Atty. Stephen Michael Kernan

Atty. Stephen Michael Kernan

Michael Kernan focuses his practice on entertainment and intellectual property litigation and transactions. Having a rare breadth of experience for an entertainment lawyer, Michael has worked for more than 15 years in entertainment transactional law and has been one of the leading authorities in entertainment litigation for the past 20 years.

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills 30 yrs experience 30 year
Call (424) 500-4967 Book Appointment

Profile Summary

About Stephen Michael Kernan at a glance

Stephen Michael Kernan is a Principal based in Beverly Hills, California, practicing at The Kernan Law Firm Apc. They have 30+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1996. Their practice focuses on copyright, real estate, ip, entertainment, and internet. Admitted to practice in California (1996), U.S, District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California (1998), and Illinois (1998). Educated at University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1995) and University of Illinois B.A. (—). Active member of Beverly Hills. Serands clients in Beverly Hills, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Verified attorney profile · Updated June 2026

About

  • Michael Kernan focuses his practice on entertainment and intellectual property litigation and transactions
  • Having a rare breadth of experience for an entertainment lawyer, Michael has worked for more than 15 years in entertainment transactional law and has been one of the leading authorities in entertainment litigation for the past 20 years
  • This combination is unique, and Michael's expertise was obtained with the top firms and companies in the entertainment business.Having first gained notoriety in the entertainment law field as a litigator at Lavely & Singer in Los Angeles (one of the most well-known entertainment firms in the country), Michael and his mentor Marty Singer successfully represented actor Jean Claude Van Damme in a jury trial televised on Court TV
  • The jury returned a unanimous verdict for Van Damme
  • Michael and Mr. Singer then successfully represented Arnold Schwarzenegger in a lawsuit against The Globe tabloid
  • Michael concluded his practice at Lavely & Singer after winning a large arbitration award on behalf of actor Dana Carvey
  • Michael has tried scores of cases, which is rare for entertainment litigators.Michael then moved into the practice of entertainment and digital media transactional law
  • In 2000, he became Vice-President, Business Affairs at the international talent agency International Creative Management (ICM)
  • As Co-Head of the ICM Digital Media Department, his duties included licensing and deal-making in technology, Internet, and mobile areas for ICM’s New York, London and Los Angeles offices.Michael has taught Entertainment Law since 2007 at his former law school, the University of California, Hastings College of Law
  • Michael also teaches classes on digital media entitled "Social Media Law", the first established social media law class in the United States

Practice Areas Explained

Stephen Michael Kernan's Areas of Practice

Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Stephen Michael Kernan handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.

Copyright Law

Stephen Michael Kernan is one of 17,495 copyright attorneys indexed nationally. Browse copyright attorneys in California →

Real Estate Law

Real estate attorneys handle home purchases, sales, commercial transactions, title disputes, and landlord-tenant matters.

Stephen Michael Kernan is one of 316,149 real estate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse real estate attorneys in California →

Intellectual Property

IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.

Stephen Michael Kernan is one of 106,079 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in California →

Entertainment & Sports Law

Entertainment lawyers for music, film, sports contracts, talent representation, and IP licensing.

Stephen Michael Kernan is one of 45,946 entertainment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse entertainment attorneys in California →

Internet & Cyber Law

Internet and cyber lawyers for data breaches, online defamation, privacy law, and cybersecurity matters.

Stephen Michael Kernan is one of 17,958 internet attorneys indexed nationally. Browse internet attorneys in California →

Jurisdictional Context

Why local counsel matters in California

Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Beverly Hills are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.

Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Beverly Hills or all attorneys in California.

Frequently Asked

Common questions about Stephen Michael Kernan

Where is Stephen Michael Kernan's law office located?
Stephen Michael Kernan's law practice is located in Beverly Hills, California. The firm is The Kernan Law Firm Apc. You can contact the office directly through this profile page.
What practice areas does Stephen Michael Kernan handle?
Stephen Michael Kernan focuses on copyright, real estate, ip, entertainment, internet. Each practice area listed reflects experience handling cases of that type in California.
How long has Stephen Michael Kernan practiced law?
Stephen Michael Kernan has 30+ years of legal experience and has been licensed since 1996.
Where did Stephen Michael Kernan go to law school?
Stephen Michael Kernan earned their education at (J.D., 1995); (—).
How can I contact Stephen Michael Kernan for a consultation?
You can contact Stephen Michael Kernan directly through this profile page. Click "Ask the Attorney" to submit a question, or "Schedule a Consultation" to book a meeting. Most claimed-profile attorneys respond within one business day.

Education

J.D.
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
- 1995
University of Illinois B.A.
- In Progress

Bar Admissions

California
Admitted: 1996
U.S, District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California
Admitted: 1998
Illinois
Admitted: 1998

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