Yuhao (Zach) Dai

Yuhao (Zach) Dai is an associate in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in the firm's Century City office.

Areas of Practice

Yuhao specializes in transactional entertainment matters with expertise spanning rights acquisitions and talent services agreements for a diverse range of media, including motion pictures, documentaries, and television series. He collaborates with independent producers, production companies, and studios. Yuhao also provides expert guidance on navigating advertising and product compliance issues to a leading earphone technology company based in Shenzhen. Additionally, he possesses substantial experience in the field of art law and played a pivotal role in contributing to The Art Collecting Legal Handbook (California Chapter).

Yuhao earned his JD with a Specialization in Media, Entertainment, and Technology Law and Policy from UCLA School of Law, where he was honored with the prestigious David R. Ginsburg Excellence Scholarship. During his time at UCLA, Yuhao held several leadership roles, including Vice President of the Entertainment Law Association and Submission Editor for the Entertainment Law Review. His involvement extended to practical experience at the Documentary Film Legal Clinic, where he provided advice to independent producers on copyright matters and handled production legal issues. In addition, Yuhao assisted the New York-based director/producer of Ascension, an Oscar-nominated documentary, in securing the synchronization license from a top-tier Chinese musician. As a survey researcher at the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology, and Sports Law, Yuhao contributed to the planning and execution of numerous significant events, including the UCLA Law Annual Entertainment Symposium, Melville B. Nimmer Memorial Lecture, and Annual LL.M. Entertainment Careers Panel, among others. At school, he also served as a teaching assistant for the Video Game Law class and the Constitutional Law (for LL.M.) class.

Before joining Sheppard Mullin, Yuhao earned his LLB from East China University of Political Science and Law, focusing on international financial law. His early career included internships at Jingtian & Gongcheng, a leading Chinese law firm where he gained experience in trademark prosecution, anti-piracy screening, and infringement investigation and researched on a variety of art law issues under Chinese law in support of the publication of Art Law (China Chapter) by Lexology. Furthermore, Yuhao interned at the legal department of Abercrombie & Fitch's APAC office, where he gained valuable insights into corporate legal matters. Additionally, he enriched his professional experience by interning at Little Red Book, a major player in the Chinese social media and e-commerce landscape.

Actively engaged in the legal community, Yuhao is a member of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) and was recognized with the Judge Ronald S.W. Lew Scholarship. Demonstrating his commitment to pro bono service, Yuhao consistently contributes to SCCLA's monthly legal clinic, helping underprivileged individuals facing language barriers with their legal concerns. His contributions to the Asian community in the U.S. were further acknowledged when he was interviewed for the docu-series titled "Glory of Global Chinese," recognizing his dedication to making a positive difference. Furthermore, Yuhao supported the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) by aiding in the preparation of participant agreements for the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge.

Notably, he has successfully passed the Chinese Bar Exam, in addition to holding a Chinese Talent Agent License.

During free time, Yuhao enjoys crafting cross-cultural recipes, exploring museums, and watching documentaries.

Articles

AI Law and Policy Blog Posts

• "Computer Love: Beijing Court Finds AI-Generated Image is Copyrightable in Split with United States," December 4, 2023

Art Law Blog Posts

• "Titleless Tales of the Headless," November 6, 2023
• "Takeaways from the Hermès Litigation over MetaBirkins NFTs," March 9, 2023
• "'Not My Work': When Artists Dispute Authorship," February 1, 2023
• "NY Museums Required to Label the Last Prisoners of World War II," September 2, 2022
• "Unroll the Scroll Painting: Inside the Chinese Art Market and Its Regulatory Landscape," April 15, 2022

Speaking Engagements

• Presenter, “Copyright Issues & the U.S. Entertainment Industry’s Response in the Era of Generative AI,” Beijing Culture and Entertainment Law Society’s Annual Rule of Law Forum, March 2024

Memberships

Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA)

Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA)