- Entertainment Law
- Entertainment Law Practicum
Links
Education
- BS, with honors, University of Florida
- JD, magna cum laude, University of Miami School of Law
- MBA, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Background
Yaphett Powell serves as Director of the Entertainment & Media Law Institute (the "Institute") and Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He joined Loyola in July 2025.
In this role, he leads and oversees all aspects of the university's nationally recognized Institute. His vision is to provide strategic leadership and continue the Institute's longstanding success by strategically expanding it into a globally focused academic and industry hub encompassing entertainment, media & sports, as well as emerging areas such as social media and influencers, fashion and brands, licensing and merchandising, international and growth markets, and emerging technologies such as AI, metaverse, AR/VR, digital art, streaming, and gaming. The newly expanded and rebranded global entertainment, media & sports law institute is intended to reflect the rapidly evolving and growing global landscape of these high-profile industries.
He also teaches the Institute’s core Entertainment Law and Entertainment Law Practicum courses and is planning to create and lead new courses in emerging and evolving areas, such as video games and sports media rights. He also serves as Faculty Advisor for the Entertainment & Media Law Concentration and Faculty Co-Advisor for the Entertainment Law Review. He has also served as an adjunct professor for the core International Business Transactions course at USC Gould School of Law and an advisory board member for the USC Center for Transnational Law & Business.
Prior to joining Loyola, he spent over 15 years as a senior legal and business affairs executive in the entertainment, media, and sports sectors. He held leadership positions at The Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, and other global companies, where he led negotiations across entertainment content licensing and production, live sports rights, international distribution, brand sponsorship, and talent agreements. His practice and teaching emphasize global deal-making, intellectual property, and cross-border transactions.
Prior to becoming an entertainment, media & sports attorney and executive, he was outside counsel at multiple national and global law firms where his practice was focused on corporate law, M&A, and capital markets transactions.
He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, his M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management, and his B.S. in Sports Management and Sports Science with honors from the University of Florida.
He has been featured as a speaker on entertainment, media & sports law panels at numerous local and national law conferences and events.
Speaking Engagements and Presentations
2024 Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership Summit: Washington, DC
Panelist: From Vision to Reality: Making ERGs a Driving Force in Your DE&I Initiatives
- Spoke on an expert panel of lawyers discussing corporate Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) based on my leadership and experience as a co-founder and Chair of Disney Lawyers of Color (DLOC).
2023 California Lawyers Association (CLA) Intellectual Property in Entertainment & Media Conference
Panelist: Content Licensing & Promotion in Asia-Pacific Markets
- Led and spoke on an expert panel of lawyers and executives discussing business and legal issues in cross-border IP, media, and entertainment content licensing in APAC markets.
2021 UCLA Anderson School of Management
Panelist: Streaming Wars and the Transformation of the Entertainment Landscape
- Spoke on an expert panel of entertainment lawyers and business executives discussing business and legal issues involved in the global streaming business.
2021 USC Marshall School of Business
Guest Speaker: A Conversation on the Streaming Landscape
- Served as a guest speaker for the USC Marshall Entertainment Association discussing business and legal issues involved in the global streaming business.
2017-2018 UCLA School of Law and USC Gould School of Law
Panelist: Moving Movies, Music & Television Across the Pacific
- Spoke on an expert panel of entertainment lawyers discussing business and legal issues involved in exporting and distributing entertainment content between the United States and Asia: USC Gould School of Law (2017) and UCLA School of Law (2018).
2016 Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) Annual Conference
Panelist: Digital Media, Entertainment Technology, and the Law
- Spoke on an expert panel of lawyers discussing business and legal issues in digital media, technology, and entertainment.
2015 Loyola Law School Entertainment & Digital Media Symposium
Panelist: Keynote / primary panel - Technotainment
- Spoke on an expert panel of lawyers and business executives discussing business and legal issues in digital media and entertainment.
2015 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Convention
Panelist: The New Hollywood: How Technology is Transforming Entertainment Media
- Spoke on an expert panel of lawyers discussing legal issues in entertainment, technology, and digital media.
2014 Boston University Entertainment Business, Promotions & Marketing Course
Guest Speaker: Entertainment & Digital Media Law
- As a guest speaker, taught entertainment and digital media law to Boston University students enrolled in the Entertainment Business, Promotions & Marketing course at the university’s School of Communications.
2012 University of Miami School of Law Annual Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium
Panelist: From TV Screen to Computer Screen: Distributing Entertainment & Sports Content in the Digital Age
- Led and spoke on an expert panel of lawyers discussing business and legal issues affecting digital distribution of entertainment and sports content.
2011 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Convention
Panelist: Legal Trends in Intellectual Property, Mobile Technology, and Digital Media
- Spoke on an expert panel of lawyers discussing legal issues in intellectual property, mobile technology, and digital media.
2010 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Convention
Moderator: Moving Movies, Music & Television Across the Pacific
- Moderated an expert panel of entertainment lawyers discussing business and legal issues involved in exporting and distributing entertainment content between the United States and Asia.