Diego Gallego Gomez

J.D. University of California, Los Angeles School of Law

B.A. University of California, San Diego

A native San Diegan, Mr. Gómez is a dedicated, multi-faceted California attorney with a focus on supporting entrepreneurs, arts organizations, and independent artists. His commitment to this niche is informed by a unique background as a former professional ballet dancer, where he developed an acute understanding of the legal needs in the arts and entertainment sectors.

During law school, Mr. Gómez externed for a federal judge, gaining invaluable experience in judicial processes and legal analysis. His desire to be the “attorney for the arts” led him to turn down traditional legal internships and instead spend the summer between his 2L and 3L year working for the American Ballet Theatre and its C-level executives learning the ins and outs of running the largest ballet company in the United States. During that summer, Mr. Gómez reviewed a wide variety of contracts for the company, from employment agreements to licensing agreements, and he spearheaded and created a workshop about copyright and choreography for the company dancers, which was presented in the fall of 2019 during the Company’s choreographer incubator program. In his last year of law school, Mr. Gómez received certifications in teaching excellence and course/curriculum design from UC Irvine, along with a certificate in arts administration from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage Business School.

Since graduating, Mr. Gómez has worked for a variety of law firms, where he gained both transactional and litigation experience in the areas of business law, tax-exempt organizations, and civil litigation (with an emphasis on plaintiff-side employment litigation).

Mr. Gómez now manages his own solo law practice which spans employment, business, non-profit, sports, and entertainment law. Mr. Gómez is also a certified mediator and mediates cases on the California Lawyers for the Arts volunteer mediator panel for southern California. Mr. Gómez’s dedication to fostering positive outcomes through alternative dispute resolution and teaching has proven vital in his practice and enhances his ability to serve his clients with both legal acumen and an educator's clarity.

Mr. Gómez is passionate about informing the community of their legal rights. He has held workshops on various legal topics all around southern California, and he has guest lectured at UCI on topics such as contract law, copyright, and choreographic trusts. He also educates the public about their rights by creating short-form legal informational videos/posts on social media as “The Mando-Lawyer”.

In his spare time, Mr. Gómez enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, baking/cooking, and he regularly participates in charity performances with Saber Guild (a non-profit Star Wars cosplay and lightsaber choreography club recognized by LucasFilm Ltd.).