Jonathan Charles Balfus

Jonathan Charles Balfus

also known as Jonathan C. Balfus

5.0
Rating: 9.0

Licensed for 36 years

Litigation Lawyer at Santa Monica, CA
Practice Areas: Litigation, Intellectual Property, Business, Entertainment

100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA

This attorney is currently not accepting new clients.
Reason: In-House Counsel

About Jonathan

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Litigation 40%

State and Federal litigation, appeals, arbitrations and mediations

34 years | 80 cases

40%
Intellectual Property 30%

Trademark and Copyright litigation, strategizing and monetizing, licensing, branding, domain name disputes, brand protection, registration and USPTO issues, infringement plaintiff and defense counsel

33 years | 60 cases

30%
Business 20%

All aspects of business litigation: corporate dissolutions, shareholder/partnership disputes, vendor and supplier contractual disputes, merchandise, advertising, branding, performance and personal service contractual matters

38 years | 75 cases

20%
Entertainment 10%

Music, performance and broadcasting industry contracts, disputes, licensing, litigation; attribution and IP issues, royalty, profitability and accounting disputes

30 years | 50 cases

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in California for 34 years

State: California

Acquired: 1991

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in New York for 36 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1989

Delinquent

No misconduct found

Location

Jonathan C. Balfus, Esq.

100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA, 90401

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Jonathan Charles Balfus's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

11 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (11) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Character & Conduct

Posted by Connie and Michael | November 09, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Intellectual Property

Superb

Jonny is an excellent attorney and wonderful person to have in our lives. He has helped our company in resolving complicated IP issues, and has also helped other members of our family in their legal matters. Jonny responds to all calls and emails immediately - something that is often missing with o...ther attorneys. Jonny has a unique sensibility: a terrific sense of humor, a wonderfully calm and reassuring manner, and a deep appreciation of the personal impact as well as the business issues involved in a litigation. We strongly recommend him!

Posted by Andeera | November 05, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Legal Help

Jonny was very professional and responded to all my questions promptly. He has helped me several times in various legal disputes. He is personable and efficient and I highly recommend his services.

Posted by Laura | October 08, 2015 | Hired Attorney

Review of an Excellent Intellectual Property Lawyer

Jonny is extremely well versed in the subject and is a practical guy. He returns calls immediately and he is truly interested in getting the best result for the lowest cost without sacrificing any quality. He is calm and funny, which helps to reduce the stresses that usually go hand in hand with n...eeding legal representation.

See All Client Reviews

Jonathan Charles Balfus's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Jonathan
Somair Syed Alam headshot
Somair Alam

Litigation lawyer | Feb 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"An exceptional litigation attorney whose reputation speaks for itself. Highly recommended lawyer."

Jonathan A. Jekel headshot
Jonathan Jekel

Intellectual property lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Balfus is a frequent contributor on Avvo. What I appreciate most about his responses is his candor. Because Avvo is a public forum, we frequently encounter legal issues of dubious credibility. Mr. Balfus has no problem telling someone when they have no claim. I imagine this attitude carries over to his clients. Unlike many other attorneys who just cannot say "no" to a client, you can trust that Mr. Balfus will give you an honest, candid assessment of whether and to what extent you have a valid claim or defense. Therefore, I am happy to submit my endorsement."

Julian Cordero headshot
Julian Cordero

Unknown lawyer | Nov 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Balfus is a frequent contributor on the Avvo forums and provides countless great answers."

John Michael Phillips headshot
John Phillips

Unknown lawyer | Nov 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Lawyers who donate time on sites like this have a passion for the law and a compassion for the people they serve. Kudos."

Willie Stephen Graves headshot
Willie Graves

Litigation lawyer | Nov 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Chris J Zhen headshot
Chris Zhen

Intellectual property lawyer | Nov 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Excellent knowledge of the law. I endorse this lawyer."

Mark M Hathaway headshot
Mark Hathaway

Litigation lawyer | Oct 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Jonathan is a worthy advocate with excellent presentation skills."

Michael Charles Doland headshot
Michael Doland

Intellectual property lawyer | Oct 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Although relatively new to Avvo, the answers of Mr. Balfus are consistently accurate, analytic, and customized to the needs of the Avvo asker. These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when selecting an attorney."

Kalpesh J. Patel headshot
Kalpesh Patel

Intellectual property lawyer | Oct 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Balfus is an excellent Intellectual Property Lawyer. He is through in his advice and provides very helpful information. I would recommend Mr. Balfus to my clients who need an intellectual property lawyer."

Joel Michael Tantalo headshot
Joel Tantalo

Intellectual property lawyer | Sep 29

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I was opposing counsel with Jonny in a small (dollars-wise) but very contentious business breakup involving intellectual property (the parties involved were musicians). It was much like a divorce, and the parties were very emotional about the dispute. Jonny and I were able to separate ourselves from the personal side of the case, speak frankly, trust one another, and ultimately settle a case on terms favorable to everyone so that they could go their separate ways. Despite the nature of the case, Jonny and I always got along. Jonny is a strong -- yet courteous and professional -- attorney. I certainly endorse him."

Kathryn Filkins Russo headshot
Kathryn Russo

Intellectual property lawyer | Sep 28

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Every time I have referred a client to Jonny I have had a great experience working with him. Jonny has extensive experience handling copyright, trademark, fair use, media, and rights of publicity matters. I would not hesitate to refer my clients to Jonny because he consistently and quickly delivers expert advice and my clients have been very satisfied working with him."

View All Endorsements
Paul R. Goodman headshot
Paul Goodman

Intellectual property lawyer

Daniel Nathan Ballard headshot
Daniel Ballard

Intellectual property lawyer

Ira W David headshot
Ira David

Intellectual property lawyer

Sherry Denise Spees headshot
Sherry Spees

Corporate and incorporation lawyer

Joel Michael Tantalo headshot
Joel Tantalo

Copyright infringement lawyer

Warren Robert Shiell headshot
Warren Shiell

Family lawyer

Kathryn Filkins Russo headshot
Kathryn Russo

Business lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

2013 - Present

Principal, Law Offices of Jonathan C. Balfus

2009 - 2013

Partner, Weiss & Spees LLP

2003 - 2009

Attorney, Fainsbert Mase & Snyder

Associations

2000 - Present

Beverly Hills Bar Association

Sample of Legal Cases

In re Karykeion, Inc., 435 B.R. 663 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2010)

Motion Granted

Citicasters Licenses, Inc. v. Cumulus Media, Inc., 189 F. Supp.2d 1372 (S.D. Ga. 2002)

Won bench trial

Wilkes v. Rhino Records, Inc., 133 F.3d 931 (9th Cir. 1997)

Won summary judgment

See More Legal Cases

Education

1988

New York University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1985

New York University College of Arts & Sciences

BA - Bachelor of Arts (cum laude)

Publications

2011

California Bankruptcy Journal “EXIDE Inside Out: New Third Circuit Decision Preserves Trademark Licensee’s Rights Following Licensor’s Rejection Under Bankruptcy Code §365”

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution