Jaia Thomas

Jaia Thomas is a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment attorney with over ten years of experience on both coasts. She represents film producers, television writers, and various industry talent, assisting them with intellectual property and transactional matters. She has negotiated deals with several networks including ABC, NBC, HBO and Bravo. She also assists professional athletes with brand protection and production company formation.

Jaia has been quoted as a legal expert in publications such as The New York Times and USA Today. She has served as a panelist for the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Beverly Hills Bar Association and a speaker for several sports and entertainment law conferences. She has had several articles published in journals including, Pace I.P., Sports and Entertainment Law Journal (“For the Love of the Name: Professional Athletes Seek Trademark Protection”), Journal of Sports Media (“Twitter: The Sports Media Rookie”) and The American Bar Association (“1Million Followers: Understanding Social Media Influencer Agreements”).

Jaia is currently an adjunct professor at UCLA, where she teaches a course titled "Copyright Law and the Entertainment Industry" and all-day seminar titled “The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a Law Practice.” Prior to her appointment at UCLA, she was an adjunct professor at American University in Washington D.C. where she taught graduate students about the inner workings of production company formation. She has guest lectured at several colleges and universities, including Stanford Law School and Georgetown Law School.

Jaia recently launched Diverse Representation, a platform aimed at increasing the exposure and number of African-American agents, attorneys, managers and publicists working in the sports and entertainment industries. In addition to hosting various events, Diverse Representation provides the first ever comprehensive database of African-American agents, attorneys, managers and publicists who work in the sports and entertainment industry throughout the country. For more information www.diverserepresentation.com.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jaia Thomas is a graduate of Colgate University (BA) and The George Washington University Law School (JD). She also holds a Certificate in Television, Film and New Media Production from UCLA.