Molly M. Lens is Co-Head of O'Melveny's Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry Group, and recent Lead Director of the firm’s Policy Committee.
Molly is a versatile and accomplished lawyer with a broad litigation practice that spans a variety of areas, including entertainment, employment, intellectual property, business torts, and unfair competition. Clients routinely turn to Molly to represent them not only in high-profile litigation but also to advise them on sensitive internal matters, including allegations of misconduct and discrimination. Molly also devotes her time to pro bono matters.
Molly has been recognized as a leading entertainment litigator by The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Law360, and The Legal 500. She has also been named to the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list by Benchmark Litigation and among the “Most Influential Women Lawyers” in Los Angeles by The Los Angeles Business Journal.
Employment
- Representing Fox and Tubi in putative pay equity and gender discrimination class action
Entertainment and Media
- Helped Fox overturn a $128.5 million punitive damages arbitration award to the stars and two producers of Fox’s longtime hit television show Bones
Intellectual Property
- Represents Paramount Pictures in copyright infringement lawsuit over Top Gun: Maverick
Business Torts and Unfair Competition
- Representing 50 percent owner in litigation relating to one of the Southern California’s largest outdoor advertising companies
Pro Bono
- Helped lead O’Melveny pro bono team representing a coalition of Wisconsin voters and organizations in a federal lawsuit brought to ensure that all voters in this key battleground state could safely and equitably cast ballots during the November 2020 general election
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- New York
Court Admissions
- US District Court, Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California
- US District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
- US District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
- US Court of Appeals, Second, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits
Education
- The University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2003: cum laude; Article Editor, Michigan Journal of International Law
- Macalester College, B.A., 2000: cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Honors & Awards
- Named to the “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” list by Lawdragon (2025)
- Recognized by Chambers USA in the category of Media & Entertainment: Litigation (2023-2024)
- Named to Variety’s Legal Impact Report (2019-2025)
- Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list (2020, 2022-2024)
- Named to the “Top 250 Women in Litigation" list by Benchmark Litigation (2022-2025)
- Recognized as a "California - Litigation Star” and a “Litigation Star” in Commercial by Benchmark Litigation (2022-2025)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Media & Entertainment: Litigation (2020-2024)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Intellectual Property: Copyright (2022-2024)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Sport (2023-2024)
- Selected to the National Law Journal’s “Trailblazers - Employment Law” list (2021)
- Recognized as a Law360 Media & Entertainment MVP (2019)
- Named to The Legal 500 US “Next Generation Lawyer” list in the “Media and Entertainment” category (2017-2019)
- Named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Influential Women Lawyers in Los Angeles list (2017)
- Named a “Rising Star” and one of “the top five media and entertainment attorneys under age 40” by Law360 (2015, 2016)
- Named one of “Hollywood's New Leaders” by Variety (2015)
Professional Activities
Clerkships
- Honorable Harriet O’Neill, Texas Supreme Court
Board Member
- Constitutional Rights Foundation; Vice-Chair, Nominating Committee
Member
- Los Angeles Copyright Society
Co-Author
- “Selective Waiver and Privilege in the Southern District of New York,” 79 U.S.L.W. 1835, co-authored with Jeffrey A. Rosenthal (Jan. 4, 2011)