About Michael Mark
Michael Mark Baranov is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in both California and the District of Columbia. He was admitted to the California State Bar in December 1989, holding, and to the District of Columbia Bar in 2023. His license status in both jurisdictions is active. Mr. Baranov is a partner at Baranov & Wittenberg LLP, a law firm located at 1901 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1750, Los Angeles, California 90067. He has been practicing law for over 36 years, serving clients in California and the District of Columbia.
Mr. Baranov earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, graduating in 1989. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Irvine, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986. During his time at USC Gould, he was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity and authored "The Nuts and Bolts of California Corporations Law," published in Business and Industry News in June and July 1993.
Mr. Baranov's practice areas include business law, employment law, entertainment law, and intellectual property law. He has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending large-scale commercial disputes, unfair competition matters, trade secret cases, and employment-related issues. His work encompasses all stages of litigation, including hearings, appeals, negotiations, and trials. He has represented numerous celebrity plaintiffs in defamation suits against various publications and has guided the development and growth of diverse national and international companies, as well as the careers of notable producers, writers, and directors.
Throughout his career, Mr. Baranov has been admitted to practice before several courts, including the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also been admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. Prior to founding Baranov & Wittenberg LLP, he was a member of the International Commerce and Business Development Committees of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce from 1993 to 2000.
Mr. Baranov is an active member of the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles County Bar Associations. He served on the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California from 1994 to 1996. He is fluent in Russian, allowing him to serve a diverse clientele effectively. In 2021, he received the Client Champion award, recognizing his excellence in client service. His firm offers fixed hourly rates and fixed fees for certain legal services.
