Beth Berke, former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Sony Pictures Entertainment and an independent Management Consultant, has joined Nelson Hardiman as Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Managing Partner Harry Nelson. As Sony Pictures’ CAO, Berke oversaw, among other areas, all legal matters and change management projects worldwide for the studio, and created the Digital Policy Group to address the issues raised in the migration of the entertainment industry from analog to digital platforms. Prior to her promotion to CAO, Berke was Head of Global Human Resources for Sony Pictures, where she was responsible for HR policies and processes for 7000 employees worldwide. Before serving as Head of Global HR, Berke, who is an active member of the California Bar, served as Chief Counsel for all Corporate and International Legal Affairs of SPE, where she handled complex transactions worldwide.

“Beth’s background in law, HR and change management greatly support our firm’s continuing growth as a healthcare law firm,” stated Harry Nelson. “As a firm, we are not only adding attorneys – eight additional attorneys in 2017 alone – but we are expanding our practice into new segments of the healthcare industry. Nelson Hardiman is committed to anticipating and preparing our clients for the constant changes in the healthcare industry, whether such changes originate from government regulations, technology advances, or simply new ways for consumers to access healthcare services. As a former senior executive in the entertainment industry, Beth has deep experience dealing with the impact of growth and change on both people and infrastructure, and we are excited to have her expertise on our team.”

“I’m very excited by the opportunity to work with Nelson Hardiman and a management team that is so open to the growth and change necessary to best serve clients who work in a rapidly moving industry. As a former studio executive, I’ve experienced guiding companies through critical changes in their business models and foundational technology, and Nelson Hardiman demonstrates the highest level of commitment to navigating through their clients’ changing world that I’ve ever seen. I’m honored to be part of their senior management team and look forward to supporting the service they provide to the healthcare industry, which continues to undergo profound changes.”

Berke has a Juris Doctorate degree from UCLA School of Law, a Masters degree in Social Psychology from Stanford University, and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from UCLA. In addition to Management Consulting, Berke has taught law classes in drafting and negotiating employment contracts at USC’s Gould School of Law, and recently taught a class at the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University on issues facing women in the workplace.

With 23 healthcare lawyers, Nelson Hardiman is the second largest group of healthcare attorneys in California. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to excellence in legal counsel and superior workplace culture. Ranked a Tier One Law Firm for Health Care Law by “U.S. News & World Report” in 2018, the firm was also ranked by the BTI Industry Power Rankings 2017 as one of “The Law Firms with the Best Client Relationships” in healthcare. This year Nelson Hardiman was also named to Vault’s “Top 150 Under 150” list and selected by the “Los Angeles Business Journal” as one of the “Best Places to Work in Los Angeles.”