Thomas H. Vidal

Tom is frequently engaged when disputes become contested and trial-bound — particularly where cases involve ownership and governance conflicts, break-ups of business relationships, misappropriation of intellectual property assets, and reputational harm. He is often asked to assume lead trial counsel responsibility in cases approaching trial, bringing a disciplined narrative focus and deep strategic judgment to every matter.

While widely recognized for his work in entertainment and media disputes, Tom’s practice extends across corporate, financial, and technology conflicts. His clients include entrepreneurs, founders, CEOs, investors, creators, and high-net-worth individuals whose interests require bold advocacy and meticulous preparation.

Tom has secured significant outcomes for clients in courts from coast to coast, including multimillion-dollar verdicts and favorable trial victories. Clients describe him as “incredibly experienced,” “always out ahead of the other side,” and their “first choice” when the stakes are highest.

Entertainment, IP, and First Amendment Cases

Tom’s cases run the gamut from representing multinational corporations to entrepreneurs and executives, from emerging companies to creators, artists, and inventors. Drawing from a breadth of experience trying and litigating copyright, trademark, and patent infringement claims, Tom maintains a robust intellectual property practice. He tries cases involving licensing, misappropriation, contract disputes, false advertising, and deceptive practices, and counsels media and advertising companies on state and federal advertising regulations.

Sought after for his skillful handling of entertainment cases, Tom provides comprehensive representation to clients in the film, music, television, and publishing industries, securing victories in cases involving rights of publicity, defamation, and First Amendment issues. A congressional candidate Tom defended in a defamation case said, “A frivolous $2,000,000 lawsuit was filed against me in Federal Court and that is when Tom jumped in. He was able to quickly outmaneuver the plaintiff in the Federal District Court and win an award of fees; he had the same success in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.”

C-suite and Corporate Lawsuits

CEOs and company founders have called on him to protect them from freeze-outs, post-merger disputes, and ownership and governance disputes. One entrepreneur-client said that hiring Tom “was the best decision I could have made.”

Tom is frequently retained by corporate clients and executive-level employees to litigate cases involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and breach of contract claims. Additionally, he represents clients in white collar matters relating to director and officer liability, securities fraud, and other complex business disputes.

Technology Sector Disputes

Clients in the technology sector benefit from Tom’s deep industry knowledge and intellectual property expertise. Having worked as a software developer and programmer prior to becoming a lawyer, he is intimately familiar with the issues and challenges facing the industry and has successfully resolved patent, licensing, trademark, copyright, and trade secret disputes on behalf of web developers, hardware designers, end users, and gaming companies.

Negotiating and Dealmaking

Beyond his litigation skills, Tom is a trusted and savvy negotiator, adept at structuring transactions related to film, music, and literary projects. One client said that Tom’s “incredible knowledge and experience in entertainment made him our first choice for both our contract and litigation needs.” He helps his clients obtain optimal terms in film acquisition, production, financing, and distribution deals as well as recording and publishing agreements.

Representative Cases

• Obtained a $26,276,752 unanimous jury verdict in September 2024 in federal court on behalf of a high-net-worth client in a complex elder abuse, fraud, and legal malpractice action, including $15 million in punitive damages.
• Serving as lead trial counsel in the first major copyright infringement trial involving fair use of viral YouTube videos, after closing arguments, Tom obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of his YouTuber client.
• In a case to determine ownership of a championship race car, Tom obtained a unanimous jury verdict in favor of his client.
• In an arbitration involving a scientific-testing laboratory in the cannabis industry where the former CEO and board chair was falsely accused of malfeasance, he obtained a defense victory for the ex-CEO.
• In a Delaware Chancery Court trial after two co-founders improperly stripped the other founder of his shares, he obtained a favorable ruling restoring his client’s ownership stake.
• In a #MeToo lawsuit involving a media executive who was falsely accused of sexual misconduct, he obtained a dismissal that completely exonerated his client.
• In a $2 million defamation case brought against a congressional candidate in Federal District Court, he obtained a dismissal on an anti-SLAPP motion and won an award of fees for his client. After the plaintiff appealed the decision, Tom prevailed again in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, when that court affirmed the District Court’s decision.
• In a multimillion-dollar post-merger dispute involving the buyer’s refusal to pay earnouts to the seller, Tom obtained a victory for the seller.

Beyond the Courtroom

Outside the office, Tom is a competitive distance runner and former U.S. Masters swimmer. He is a former Editorial Board Member of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, served as co-chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Litigation Section, and was the Barrister President of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.