O+Z
Press Release
O+Z Recognized as ‘Top IP Litigation Boutique’ by The Legal 500
Washington, D.C. (July 18, 2023) — Oppenheim + Zebrak, LLP (O+Z) has been recognized as a leading copyright firm by The Legal 500 for 2023, with the rankings agency noting the firm’s longstanding representation of the music and book publishing industries.
Interviewees told The Legal 500 that O+Z is “[o]ne of the top IP litigation boutiques in the country, especially where copyrights or counterfeiting is involved. Great trial lawyers, strategic thinkers, great at writing convincing briefs. Responsive, efficient, fair rates.” Another said, “They are incredibly smart, responsive, efficient. Led by Matt Oppenheim and Scott Zebrak, their younger partners and associates are all terrific, hardworking, efficient.”
The Legal 500 noted that the firm is headed in DC by Matt Oppenheim and Scott Zebrak, “who bring longstanding copyright counseling and litigation experience,” and in New York by Alex Kaplan, “a specialist in the sports and entertainment sectors.” The agency further noted that partner “Michele Harrington Murphy acts in complex federal litigation involving counterfeiting, digital rights enforcement, licensing, and royalties disputes, and [partner] Jeff Gould assists the firm’s record company and clients with brand protection strategy.”
In bestowing the recognition this year, The Legal 500 cited O+Z’s successful challenge of the constitutionality of a Maryland law that would have required publishers to license their literary works in eBook format to Maryland libraries on terms set and regulated by the state. The agency also cited the firm’s work representing music industry clients against a pair of music piracy websites that provide users a “stream-ripping” service that converts authorized video streams from third-party platforms to downloadable audio files, as well as the firm’s leading role in challenging e-commerce site Shopify on behalf of educational publishers for allegedly helping to facilitate copyright infringement by hosting pirate storefronts on its platform.