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Lisa A. Callif

Lisa A. Callif,
Partner

Contact Information

P (310) 277-8394
F (310) 277-4870
[email protected]

As a Founding Partner of Donaldson Callif Perez, Lisa Callif is the go-to attorney for all things clearance. Lisa specializes in representing independent producers and production companies in all aspects of content creation, including equity financing, production, and distribution with extensive experience in fair use, copyright, and personal rights issues.  Lisa is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards – among her many accolades are recognition as a “Power Lawyer” in The Hollywood Reporter, a “Top Entertainment Lawyer” in the Daily Journal, and a “Super Lawyer” in Thomson Reuters. She is regularly recognized by Variety on their “Dealmaker,” “Best and the Brightest,” “Legal Impact Report,” and “Women’s Impact Report” lists. Lisa cuts through red tape for her clients and works tirelessly to preserve artists’ voices so that they can shine a light on stories that otherwise might not be told.

Some of Lisa’s notable transactional matters include advising clients like acclaimed filmmaker Richard Linklater, AGC Studios, Submarine Deluxe, MGX Creative, Asteria (formerly XTR), the Safdie Brothers’ Elara, the documentary division of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, and Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens’ Highly Flammable, providing legal counsel for development, production, clearance matters, and more. She has been a longstanding legal counsel for esteemed producer Lisa Remington, having most recently advised on the 2025 Oscar winner “The Only Girl in the Orchestra.”

Along with Partners Michael Donaldson and Chris Perez, Lisa has co-written three books: The American Bar Association’s Legal Guide to Independent Filmmaking, Clearance and Copyright, 4th Edition, and Clearance and Copyright, 5th Edition. She regularly publishes articles about emerging issues in entertainment and copyright law, including a recent law review article published by the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal entitled “A Delicate Balance: Navigating the Increased Risk of Defamation Claims in the Golden Age of Docudramas.”  She is often quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Variety, Intellectual Property Magazine and more. Lisa and Michael were featured on the cover of LA Lawyer Magazine, for which they co-authored an article about fair use and its application in documentary films.

Lisa graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a BS in communications, and worked in the music industry in New York and Los Angeles before obtaining her JD from Southwestern University School of Law. She previously served as an adjunct professor at Southwestern, and is a frequent speaker at Film Independent, the International Documentary Association, film festivals and UCLA, where she also teaches legal basics at the UCLA Producer’s Workshop.

Lisa lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Dustin, and her two children, Diggy and Liam.