Michele M. Totonis

Michele M. Totonis is the Director of Legal Affairs / Legal Business Partner for Intellectual Property (IP); Product & Marketing Development; Licensing & Entertainment; and Corporate Communications for the LEGO Group of companies. Michele leads the company’s engagement in IP development, strategy, litigation, protection, and enforcement and helps to formulate and execute the company’s marketing and entertainment-related strategic initiatives. Michele negotiates the legal and business aspects of the company’s mission-critical, high-visibility IP licensing and entertainment deals, and is responsible for the legal relationship management for all major partners and licensors such as Disney (including Marvel and Lucasfilm), Warner Bros., DC, Universal, SONY, Netflix, and various premium car brands. Michele also handles other complex transactions for product and asset development for live-action and animated television and theatrical motion picture development, including content creation, broadcast, distribution, licensing, merchandising, music rights, digital gaming, and publishing. Michele drafted and implemented the global IP Strategy for the company; oversees IP-related litigation; handles the legal review of general marketing, marketing to children, and digital and brand marketing content reviews; and is responsible for the oversight and management of the global IP portfolio, as well as the policing efforts for the IP assets in all realms, such as online commercial and social networking sites. Michele developed and delivers training sessions for internal personnel regarding IP matters such as proper trademark and copyright use and patentability of new subject matter; as well as programs relating to children’s advertising rules and guidelines (CARU), COPPA legislation, GDPR, global packaging requirements, product testing requirements (CPSIA regulations), and marketing strategies and compliance.