Bela has served as lead or co-lead counsel in numerous cases tried to a verdict, and in appeals, both published and non-published, including a four and one-half month jury trial in The Three Stooges case entitled DeRita v. Scott. His transactional and other nonlitigation experience includes wealth planning and, in the entertainment field, negotiating and drafting a wide range of agreements and legal instruments, such as contracts and licenses for the exploitation of intellectual property rights. As an entertainment executive, he negotiated licensing transactions and managed litigation relating to The Three Stooges’ rights of publicity. His responsibilities and activities covered a wide variety of areas within the entertainment industry. Bela has been president of Lugosi Enterprises since 1963.

Prior to joining Arent Fox in 2006, Bela counseled clients at the following firms: 

O’Brien Abeles
Los Angeles, California
(Of counsel, 2002-2005)

Sole Practitioner
(2000-2001)

Benjamin, Lugosi, & Benjamin
Glendale, California
(Partner 1995-1999)

Hanna and Morton
Los Angeles, California
(Associate, partner, managing partner, of counsel 1964-1994)

Bela is a past chairman of the Trial Lawyers and Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. From 2004 to 2012, he served as an alternate member of the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board. His affiliations and business experience include:

• Los Angeles County Bar Association, intellectual property, environmental law and taxation sections (former member, state and local taxation committee); past chairman of the Trial Lawyers and ADR sections
• American Arbitration Association Commercial Panel
• Chancery Club  

His published works include:
 

• "The Commercial Value of Rights of Publicity: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, or Sometimes a Million Dollars, Part II" ABA Entertainment and Sports Lawyer; Fall 2009, co-authored with Robert C. O'Brien
• “The Commercial Value of Rights of Publicity: A Picture Is Sometimes Worth a Million Dollars,” ABA Entertainment and Sports Lawyer; Spring 2005, co-authored with Robert C. O'Brien
• “United States Right of Publicity Law,” legal interview, The Newsletter of the Euro-American Lawyers Group; October 2004 (Issue 11)
• “California Statutory Right of Publicity for Deceased Celebrities and the First Amendment,” Legal Problems of Museum Administration, Smithsonian Institution/ALI-ABA; March 2002
• “California Expands the Statutory Right of Publicity for Deceased Celebrities While Its Courts Are Examining the First Amendment Limitations of That Statute,” Journal of Art and Entertainment Law, De Paul University College of Law; Spring 2000
• “Life After Death”; April 1999, co-authored with Caroline H. Mankey
• “Misappropriation of Licensing and Merchandising Rights of Celebrities,” Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Annual Las Vegas Convention; September 1998
• “Licensing Guidelines,” La Fleur’s Magazine; April 1998
   

His presentations include:
 

• “Assessment Appeals,” State and Local Tax Committee, LA County Bar Association, Tax Section; December 2005 (Los Angeles)
• “California Right of Publicity Law,” Euro American Lawyers Group; June 2004 (Los Angeles)
• “Celebrity Right of Publicity Law,” J. Reuben Clark Law Society; May 2004 (Los Angeles)
• “Right of Publicity – Pushing the First Amendment Frontier,” Whittier Law School; February 2004 (Costa Mesa)
• “The PTO Comes to California,” California State Bar, IP Section; April 2003 (San Francisco)
• “Legal Problems of Museum Administration,” Smithsonian Institution/ALI-ABA Program; March 2002
• “Right of Publicity,” John Marshall School of Law; March 1999 and October 2001 (Chicago)
• “Free Speech, Right of Publicity and Property Rights in Private Information,” The Federalist Society Conference; April 2001 (Orange, CA)
• Adjunct Professor, Whittier Law School; June 2001 (Costa Mesa, CA)
• DePaul School of Law; March 2000 (Chicago)
• American Association of Law Schools; January 2000 (Washington, DC)
• ABA, Litigation Section, Committee on Corporate Counsel; November 1999 (Century City, CA)
• Los Angeles County Bar, IP Section; October 1999
• Beverly Hills Bar Association, Entertainment Law Section; July 1999
• Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) – Star Law Day; May 1999 (Universal City, CA)
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles - 16th Annual Las Vegas Convention; September 1998
• Los Angeles Estate Planning Council; May 1998
   

His published decisions include:
 

• Comedy III Prods., Inc. v. Saderup, 25 Cal.4th 387 (2001)
• Wasyl, Inc. v. First Boston Corp., 813 F.2d 1579 (9th Cir. 1987)
• Myers v. Mobil Oil Corp., 172 Cal. App. 3d 1059 (1985)
• Tenneco West, Inc. v. Marathon Oil Co., 564 F. Supp. 318 (DC Mid 1983)
• S. Jon Kreedman & Co. v. Meyers Bros. Parking-Western Corp., 58 Cal. App. 3d 173 (1976)
• No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 13 Cal. 3d 486 (1975)
• No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 13 Cal. 3d 68 (1974)
• Union Pacific R.R. Co. v. City of Long Beach, 24 Cal. App. 3d 594 (1972)
• Department of Agriculture v. Tide Oil Co., 269 Cal. App. 2d 145 (1969)