Mark Brnovich, Joshua Stein, and Benjamin Waisbren Bolster Firm’s Global Capabilities
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP today announced the hire of three prominent attorneys, adding decades of experience across the technology and entertainment, finance, gaming, consumer protection, government, and bankruptcy sectors. Mark Brnovich, Joshua Stein, and Benjamin Waisbren have all joined as partners, strengthening the firm’s national presence, with a concentrated emphasis on the West Coast.
“We continue to prioritize strategic growth in our lateral hiring, with the overall goal of adding lawyers who are outstanding practitioners and who understand our clients’ legal, business, and regulatory needs,” said Boies Schiller Flexner Managing Partner Matthew L. Schwartz. “We aren’t growing simply for the sake of growth. Instead, Mark, Josh, and Ben bring a breadth of experience throughout a range of sectors and deep relationships across government, tech, financial services, and entertainment that will be invaluable to our clients.”
Brnovich, who will be based out of the firm’s Los Angeles office and will maintain a presence in Arizona, was elected Attorney General of Arizona in 2015 and won reelection in 2019, serving through the end of his second and final term in January 2023. During his tenure, Brnovich established himself as a passionate advocate for Arizonans, securing over $1.5 billion in judgments and settlements in consumer protection litigation. Among the high-profile cases litigated during his tenure as Attorney General, Brnovich secured record-setting settlements against multinational corporations on issues of data privacy, false advertising, and product liability; he also personally argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to being elected Attorney General, Brnovich served for four years as director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, where he oversaw all aspects of the state’s gaming industry.
“Boies Schiller is one of the most well-regarded litigation firms in the nation and represents a natural career evolution for me given its sterling track record across white collar, constitutional law, regulatory, class action, and consumer matters,” Brnovich said. “The firm has a reputation as a ‘fighter,’ always entering the fray in complex disputes and arguing passionately on the side of justice. It’s the perfect platform for this chapter of my career.”
Prior to serving as Director of the Department of Gaming, Brnovich was an Assistant Attorney General in Arizona from 1998 to 2003. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, prosecuting public integrity crimes, including two of the state’s largest-ever criminal cases involving gaming.
Stein, based in the firm’s San Francisco office, is a seasoned corporate adviser and litigator with deep roots in Silicon Valley. Having most recently practiced as in-house counsel for a growth-stage digital startup, Stein previously served as in-house litigation counsel for Twitter, Inc. There, among other things, he was part of the in-house team overseeing Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh, in which the Supreme Court set important precedent on the liability of social media platforms under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. He rejoins Boies Schiller 10 years after he first came aboard as a summer associate in 2013. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Ecuador, Stein is fluent in Spanish and has experience representing clients in cross-border matters.
“It’s an honor to return to Boies Schiller. It is where I cut my teeth, learning from the best of the best litigators. It’s also where I’ve had the privilege of working on some of the country’s highest profile cases,” said Stein. “The firm is already engaged in several complex matters across the tech space, and I’m eager to expand that work by helping early stage and post-IPO clients navigate litigation strategy in ways that protect their growth and support their business goals.”
Waisbren, who has close ties to the Los Angeles community and will operate out of Washington, D.C., is a bankruptcy litigation and restructuring veteran with considerable experience in corporate reorganizations, financial distress, and fraud matters. Beginning his career as a bankruptcy litigator, he was lead counsel to multiple official committees in major public company cases before joining Salomon Brothers as the head of its investment banking restructuring group. In recent years, he was a leading film financier in Hollywood, serving as executive producer on 40 major motion pictures. Among other achievements, he designed and managed a structured slate deal between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Lone Star Funds that co-financed 30 films released by Sony, and he served as an expert adviser for the Department of Justice in U.S. v. Wolf of Wall Street Motion Picture, et. al., which was one of the largest civil forfeiture cases in U.S. history and involved the Malaysian 1MDB scandal. Waisbren will officially start in November.
“I’ve always been an attorney first and foremost, but my career has taken me beyond law firm settings – an environment to which I’m excited to return,” said Waisbren. “The expertise I developed in the financial, distressed trading, and entertainment sectors, coupled with Boies Schiller’s unmatched capabilities in complex litigation and disputes, will allow me to effectively serve the needs of clients in those areas.”
Brnovich, Stein, and Waisbren each carry a reputation as problem solvers, thought leaders, crisis managers, and savvy litigation strategists, making them perfect additions to Boies Schiller’s growing team. On the heels of the firm’s recent hire of renowned former Southern District of New York Judge Shira Scheindlin, this triple-hire further cements the firm’s commitment to attracting and retaining the nation’s boldest and most resilient legal minds.
Mark, Josh, and Ben's arrival was covered in several articles. Please see links below.
Bloomberg Law: Ex-Arizona AG Who Led 2020 Election Probe Joins Boies Schiller
Reuters: Arizona Attorney General Behind 2020 Ballot Probe Joins Law Firm Boies Schiller
Law360: Ex-Arizona AG Among Partner Trio Joining Boies Schiller