David Halberstadter, a partner in Katten's Los Angeles – Century City office, was named to Law360's 2016 Media and Entertainment MVP list. It is noted that David's inclusion in this year's honors was solidified by his highly publicized First Amendment victory on behalf of the Academy Award-winning film, "The Hurt Locker," earlier this year. In talking about "ripped-from-the-headlines" content, he stated, "Most people, in their gut, feel like there is something wrong with a motion picture studio or a television company creating a movie or TV show that's based on a real person or on real people without those real people being compensated in some way. And yet if you were talking about an article about those people and what happened to them in the Asbury Park Press or The New York Times, you wouldn't think twice about it."

When not working on active litigation, David often reviews creative content—novels, scripts, television shows and movies—with a focus on providing a consistent assessment of the potential exposure to third-party lawsuits. He added that his goal for the upcoming year is to teach other Katten attorneys how to conduct legal evaluations of creative work. ("M&E MVP: Katten's David Halberstadter," December 16, 2016)