Cordell Brown is a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson whose practice focuses on high-stakes commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and technology.
Cordell has represented some of the largest companies in their most significant matters. He has particular experience in the technology sector, including representing clients in product liability and intellectual property matters. He has also worked on high-stakes government investigations. His work earned him recognition by The Recorder as a finalist for Most Promising Newcomer.
Cordell maintains an active pro bono practice. He acted as a lead trial counsel in a lawsuit alleging that a school district’s closure of several elementary schools violated the California Constitution. He has also represented clients seeking relief from removal and has conducted extensive research to support efforts expanding access to justice for detained individuals.
Before joining MTO, Cordell worked as a summer associate at MTO and an Am Law 200 firm. At both firms, he worked across a variety of industries and practices and conducted legal research on intellectual property, antitrust issues and technology-centered topics.
Cordell earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the president of the Law and Technology Society and a member of the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program. During law school, Cordell was a student attorney at the University of Chicago’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and a research assistant for Professor Sonja B. Starr.
Frances C. McDonald is an associate at Bird Marella. She focuses her practice primarily on complex civil litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
She has significant experience in antitrust, mass tort, breach of contract, intellectual property, and securities matters. Frances is also dedicated to her thriving pro bono practice and has particular expertise in civil rights and immigration-related matters.
Prior to joining Bird Marella, Frances was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in their New York office and was a Pro Bono Scholar Extern with Phillips Black. She was also a summer corporate legal intern with the National Football League.
Frances received her J.D. from New York University School of Law where she was a Pro Bono Scholar and a Fellow with the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center. She also served as President of the Sports Law Association and Article Selection Editor for the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change. Frances received her B.A. from the University of Chicago, where she was Captain of the Women’s Volleyball team.
Ms. Stephen earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with honors in legal writing. While in law school, Ms. Stephen held a law clerk position in the Hearings Unit of Baltimore’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, completed an externship with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, and interned with a plaintiff-side employment law firm in Philadelphia.
During law school, Ms. Stephen was the Community Editor for The Regulatory Review and an Associate Editor for the University Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change. Additionally, Ms. Stephen was also a board member of the Black Law Student Association and the Education and Advocacy Coordinator of If/When/How, a student pro bono organization focused on advancing reproductive rights and justice.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Stephen was the recipient of a Fulbright Award for which she spent a year as an English Teaching Assistant at a high school in Malaysia.
As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Stephen won an English departmental prize for her thesis titled Black Travel through Time and Space: Music Videos from Sun Ra to Erykah Badu, in which she explored Afrofuturism in the music space. As a member of the Performing Arts Council Executive Board, she headed up the After School Arts Program, a university-funded arts program for youth in West Philadelphia public schools. Ms. Stephen graduated summa cum laude and was selected to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Outside of work, Ms. Stephen is a musician, creative writer, and avid moviegoer.
Leah C. Stevenson, Esq. is a Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney whose practice spans music, digital media, film, television, and intellectual property.
She counsels artists, creators, executives, entrepreneurs, and media companies on high-value negotiations, complex business matters, and the strategic protection of intellectual property. Her transactional experience includes recorded music, publishing, brand partnerships, merchandising, licensing, film and television, and other entertainment and digital media matters.
Leah also serves as outside counsel to entrepreneurs and companies, advising on corporate governance, strategic partnerships, IP portfolio management, and complex dispute resolution.
A member of the Recording Academy and National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Leah has been featured in The Washington Post and CNN. She is known for her sharp legal acumen and business-minded approach, balancing creative and business interests to provide comprehensive legal strategies for her clients.
Her ability to navigate complex entertainment and business matters has made Leah a trusted advisor to clients across the entertainment industry.