Corporate
June 5, 2001
Steve Mertz Promoted To Senior Vice President Legal & Business Affairs And General Counsel - Europe, Warner Bros.
(June 5, 2001 - Burbank, CA) - Steve Mertz has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs and General Counsel - Europe, Warner Bros., it was announced today by John A. Schulman, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Warner Bros.
In his new post, Mertz will head Warner Bros.’ European Legal and Business Affairs Department. He will manage the team of lawyers responsible for representing the company’s corporate interests, as well as generally oversee those Warner Bros. lawyers who directly support key operating divisions. Additionally, Mertz will be actively involved with Warner Bros.’ wholly owned, licensed and joint venture operations throughout Europe, supervising legal and business initiatives as they pertain to film distribution, acquisition, licensing and production; intellectual property (copyright/trademark); EU regulations and directives, regulatory compliance and litigation, among others areas.
"During Steve’s decade with the company, he has proven again and again to be the consummate professional," said Schulman. "His business acumen and legal prowess have been important to the numerous key deals he has orchestrated."
Mertz joined Warner Bros. in 1991 as Director, Legal and Business Affairs - Europe, working on general commercial and film production issues. He was subsequently promoted to General Counsel - Europe and then Vice President. Prior to Warner Bros., Mertz spent three years at Denton Hall Burgin & Warrens in London as a Senior Assistant in the firm’s entertainment department and, before that, 18 months at the firm’s Los Angeles office as an Associate in the corporate department. Preceding that, he spent two years at Buchalter, Nemer, Fields, Chrystie & Younger as an Associate in the corporate department. He’s also served as an independent consultant to the Southern California Rapid Transit District and a Product Marketing Analyst for Motorola/Four-Phase Systems.
Mertz holds a BA in international relations (with honors and distinction) from Stanford University and a JD from the University of Southern California School of Law. He’s also studied at La Sorbonne and L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. He is both an attorney and a solicitor (Supreme Court of England and Wales) and fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. # # #