Ellie Heisler Joins Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to Grow Creator Economy

Mar 19, 2026 6:00am PT Ellie Heisler Joins Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as Firm Expands Creator Economy Activity With Hires in Entertainment Practice By Arushi Jacob Plus Icon Arushi Jacob Latest Takeaways From Variety’s True Crime Summit at SXSW 2026 With Natalie Morales, MrBallen and More 20 hours ago California Awards $296 Million in TV Tax Credits, Expands to Animated and Competition Shows 22 hours ago Xbox’s ‘Starfield’ to Launch on PlayStation 5 in April (Gaming News Roundup) 23 hours ago See All Courtesy Image Ellie Heisler has joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as a partner in its entertainment practice as the law firm looks to expand its activity in the creator economy and the emerging world of creators, influencers and brands. Heisler comes to Manatt after more than 11 years with Nixon Peabody, where she built the firm’s entertainment practice. She represents such rising star creator talent as Matty Matheson, Jordan and Salish Matter, Quen Blackwell (was named one of Variety‘s 10 Creators to Watch earlier this month), Alan Chikin Chow and media banners Doing Things and Friday Beers. Joining Manatt along with Heisler are two partners, Jessica Boardman and Mike Lawhead, and associate April Hua. Related Stories Oscars Ratings Hit 17.9 Million Viewers, Down 9% From Last Year and Lowest Since 2022 'Weapons' Star Amy Madigan Wins Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Bursts Into Witchy Cackle “This move is about alignment — of values, ambition and long-term vision — and to expand and accelerate Manatt’s presence in the creator economy,” Heisler said. Popular on Variety Boardman will focus on non-scripted entertainment and serve as counsel to on-camera talent, production companies, podcasters, documentaries and rights holders across all stages of development, production and distribution. Lawhead will handle M&A, corporate finance, joint venture arrangements and more for on-camera talent, musicians, digital content creators and athletes and teams. Hua will boost day-to-day brand deals, production, licensing and other deals for content creators. April Hua, Mike Lawhead and Jessica Boardman Courtesy Images “Entertainment has been completely transformed by the creator economy with talent taking more ownership of their brands and distribution of content, and our clients need trusted advisers who understand not just where the industry has been, but where it is going,” said Donna L. Wilson, Manatt CEO and managing partner. “Ellie, Jessica, Mike and April bring a unique combination of institutional knowledge, corporate dealmaking and forward‑looking insight, and their arrival reinforces our ability to deliver integrated legal and consulting counsel for clients ranging from emerging creators to global icons in a way no other firm can. This is another important step in the continued expansion of our industry-leading entertainment platform across the creator-centric hotbed of Los Angeles and in key markets nationwide,” she said. Jordan Bromley, leader of Manatt’s Entertainment group, cites the quartet’s arrival as a sign that “power in entertainment has moved decisively toward creators, who are redefining the industry and accelerating its evolution. This group’s arrival deepens our creator and talent representation alongside complex transactions, brand strategy and unscripted content.” Jump to Comments Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie — First Look (EXCLUSIVE) JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...