Biography
Jennifer Hughes is Senior Counsel in Coleman & Horowitt’s Los Angeles office. She represents businesses and their owners in transactional and litigation matters, serving as both outside general counsel and legal counsel for specific business needs.
Jennifer's practice is built around three areas where complexity and opportunity intersect. As counsel to small and medium-size enterprises, including a start-up in the green tech space, she advises founders in structuring transactions, managing corporate formalities in multiple jurisdictions, identifying risks, initiating and defending against litigation, and, when appropriate, referring and managing specialist counsel. In the creator economy, she represents musical artists, publishing companies, writers, and producers to finance, monetize and manage their creative capital. Jennifer works with all clients to identify their intellectual property assets, prosecute trademarks, manage copyrights, draft licenses, and defend against infringement and unfair competition. Jennifer’s real estate practice includes sales and lease transactions and litigation.
Prior to joining Coleman & Horowitt, Jennifer worked with several boutique entertainment law firms, and as counsel for a home office with significant real estate holdings, before establishing her own law practice.
Practice Areas
- Business Transactions
- Business Formation and Corporate Governance
- Entertainment Law
- Intellectual Property
- Real Estate
Education
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Los Angeles, California
- J.D.
- USC Entertainment Management, a joint program of the USC Marshall School of Business and the USC School of Cinematic Arts
- Certificate
- Honors: President, Sports, Music and Entertainment Law Society
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- B.A.
Bar Admissions
- California
Representative Cases
- Ongoing work with tax advisers structuring, forming, maintaining, and dissolving California and Delaware entities (corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships)
- Representation of film producers drafting and negotiating financing and distribution agreements, chain of title analysis, issuance of opinion letters, obtaining bond and E&O insurance
- Representation of green tech start-up in agreements with municipalities, investors, contractors, and employees, and coordination with patent and Series-A counsel
- Representation of multiple arts organizations in formation of non-profit corporations
- Representation of property owner before regulatory bodies, including City of Beverly Hills Cultural Heritage Commission and Planning Department in connection with renovation of historic property
- Corporate counsel for diverse property holding company (commercial and residential real estate, Gulfstream IV, barge berthed in France) interfacing with FAA administrative law, maritime law, bankruptcy law, property planning and zoning, celebrity endorsements and appearances, and lease and tenant negotiations.
- Successfully represented trademark holder in opposition to registration of similar trademark by company ranked in top 3 of Forbes 2026 Global list of largest public companies in the world
- Successfully represented educational non-profit owner of Rising Stargirls® trademark in ICANN takedown action against infringing off-shore adult website
- Represented screenwriter and Writer’s Guild in obtaining six-figure WGA judgment against film production company on alter ego theory in Federal District Court
- Represented retail owner in lease litigation resulting in six-figure judgment and settlement
- Represented co-owner of single-family residence in partition litigation and settlement
- Represented comedy couple in reality show negotiations
- Represented lender to pandemic-era Covid test manufacturer
- Represented cable network in formation of corporate foundation
Others
- Guest Lecturer USC “Intellectual Property in Architecture”