The Walt Disney Company has had an extraordinary influence on American pop culture for over a century. The company began as an animation studio but has since expanded into feature film production, television, cable, streaming, merchandise, and of course, theme parks.Disney is responsible for some of the most important American cultural products, from Mickey Mouse to Star Wars.
With such a large and diverse set of holdings, The Walt Disney Company and related entities face a similarly diverse array of litigation.
According to Docket Alarm analytics, the most frequent case type for litigation is premises liability in the state of California. This trend is not surprising, as millions visit Disneyland in Anaheim every year. Analysis of state court case types is limited because case types are not unified between jurisdictions, and Docket Alarm does not cover all jurisdictions; litigation at Disney’s other locations may occur at an even greater frequency. Orange County, Florida appears as the top jurisdiction where Disney is in court.
Turning to federal court, cases have remained steady over the course of the last decade. Large spikes in 2017 and 2018 coordinate with consolidated appeals alleging that the company failed to accommodate disabilities at its theme parks.
In contrast to state court, the top case types in federal court concern intellectual property, representing the other side of DIsney’s business. These are led by copyright and trademark; Disney has long been tied to pushes for for favorable intellectual property protections. Other top federal case types include civil rights, civil rights in employment, patent, and personal injury.
Disney’s top law firms in federal court over the course of the last decade are Munger, Tolles & Olson; Shutts & Bowen’ McDermott Will & Emery; and O’Melveny & Myers.
