17 Mar 2026
Manatt Strengthens Los Angeles Creator Economy Practice with Four New Hires
"Manatt, Phelps & Phillips adds Ellie Heisler, Jessica Boardman, Mike Lawhead and April Hua in Los Angeles to its creator-economy entertainment practice, covering talent representation, non‑scripted production, M&A and brand deals."
Ellie Heisler has joined the firm as a partner in its Entertainment group. Heisler is described as one of the architects behind commercially sophisticated content creators and digital‑first media companies. She represents a cross section of talent including Matty Matheson, Jordan and Salish Matter, Quen Blackwell and Alan Chikin Chow, and media companies including Doing Things and Friday Beers. Her clients command hundreds of millions of subscribers and billions of views and operate businesses spanning streaming, publishing, touring, licensing, global brand partnerships and mass retail distribution.
Jessica Boardman joins Manatt’s Los Angeles office as a partner focused on production law and non‑scripted entertainment. She serves as trusted counsel to on‑camera talent, production companies, podcasters, documentaries and rights holders across all stages of development, production and distribution.
Mike Lawhead joins as a partner in the firm’s corporate and transactional practice, handling M&A, corporate finance, joint venture arrangements and related transactions for on‑camera talent, musicians, digital content creators and athletes, as well as the agents, managers and investors who support them.
April Hua joins the Los Angeles office as an associate, driving day‑to‑day brand deals, production, licensing and other commercial agreements for content creators.