Biography
Mischa N. Barteau specializes in civil litigation, mediation, and negotiation.
Prior to joining Arnold LaRochelle Mathews VanConas & Zirbel LLP, Ms. Barteau worked for attorney J. Paul Gignac, practicing all aspects of civil litigation in state and federal courts, at the trial and appellate levels, with a primary focus on entertainment and intellectual property litigation, fiduciary and beneficiary litigation, real estate and business litigation, and class actions.
Notable successes include Kelly Wilson v. Walt Disney Co., et al (Case No. 3:14-cv-01441-VC, United States District Court, Northern District of California). In Wilson v. Disney, Ms. Barteau and Mr. Gignac represented Kelly Wilson, the creator of a short film called The Snowman, in a copyright infringement case alleging that the “teaser trailer” for Disney’s animated film Frozen infringed Ms. Wilson’s copyright in The Snowman. After a hard fought litigation, including successfully opposing Disney’s motion to dismiss and motion for summary judgment, the case resolved shortly before trial by way of confidential settlement.
Ms. Barteau has also worked for Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis LLP in Santa Barbara, Arias Ozzello & Gignac LLP in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County, Presiding Judge Brian Hill at the Santa Barbara Superior Court, Public Counsel Law Center in Los Angeles, the Center for Conflict Resolution in Los Angeles, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Los Angeles, Hanger Steinberg Shapiro & Ash in Woodland Hills, and the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice in Washington, DC.
Ms. Barteau received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in English from University of California, Berkeley. She received her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law and Master of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution.
During law school, Ms. Barteau was a member of the Pepperdine Law Review, served as President of the Women’s Legal Association, and received the CALI Award for highest grade in Advanced Mediation. She also studied law in Europe at Universität Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany and Pepperdine Law School’s International Program in London, England, where she competed in international moot court at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Ms. Barteau is admitted to practice law in California and in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
