Beverly Hills
Precision counsel.
Entertainment, athletes, hospitality, corporate
— and the law of artificial intelligence.
Writing on AI and the law since 2018.
The Practice
The Lew Firm does a specific set of things, and does them exactly.
Four practices, one firm. Here is each of them.
Counsel to
The Fight
Athletes
Representation for the athletes and the leagues they compete in.
Athletes
The work happens in the contract.
We handle the bout, the sponsorship, and the agreements that outlast the career.
On the roster
What we handle
- Bout Negotiations
- Contract Review
- Sponsorships & Endorsements
- Product Ambassador Deals
- Retail Partnerships
- Athlete Management Agreements
The Stage
Music & Entertainment
Representation for artists, labels, and the rights their work creates.
Music & Entertainment
The record is the start. Owning it is the work.
We handle recording, publishing, licensing, touring, and the rights that keep earning.
On the roster
What we handle
- Recording Agreements
- Music Publishing & Royalty Management
- Copyright Protection & Licensing
- Tour Legalities & Venue Negotiation
- Performance Rights
- Merchandising Deals
The House
Hospitality
Representation for hotels, restaurants, and the spirits business.
Hospitality
Every room opens on paperwork.
We handle licensing, permits, zoning, and the deals that get the doors open.
On the roster
What we handle
- ABC Liquor Licenses
- Conditional Use Permits
- Zoning
- Investment Decks
- Lease Review & Real Estate
- Vendor & Commercial Contracts
The Bench
Litigation & Counsel
Representation in high-stakes business disputes.
Litigation & Counsel
Litigation, and the judgment to see it early.
We handle commercial disputes, partnerships, employment, and trade secrets.
On the roster
What we handle
- Business & Commercial Litigation
- Partner / Shareholder Disputes
- Employment & Trade Secrets
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Corporate Formation & Restructuring
- Real Estate Disputes
The Record
Published, with dates on it.
The firm has been writing about AI and the law since 2018. The dates below are public record.
- 2018Forbes
“Artificial Intelligence and the Evolution of Law.” Four years before the world had heard of ChatGPT.
- 2022Forbes
“Ready, Lawyer One?” and “The Law of the Metaverse.” Mapping jurisdiction where there was none.
- 2023Forbes
“The AI Judge: Should Code Decide Your Fate?” and “Will Legal Prompt Engineers Replace Lawyers?” — the question that became LPEAI.
- 2025Forbes · December
“Ghosted by the Machine.” He writes that the résumé was “weighed, measured and systematically discarded by a machine they never saw and can't appeal to.”
- 2026N.D. Cal. · June
Mobley v. Workday. A federal court holds that an AI vendor can stand as a de facto employer under FEHA and the ADA. Six months after he wrote it.
“Accountability follows the decision — not the org chart.”
The Machinery
The AI work.
Three projects the firm built and backs, at the front of AI accountability.
38 Flags
The registry of documented harm.
A public, sourced record of financial loss, injury and death traced to AI systems running without human oversight. Every entry cites its source.
Visit →
HITL Score
A number for human oversight.
The Human-In-The-Loop Score: a rating for how much real human judgment sits inside an automated decision. Built to be cited by regulators, insurers and courts.
Visit →
LPEAI
Legal Prompt Engineering AI.
Where lawyers learn to wield these systems instead of fearing them. The answer to a profession being asked to govern a technology most of it has never used.
Visit →Practice
Legal Services
One firm, eleven practice areas. The newest is artificial intelligence.
AI & Emerging Technology
NewThe practice the rest of the bar is still writing memos about.
- AI Governance & Human-Oversight Audits (HITL Score)
- Algorithmic Liability & Vendor Accountability
- Employment Screening & Automated Decision Systems
- AI Vendor Contracts, Indemnity & Risk Allocation
- Regulatory Response & Agency Engagement
- Digital Succession & Agentic Asset Planning
Corporate/Transactional
- Corporate Formation, LLC's
- Contract Drafting & Negotiation
- Mergers/Acquisitions
- Commercial Contracts
- Restructuring Agreements
Litigation
Strategic representation in high-stakes business disputes, including:
- Business & Commercial
- Partner / Shareholder
- Employment
- Real Estate
- Trade Secrets
Labor/Employment
- Onboarding
- Mediation
- I9 Compliance
- SOP Company Handbook
- Anti-Harassment Training
- Offer Letters
Music/Entertainment
- Contract Negotiation
- Royalty Management
- Copyright Protection
- Music Licensing
- Tour Legalities
- Entertainment Contracts
- Recording Agreements
- Venue Negotiation
- Performance Rights
- Music Publishing
- Merchandising Deals
Athletes
- Bout Negotiations
- Contract Review
- Product Ambassador
- Sponsorships
- Retail Partnerships
- Athlete Management Agreements
Hospitality
- ABC Licenses
- Conditional Use Permits
- Zoning
- Investment Decks
Intellectual Property
- Trademarks
- Copyright Infringement
- Ownership Investigations
- Filing and Prosecuting Patents
Government Relations
- Strategic Communications
- State & Federal Relations
- Government Affairs
Non-Profit
- 501c3
- 501c4
Regulated Industries
- Please inquire
Real Estate
- Residential/Commercial Disputes
- Lease Review
- Due Diligence
- Title Matters
Partners · Clients · Friends
Leagues, labels, hotels and champions.
The Lew Firm represents an eclectic variety of top-tier clients, from entrepreneurs and athletes to musicians, restaurateurs and fine spirits. Charles Lew has served as LA City’s Small Business Commissioner since 2020.
Insights
Published.
In Forbes and Entrepreneur, on AI and the law, since 2018.
- 2026-03Representing Agentic Bots in a Modern WorldAIForbes
- 2026-01The Fourth Revolution: How AI Is Expanding Access to the LawAIForbes
- 2025-12Ghosted by the Machine: How AI Is Quietly Rewriting Who Gets HiredAIForbes
- 2024-03Corporate Accountability: Leveraging Facial Recognition Technology ResponsiblyAIForbes
- 2023-09Will Legal Prompt Engineers Replace Lawyers?AIForbes
- 2023-08The AI Judge: Should Code Decide Your Fate?AIForbes
- 2022-11The Law of the MetaverseAIForbes
- 2022-08Metaverse: Erasing Barriers of Age and AbilityAIEntrepreneur
- 2022-06Priced Out of Real-Life Homes? Don't Miss Your Digital OneAIEntrepreneur
- 2022-04Ready, Lawyer One?AIForbes
- 2020-05In a Digital World, Your Most Valuable Property Is IntellectualForbes
- 2019-10Three Resources That Make It Easy and Inexpensive to Start Your Own Law FirmForbes
- 2019-08How Restaurateurs Can Best Leverage the Food Delivery TrendForbes
- 2018-07Artificial Intelligence and the Evolution of LawAIForbes
- 2018-04The Three Phases of Restaurant EvolutionForbes
- 2018-03How to Survive the Rising Challenges of the Brick-and-Mortar RestaurantForbes
- 2018-01Three Ways Entrepreneurs Can Make the Most of Air Travel BenefitsForbes
The Firm
Our Team
Charles S. Lew
Partner
Victor R. Balladares
Partner
Isaiah T. Artest
Attorney
Jeffrey C. Bogert
Of Counsel
Alex Kagianaris
Attorney
Michael Gonzalez
Director of Applied AI
Contact
Let’s talk.
The Lew Firm welcomes inquiries for legal services pertaining to hospitality ventures, corporate structuring and transactions, ADA claims, harassment, employee matters, real estate contracts, intellectual property — and the governance of artificial intelligence.