Steven J. Peña is an experienced and highly regarded lawyer focusing on representing content producers and distributors, including major motion pictures studios such as Twentieth Century Fox, independent production companies, producers, distributors and exhibitors. He has particular expertise in complex copyright matters, planning and structuring co-venturing relationships, co-marketing deals and other strategic alliances. His extensive experience encompasses not only legal issues but also regulatory and operational matters.
Mr. Peña was previously a partner in the Entertainment Department of Loeb & Loeb, LLP. During that time, he was Co-Chair of the firm's iLawGroup which was formed to provide cutting-edge service to clients in the interrelated entertainment, technology, Internet and venture capital sectors.
Prior to joining Loeb & Loeb, Mr. Peña was General Counsel of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros. Online. He was at these entities from their inception through their first three years of operation. At Warner Bros. Online, Mr. Peña was responsible for all legal, business and policy matters pertaining to the development, production and distribution of online content for the Warner Bros. Online website, as well as several highly successful areas featured on America Online. He negotiated innovative deals with Microsoft, and AOL and numerous technology companies.
Before Warner Bros., Mr. Peña was Vice President of Legal Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox, where he directed all legal matters pertaining to the development, production and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, including the engagement of talent, literary property acquisition and exploitation of ancillary rights. Mr. Peña worked on a variety of theatrical motion pictures including Speed, Nell, and Nine Months. During his seven years at Fox, he was also responsible for music licensing, exhibition rights clearance, theatrical film clip licensing and merchandising activities, including the original Simpsons licensing campaign.
Before working at Fox, Mr. Peña practiced radio, television and telecommunications law in Washington, D.C. before the FCC and the federal courts, initially as a law school intern in FCC Commissioner Anne P. Jones' office and later with boutique law firms representing broadcasting, cable and telecommunications companies, including McCaw Cellular Communications.
Mr. Peña has been a frequent speaker on entertainment and Internet issues for Georgetown University, California Continuing Education of the Bar, PLI, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, UCLA Continuing Education and the Los Angeles Copyright Society. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Los Angeles Copyright Society. For many years, he also coordinated and taught an Entertainment Law class for Tulane Law School.
Cyber Esq., a quarterly supplement of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals featured Mr. Peña as one of its "Suite 16" of lawyers at the leading edge of new-media work.
Mr. Peña received his B.A. in economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He earned his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.