Aimée Scala is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of Mazzola Lindstrom LLP where her practice focuses on litigation as well as transactional law, particularly in the areas of fine art, intellectual property, media, and entertainment law. Aimée represents clients in a variety of creative fields, including the visual arts, new media, emerging technologies, photography, publishing, and entertainment industries.
A part-time lecturer at the UCLA School of Law, past Chair of the Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and a leader of the Art Law section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, Aimée speaks often on art law, copyright, emerging technologies and generative AI, and the fair use defense.
Prior to entering the legal profession, Aimée was the photo editor of Artforum magazine from 2004-2013. Her extensive professional background in the arts informs her analysis of client matters, as she is familiar with the many players and facets of the art world, from scholars and researchers to artists and galleries, as well as museums, auction houses, libraries, archives, and nonprofit arts organizations of all
kinds, and currently sits on the board of Fulcrum Arts, a nonprofit arts organization which advances collaboration at the intersection of art and science to impact positive social change on a civic scale through exhibitions, institutional partnerships, interdisciplinary symposia, festivals, residencies, and outreach education.
EDUCATION
- Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY
Juris Doctor, cum laude – Certificate in Intellectual Property, Media, and Information Law, 2013 - Columbia University, New York, NY
B.A., Political Science, cum laude, 2004
ACTIVITIES & AFFILIATIONS
- Past Chair of the Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Executive Committee and current member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member and Career Facilitator, ArtTable
- Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- Bar Admissions: New York, California, the U.S. District Courts for the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of New York, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented the estate of a renowned performance artist, sculptor, and painter in connection with registration refusals at the U.S. Copyright Office, obtaining copyright
registrations after submitting requests for reconsideration. - Negotiated favorable terms for an artist entering into an agreement to design product labels and merchandise with a global beverage brand.
- Defended an art appraiser against claims brought by an insured in connection with an appraisal done on behalf of a national insurance company (Case is ongoing)
- Represented a musician and music producer and their loan out companies in agreements concerning creation of original scores and sound recordings with various
major studios, animation companies, and talent representatives. - Prosecuted bankruptcy adversary proceeding on behalf of an artist whose gallery filed for bankruptcy. Achieved successful settlement
- Represented well-known stylist and designer in connection with office actions issued by the U.S. Trademark Office, obtaining trademark registrations for the client’s work and design marks.
- Negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of an artist in connection with claims stemming from an art exhibition held abroad.
