Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal Names Donaldson Callif Perez a 2026 “Top Boutique”

Donaldson Callif Perez is pleased to announce it has been named one of the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s 2026 “Top Boutiques.” This prestigious annual recognition highlights California boutique law firms across a range of practice areas, where Donaldson Callif Perez was honored for its impactful work representing independent producers and production companies throughout the creative industries.

In the firm’s profile, the Daily Journal emphasizes its commitment to empowering artists and championing projects others deemed too challenging to pursue. The firm takes a creative, solution-minded approach to tackle complex legal issues and bring client projects to fruition with their intended vision. As Lisa Callif explains, “We welcome the opportunity to take on such challenges and do what we can to make a project distributable and insurable.”

Chris Perez describes the breadth and the distinction of the firm’s practice, which “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.”

The feature continues to outline the firm’s history, noting Lisa and Michael Donaldson’s longstanding professional relationship before they founded the firm in 2008 to serve the legal needs of independent filmmakers. Chris became a named partner in 2021, and the firm has grown to include three equity partners, three non-equity partners, and eight associates. Despite its growth, the firm remains intentional about its boutique structure and collaborative, intentional culture. Guided by the motto, “everything is fixable,” Lisa emphasizes the value of different perspectives, sharing, “either change the action or change the perspective.”

The Daily Journal spotlights the partners’ diverse legal expertise and impact in helping clients combat complex challenges across the entertainment industry, such as Lisa’s recent clearance work on HBO’s docuseries “Telemarketers,” which was “released with no claims to date” despite various legal challenges.

Alexandre Yousefzadeh notes the broader impact thoughtful legal guidance can have, who provided clearance guidance for Bungalow Media’s “It Couldn’t Happen Here,” which, upon distribution, “has contributed to certain convictions covered in the series being overturned and justice being restored for people falsely accused of crimes.”

Madison Karsenty, who manages productions for Hartbeat and MGX, discusses the importance of nurturing personal relationships and supporting teams behind projects to bring to fruition. “Our industry is small and tight-knit; we are often collaborating with the same attorneys/firms across multiple projects, and fostering personal connection is often what helps bring a particularly tricky or adversarial deal across the finish line,” she shares.

Dale Nelson concludes the feature with a thoughtful reflection on the industry’s constant evolution and continuing passion of independent filmmakers: “Film production in general has had its highs and lows in the past year, but independent films and documentaries continue to thrive because their creators are fueled by a passion to tell their stories.”

To view the firm’s full profile in the special issue, click here.