Entertainment Law Lawyers

New entertainment professionals may seek to limit their tax liability, especially if much of their work is done through independent contracting. We can help you explore “pass through” corporations commonly used by individual actors, artists, writers, directors, and other entertainment professionals to lawfully limit your personal tax burden. We can also assist in the forming of new production companies.

Whenever you create something as an artist, whether it be a script, painting, drawing, novel, or music recording, you have produced something that will require copyright protection to prevent others from unlawfully duplicating or distributing your content. Logos, slogans, and company names will need trademark protection to avoid faux imitators that can dilute your brand identity. We can help you assess the specific needs of your intellectual property, work to get you formal protections, and fight to protect you in the event of disputes or violations.

A huge milestone for any entertainment professional is getting “signed” by a prominent manager or agent. These representatives will advocate for your career and projects in exchange for a cut of your entertainment income. Many entertainment representatives come from reputable firms, but you should always have your contract reviewed by an experienced entertainment lawyer to make sure your interests are protected. We can also work with agencies and management companies to draft and review contracts for new and existing clients.

A recording artist who attracts the interest of one or more record labels will likely have to decipher a recording agreement, also known colloquially as a “record deal.” This is a complex legal contract that conscripts the musician or musical group to create a record or series of records that the label will then distribute, sell, and promote. Many young performers are unfamiliar with the language used in these contracts and consequently agree to deal with unfavorable terms. We can help recording artists review and negotiate record deals. We can also work with record labels to prepare and complete recording agreements.

Any time you agree to something in the entertainment industry, you should get it in writing. This can range from employment agreements to script options to first look deals to financing arrangements. We are prepared to review any contract you are presented with throughout your career.

In film and television, any piece of intellectual property, including the image of a character, a piece of media, or a logo cannot simply appear in a new work. Production companies must obtain “clearances” from the individual or entity that controls that piece of intellectual property, which can sometimes require careful negotiation. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some companies will pay handsomely for the opportunity for their products and company logos to appear in a piece of media. Our team can help navigate and finalize both clearances and product placement agreements.

When an entertainment professional or athlete reaches a certain level of prominence, advertisers may seek to use their image for endorsements and appearances in ad campaigns. It is important to understand the incalculable value of your image. Every sponsorship or advertising deal should come with a robust contract that specifically defines how and when your image will be used, how it will be associated with the product, service, or brand, and the overall scope of the campaign. It should also specifically define what (if any) of your words will be used and what mediums a campaign will utilize. We can help negotiate these deals and help you understand what agreeing to a given sponsorship will mean. Our team can also assist advertising firms with preparing sponsorship or ad campaign contracts.

Similarly, when an entertainment professional or athlete begin to draw a significant following, it can be wise to explore merchandising and licensing opportunities. Poor quality merchandising can dilute an artist’s brand, so it is critical that agreements with merchandising vendors and other licensing deals are carefully drafted and heavily scrutinized. We can work with entertainers and athletes of all varieties to ensure your long-term interests are protected in any licensing or merchandising deal.

Mounting a tour can be one of the most lucrative prospects for growing or established recording artists and groups. Tour organization is an inherently complex process that requires the coordination of numerous moving parts, including transportation, merchandising, site logistics, accommodations, venue setup, promotion and advertising, and more. We can help recording professionals make sense of all of these moving parts when they are evaluating contracts involving touring.

When an entertainment professional begins to gain celebrity status, privacy becomes hard to come by. This is especially true as support teams around the artist grow, creating more potential avenues for leaks and unwanted information dissemination. Strong, enforceable nondisclosure agreements can help protect entertainment professionals who wish to maintain some level of privacy. We are familiar with the drafting of these contracts and can work to ensure you have some separation between your public and private lives.

Entertainment is all about collaboration, so it is only natural that individuals or companies might choose to work together to pursue an artistic or business opportunity. Even seemingly casual partnerships between individual entertainers should employ contracts to protect the interests of everyone involved. We can help you legitimize any partnership, joint venture, or collaboration, which can define the nature of the relationship, the liabilities each party takes on, and stakes in any profits or losses.

The United States is one of the centers of the entertainment industry, and many professionals from abroad seek to do business here. Our team is familiar with helping qualified entertainers, artists, and athletes gain access to the country through O visas and P visas. We can also assist those looking to pursue entertainment investment opportunities as a means of entering the United States.