David White
Screen Actors Guild National Executive Director David White has been named “Entertainment, Sports & Art Law Section Attorney of the Year” by the National Bar Association, the oldest and largest association of African American lawyers and judges. The honor was presented to White today in New Orleans at the NBA’s 85th Annual Convention & Exhibits.
“I am so pleased to receive this award,” said White. “So much of what I do at Screen Actors Guild today is influenced by my training and experience in the law. It is a privilege to be a member of our professional community, and I am truly honored to be recognized by this esteemed association of my peers.”
White began serving as interim national executive director of Screen Actors Guild in January 2009. The National Board officially appointed him national executive director and chief negotiator in October 2009.
Prior to rejoining the Guild’s staff, where he previously served as General Counsel from 2002 to 2006, White was managing principal of Los Angeles-based Entertainment Strategies Group (ESG) providing consulting services to the entertainment industry. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a Rhodes Scholar, and was a labor and employment attorney at O’Melveny & Myers LLP.
White has received numerous awards for his work and service throughout his career, including, most recently, “Labor and Personal Representation Counsel of the Year” from the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel.
White is also an active volunteer in the community. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Grinnell College, and a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of America – Los Angeles. He has served as a Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles’ Central Area Planning Commission, as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Posse Foundation – Los Angeles and as the former Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Sports & Entertainment Labor Law Standing Committee. Currently, White also serves as Chair of the SAG-Producers Pension and Health Plans and Vice Chair of SAG-Industry Advancement Cooperative Fund,
White has been a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Lawyer and, as a frequent commentator on entertainment industry trends, has been quoted on National Public Radio’s “Marketplace,” and in the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, Broadcasting & Cable and other publications.
