You’ve probably seen the sleek glass towers of Century City while driving down Santa Monica Boulevard. It's basically the Wall Street of the West. But inside one of those high-rises sits an office that arguably shapes what you watch on Netflix, how your favorite musicians get paid, and how multi-billion dollar sports franchises change hands. I’m talking about Latham & Watkins Century City. It’s not just another corporate satellite office. Honestly, it’s the nerve center for some of the most complex media and entertainment deals in history.
Latham & Watkins is a global giant. Everyone knows that. They have thousands of attorneys and dozens of offices. But the Century City location is different. It’s distinct from their downtown LA headquarters. It’s smaller, punchier, and hyper-focused on the intersection of content, capital, and technology.
The Strategic Shift to Century City
Why have two offices in the same city? It’s a question people ask all the time. Downtown LA is for litigation, government work, and traditional corporate law. Century City is for the "industry."
Latham opened this specific branch in 2014. They didn't just do it to save their partners a commute from the Westside. They did it because the talent lived there. The agencies—CAA, WME, UTA—are all right there. The major studios and the "New Hollywood" tech giants have their footprints in the 90067 zip code. If you want to be the firm that handles a merger between a legacy studio and a streaming platform, you have to be in the room where it happens.
The office started with a handful of heavy hitters. It has since grown into a massive force. We’re talking about a team that handles everything from "bet-the-company" intellectual property disputes to the financing of professional sports stadiums.
Entertainment, Sports, and Media (ESM)
If you look at the Chambers and Partners rankings, Latham’s Century City crew is almost always at the top. This isn't just marketing fluff. They are the ones who worked on the Disney-Fox merger. They’ve represented the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They’ve been in the middle of massive private equity infusions into sports leagues.
It’s about the money behind the art.
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Take the work of someone like Ken Deutsch or Justin Hamill. These aren't just lawyers; they are architects of the modern media landscape. When a private equity firm like Silver Lake or Apollo wants to buy a stake in an entertainment property, they call Century City. The legal expertise required here is incredibly niche. You need to understand guild residuals, international distribution rights, and the weird, opaque world of Hollywood accounting.
Not Just Movies
Don't make the mistake of thinking it's all about red carpets. The Latham & Watkins Century City office is a massive player in technology and life sciences too. The startup scene in "Silicon Beach" (Santa Monica, Venice, Playa Vista) flows directly into Century City.
- Venture capital financing for gaming companies.
- IPOs for biotech firms that are literally trying to cure cancer.
- Complex tax structuring for ultra-high-net-worth individuals who made their money in tech.
The variety is wild. One day a partner might be negotiating a deal for a Formula 1 team, and the next, they are defending a patent for a medical device company.
The Culture Inside the Tower
Big Law has a reputation for being a grind. It is. Let's be real. If you’re an associate at Latham, you are working a lot of hours. But the Century City office is often described as having a slightly more "entrepreneurial" vibe than the stodgy East Coast firms.
It’s less about "who your father was" and more about "what deal did you close today?"
They have this "unassigned associate" program. It’s actually pretty smart. Instead of forcing a 24-year-old law school grad to choose a specialty on day one, they let them rotate. You can try out M&A, then do some white-collar defense, then maybe some project finance. It builds lawyers who actually understand how a business works, not just how to cite a statute.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Latham & Watkins Century City
People think big law firms are just "no" machines. You’ve heard the trope: "The lawyers are here to tell us why we can't do the deal."
At the Century City level, it’s the opposite. These firms are "yes" machines. Their job is to find the legal pathway to make a $10 billion merger happen without getting blocked by the DOJ or sued into oblivion by shareholders. They are creative. Sometimes, the legal structures they invent—especially in the world of "SPACs" or complex licensing—are genuinely innovative.
Another misconception? That they only represent the "Goliaths." While they definitely represent the Disneys and the Apples of the world, they also represent the creators and the disruptors. They represent the talent agencies that are trying to protect their clients from AI-generated likenesses. They are at the forefront of the legal battle over who owns a "digital soul."
The Real Power Players
To understand this office, you have to look at the names that keep showing up in the Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list.
- Marvin Putnam: A legend in litigation. He’s the guy you call when the stakes are so high that losing isn't an option. He famously defended AEG Live in the Michael Jackson wrongful death lawsuit.
- Nancy Bruington: A powerhouse in finance. She handles the complicated debt and equity structures that keep the lights on at major production companies.
- Kendall Johnson: A go-to for M&A in the entertainment space.
These individuals aren't just sitting in back offices reviewing contracts. They are strategic advisors to CEOs. They are often the first people called when a scandal breaks or a deal leaks to the press.
Why It Matters to You (Even If You Aren't a Lawyer)
You might think, "Who cares about a law firm?"
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Well, you should. The decisions made in those conference rooms on Avenue of the Stars dictate what your streaming subscription costs. They dictate whether your favorite show gets a second season or gets scrapped for a tax write-off. They dictate how much of your data is "fair game" for tech companies.
When Latham & Watkins Century City negotiates a deal between a streaming giant and a theater chain, they are literally deciding the future of how humans consume stories. That's a lot of power for a group of people in suits.
The Future: AI and the Next Frontier
Right now, the office is pivoting. The big topic? Artificial Intelligence.
Hollywood is terrified of AI. Or excited by it. Usually both. Latham’s attorneys are currently writing the "rulebook" for how AI can be used in scripts, special effects, and voice acting. They are dealing with copyright questions that didn't even exist three years ago. Can you copyright a movie generated by a prompt? Who gets the royalties?
They are also leaning heavily into the "private equity-fication" of everything. From music catalogs (think Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift’s masters) to professional sports teams, everything is becoming an "asset class." Latham is the bridge between the creative world and the cold, hard math of private equity.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the Space
If you are a business owner, a creator, or an aspiring attorney looking at the Century City landscape, here is what you need to keep in mind.
- Look for Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: The reason Latham wins is that they don't just know "law." They know the business of Hollywood. If you’re hiring counsel, ensure they understand your specific industry's economics, not just the legal jargon.
- Geographic Proximity Still Matters: In a world of Zoom, being in Century City still counts. The "hallway talk" between agents, managers, and lawyers is where the real intel lives.
- Watch the IP Trends: Intellectual Property is the new gold. Whether you’re a YouTuber or a Fortune 500 company, protecting your "brand" and your "content" is the most important legal hurdle you’ll face in the next decade.
- Prepare for Consolidation: The trend of big companies buying smaller companies isn't slowing down. If you're a mid-sized player, have your "house in order" legally so you’re ready for an acquisition or a merger at any moment.
Latham & Watkins Century City isn't just a law office. It’s a barometer for the global economy. When they are busy, the world is making big moves. And right now? They are very, very busy.