handled the business and legal affairs for the company's multiple development projects, helped establish and manage a highly profitable brand integration unit and supervised multiple product placement, merchandising, endorsement, gaming, music, and ancillary deals.
Mr. Yospe has worked with brands in virtually every consumer product/service category, as well as major film studios, broadcast and cable networks, and numerous advertising, media, and PR agencies. Since joining Manatt, Mr. Yospe has represented numerous major brands in their integration, activation, sponsorship, and endorsement deals in the feature film, television, new media, and music arenas.
Prior to joining Mark Burnett Productions, Mr. Yospe was General Counsel and President of Production at Gallery Films. Gallery fully financed and produced the feature film Sidekicks, a coming-of-age story starring Chuck Norris and Beau Bridges. As one of the producers of Sidekicks, Mr. Yospe served on set during principal photography, and supervised all pre- and post-production business and legal affairs, including marketing, advertising, publicity, product placement, merchandising, music, foreign and domestic theatrical distribution, and domestic pay and network television releases. The film recouped its production budget from initial foreign sales and was later released domestically via a "rent-a-system" deal through Sony Pictures.
Mr. Yospe began his legal career as an attorney in the Los Angeles office of a large national law firm where he represented Fortune 100 companies in high-profile product liability and toxic tort cases, and was later of counsel and entertainment group head of the Los Angeles office of a spin-off of that law firm. He also attended film school at UCLA prior to taking his production position with Gallery Films.
Memberships & Activities
Admitted to practice in California.
2011 Chairman, Law Firm Board, Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel.
Member, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (production executive's division).
Member, Hollywood Radio and Television Society.
Mr. Yospe performs extensive volunteer and pro bono work for aspiring television, feature film and music talent, as well as entertainment charities, such as the Lollipop Foundation of which he is a member of the Board, and the American Cinematheque. In December 2007, Mr. Yospe presented Hanesbrands' Champion Sportswear with the Media and Entertainment Counsel's Annual "Excellence in Branded Entertainment Award" for the work he and Champion's CMO performed together on the Morgan Creek/Universal feature film "Sydney White".
Honors & Awards
Named one of six Outstanding Alumnus at the Fiftieth Anniversary - University of Oregon Honors College, 2011.
Named by Variety to DealMakers Impact Report List, 2011.
Named by Hollywood Reporter, ESQ. to the Power Lawyers Top 100 - Outside Counsel, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Named among the city's Top 40 Entertainment Lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2010.
Speaking Engagements
Mr. Yospe has lectured at the UCLA Film School, UCLA School of Communications, USC Graduate School of Business, Loyola Law School, Southwestern Law School, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, American Film Market ("AFM"), California and Beverly Hills Bar Associations, and several American Conference Institute forums.