About David
David Kostiner is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 2005 and holds bar number 240989. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Kostiner is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Counsel LLP, a boutique entertainment and digital media law firm located in San Francisco, California. He has been practicing law for over 20 years, serving clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
Mr. Kostiner earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings College of the Law), where he graduated in 2005. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at Tufts University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Psychology in 1995. During his time at UC Law SF, he was actively involved in student organizations, serving as President of the Arts, Communications, and Entertainment Law Society and Symposium Chair for the Communications and Entertainment Law Journal.
Mr. Kostiner concentrates his practice in the areas of entertainment law, intellectual property, and business law. He represents creators and innovators in the entertainment and technology industries, specializing in music, film, and start-up strategies, rights transactions, corporate formation and maintenance, trademarking, and litigation services. His practice encompasses all stages of legal work, including negotiations, drafting contracts, litigation, and dispute resolution.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kostiner has handled cases in various courts, including the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco. He has also appeared before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Prior to founding Counsel LLP, he worked as an associate at Davis Shapiro Lewit and Hayes, LLP in San Francisco. Before his legal career, he was a professional musician, drumming in jazz clubs and performing with symphony orchestras, and later joined DreamWorks artist Creeper Lagoon.
Mr. Kostiner is an active member of the California State Bar and frequently appears as a panelist and public speaker. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Entertainment Law at UC Law SF and has been published in the Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal and the Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal. He is fluent in English and has a background in music, allowing him to serve the diverse communities of the San Francisco Bay Area effectively.
