Jonathan A. Stein

2520 Murrell Road

Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Phone and cell 310-968-4455

Exec Comp Goals and Quick Facts

Jonathan specializes in executive compensation and benefits, trade secret misappropriation, and creative talent compensation.

Jonathan has completed executive compensation and benefits contracts, or resolved business litigations such as trade secret misappropriation, in California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Washington DC, and the countries of China, Germany, Holland, Israel and Vietnam.

Jonathan seeks a fulltime employment position, but one which he can fill without relocating from Santa Barbara, CA. While he is still is capable of 7-day weeks, with 24/7 availability, for shorter periods of time, Jonathan welcomes a less strenuous schedule as the norm.

Education

Univ. of Pennsylvania Law School JD’83. Editor on Vols. 130 and 131 of U.Pa.L.Rev. Wharton Business School, 4 semesters in accounting and finance. Coach and player, Penn Rugby.

Harvard College BA ’79. Magna cum laude Economics. Harvard Rugby, Harvard Crew.

Phillips Academy, Andover MA, 1975. Six prizes in math and science. Varsity crew.

Work Experience Chronology

Browne George Ross O’Brien Annaguey & Ellis, LLP 2019-20.

Prestigious litigation boutique with offices in Los Angeles, Century City, San Francisco and New York City. Mid-seven-figure securities litigation. Won summary judgment motion by reconfiguring all evidence to date; researching over 200 cases and case settled immediately thereafter. Furloughed by COVID.

Constangy Brooks Prophete & Smith, LLP 2017-18.

Senior Counsel, Century City Office of Atlanta-based labor law firm. Firmwide expert on executive compensation. Trade secret misappropriation cases and settlements.

Law Offices of Jonathan Stein, P.C. 1992 to present.

Executive compensation and benefits, and IP business litigations (7- and 8-figures), as well as other business litigations such as fraud and insured business torts. Usually representing plaintiffs, Jonathan habitually litigates against 10 to 20 lawyers, often alone; and has won over 90% of his cases.

Old Ivy Homebuilders, Inc. 1988 – 1992.

Chairman and CEO. Developer and general contractor for 28 new single family homes and detached PUDs. Formed economic basis for Law Offices of Jonathan Stein.

Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison 1988.

Los Angeles office. Represented large national bank in $100+ MM agricultural loans to multiple 900-acre farming entities. Left when Old Ivy’s real estate development became fulltime.

Hughes Hubbard & Reed 1986 – 88.

Los Angeles office. Successfully represented ARCO and former CEO gaining dismissal of $180-million securities fraud case. Hallmark Cards 8-figure copyright litigation. Written up in American Lawyer for role tracking down ZZZ Best fraud.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius 1983 – 1986.

New York office. Recruited out of law school. Over $2 billion in leveraged lease transactions involving offshore drilling rigs, power plants, multiple 747 purchases.

State Bar Admissions. California 1986 – present. New York 1984 – present.

Languages. Spanish. Wife is Shanghainese, speaks and writes Mandarin as first language.

Significant Representations

2016 – 2020

Executive comp agreement for two co-founders of national insurance marketing company in Kansas. Originate first executive compensation and benefits contracts for two co-founders, after third co-founder bought out for over $100 MM. There was a $160-million “swing” based on complex corporate structure not updated since buying out private equity investors.

Executive comp agreement for CEO hired by new owners of a $100MM Boston-based technology company. The new owners wanted a “caretaker”, but avoided obvious bonus requirements, which we obtained in the exec comp agreement.

Termination of COO of creative advertising company. One year of legal work and negotiations accomplished termination with cause, avoiding generous severance provisions. Eventually an advantageous settlement was reached for advertising company, avoiding any litigation.

Analysis of severance rights after Kite Pharma acquired by Gilead for $10 billion. Represented an executive who decided to remain with new company and then changed his mind.

Intellectual Property Theft case, USDC Southern District of Iowa and Eastern District of Louisiana. Mr. Stein represented Plaintiffs whose computer software for the casino industry was stolen by a competitor. The case ended in 7-figure settlement with Midwest casinos that used the competitor’s software and the competitor was driven into bankruptcy.

Initial complaint for private equity fund which finances international VOIP receivables. Trade secret lawsuit quickly settled against former officer who started a similar company based in London.

Litigation settlement for Dallas subsidiary of French fashion company. Settlement with former employee bought out rights under company’s Option Agreement.

Trade secrets action for F500 corporation in federal court. Initial complaint and computer expert forensic review of new employee who allegedly brought with him trade secrets from his former employer and a competitor to the F500 corporation.

Obtained “Doe subpoena” for cybersecurity breach in the Hong Kong office of a major toy company. Email records obtained from F100 email provider to track down the cybersecurity breach.

2010 – 2015

EU-specific Consulting Agreements. Represented American technologist to (i) large German telecommunications company; and later (ii) large Dutch telecommunications company.

Israel-specific Consulting Agreement. Represented American technologist to Israeli subsidiary of large European telecommunications firm.

Employment Agreements for two “mutiny-ing” creative executives. Helped Charmain and CEO of a Hollywood creative advertising firm to squash “mutiny” by its leading creative executives, without losing them. Over one year spent to successfully bind them to long-term employment contracts with Company, avoiding any litigation.

Severance agreement, representing CTO who successfully garnered a 7-figure severance payment by exercising a “change in control” clause unexpectedly during the acquisition of his F500 company by private equity fund.

Executive Comp agreements, representing CTO to F500 technology company in Ohio.

Before 2010

Representation of six of Hollywood’s top second unit directors and stunt coordinators. Designed new insurance policy for stunt coordinators after 9/11-related insurance crisis in big budget movie production. Negotiated successful contracts with Disney (Hot Chick), Sony (Spiderman, Big Fish), Paramount (Paycheck), ABC-TV (Alias), and Fox TV (Boston Public), among others.

Trail of Pamela Anderson Lee. Helped win trial that lasted several months and covered daily on television. Won trial using a controversial “agency theory”, prompting adverse LA Times op-ed articles.

Represented creator of “Joe Camel” in FTC v Reynolds Tobacco Litigation. Mr. Stein represented a high-profile advertising firm owner, who created the cartoonish figure at the heart of the multi-billion-dollar Federal Trade Commission proceedings against Reynolds Tobacco. The FTC Case was a high point of President Clinton’s administration fight against under-aged smoking, but Mr. Stein’s client was exonerated.

7-figure Warner Bros settlement over co-production payments to independent producer. This producer hired me some time after he lost the Trial of Pamela Anderson Lee.

Honors and Recognitions

Beverly Hills Bar Association Litigation Awards Dinner. Mr. Stein was Dinner Chair and Master of Ceremonies for its first seven years for the, the second largest of over 225 events staged annually at BHBA.

Beverly Hills Bar Association. Distinguished Service Awards (2017 and 2013)

Beverly Hills Bar Association. President’s Award (2011)

Professional and Civic Associations

United States Team, Maccabiah Olympics, Israel July 2009 Gold Medal, Cycling. Captain, Masters Triathlon

United States Team, Maccabiah Pan Am Games 2007 (Buenos Aires). Bronze Medal, Masters Triathlon

Amateur Rugby. 20 years on amateur league teams in LA, NYC and Boston. 6 international tours.

Publications

Sovereignty Struggles and Native Rights in the United States, etc. (Univ. of North Carolina Press 2012). Co-author of Chapter 2, “State Recognition of American Indian Tribes, etc”.

Koenig and Stein, “Federalism and State Recognition of Native American Tribes: A Survey of State-Recognized Tribes and State Recognition Processes Across the US”, 48-1 Santa Clara Law Review 79 (2008)

Koenig and Stein, “Lost in Shuffle: State-Recognized Tribes and the Tribal Gaming Industry”, 40-2 Univ. of San Francisco Law Review 327 (2006)

Stein and Gallaway, “Swapping Out Debt: Solving The Riddle Of Debt-Asset Swaps And Triangular Deal Structures”, Global Gaming Business Magazine (April 2009)

First Annual Native American GRAMMY® Nominee Showcase (2002). Producer of theatrical show with 112 performers for sellout black-tie crowd at the Kodak® Theatre in Hollywood (home of the Academy Awards).

Speaking Engagements

October 2011, IAGA Annual Meeting, “Tribal Law Update on Land-Into-Trust Issues”

August 2011, BHBA, “Trial Proceedings Key Topics, Civil Litigation A – Z series”

Feb 2011, BHBA, “Stars of Litigation V: Advanced Cross-Examination Techniques and the Appropriate Use of Objections”

June 2011, BHBA, “Inaugural Judicial Town Hall, with the Presiding Judges of Los Angeles Superior Court”

May 2010, BHBA, “Stars of Litigation IV: Tom Girardi, et al”

April 2010, BHBA, “Stars of Litigation III: Waged Battle: Litigating the Big Dollar Wage Hour Class Action Case”

Feb 2010, BHBA, “Stars of Litigation II: Picking A Jury With Browne Greene”

Oct 2009, BHBA, “California E-Discovery”

May 2009, BHBA, “Litigation A to Z: Pre-Litigation Considerations”. ###

Executive Compensation