Biography
Blake has significant experience in particular with disputes in the media and entertainment sector. He has experience at all phases of litigation, including initial pleadings and motion practice, managing document discovery, conducting depositions, taking witness examinations at trial, and litigating issues on appeal.
Blake has been instrumental in helping secure some of Weil’s most notable recent wins. He has served on Weil teams representing:
- A national media company in a four-week bench trial regarding statutory webcasting license royalty payments
- Paramount Global in securing a Sixth Circuit appellate victory in a putative nationwide class action alleging violations of the federal Video Privacy Protection Act, creating a circuit split with the Second and Seventh Circuits
- Various other media and entertainment companies, including Warner Bros. Discovery and Philo, in obtaining early pre-trial victories in class actions brought asserting violations of various privacy laws, including the California Invasion of Privacy Act and other state and federal wiretapping laws
- Media companies in resolving mass arbitrations brought under various state and federal privacy laws
- Gannett in obtaining the dismissal of a putative class action alleging violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act
- A leading television broadcaster in various sports-related litigation matters
- A multinational broadcasting company in a copyright and trademark infringement case against a competitor network and a television producer involving a hit reality series
- Advising numerous clients on their strategies for mitigating the risk of potential privacy litigation
Blake also has an active pro bono practice, in which he regularly advises a New York-based art museum on various copyright matters. He has also served on teams that have secured victories on behalf of clients facing religious and disability discrimination, and has assisted the New York City Law Department in responding to various tort claims by conducting depositions of plaintiffs bringing such claims.
Blake regularly speaks on topics related to litigation practice, including providing training to other attorneys on pleadings and removal, as well as training on trends in class action privacy litigation. Blake received his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from Davidson College and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal.