Sports & Entertainment:
Our entertainment practice focuses on the music, motion picture, television, sports, Internet, digital media, and publishing industries. We have critical access to key players in the entertainment industry and provide clients with the business-oriented and dedicated legal advice needed to thrive in today’s multi-disciplined, multimedia entertainment marketplace.
We provide both planning and advice, so that our clients can structure their business operations and personal finances for the best possible tax result. Our skilled advocates have appeared on tax controversies before the United States Tax Court, United States District Courts, and California State Courts. We have successfully settled tax cases with the Internal Revenue Service, the California Franchise Tax Board, and the California State Board of Equalization.
- Music. The firm helps to shape and maintain the careers of recording artists, producers, record and publishing companies and executives, managers, production companies, publishers and songwriters in the music sector. Our team drafts and negotiates record, publishing, producer, management, distribution, touring, merchandising, corporate sponsorship, licensing and Internet agreements. We consult with artists as well as record and publishing companies regarding their financing, entertainment and Internet strategies and the protection of their intellectual property rights.
- Motion Pictures and Television. We provide legal advice to actors, writers, directors, producers, managers, agents, production, financing and distribution companies, networks and studios in the film, television, cable and interactive media sectors. From drafting and negotiating performer, writer and producer agreements as well as television and film financing and distribution agreements to complex financing and revenue-sharing cross-discipline license agreements, we cover virtually every aspect of the business.
- Sports Entertainment. Our sports clients are business people with many diverse interests, investments and opportunities in need of protection. We have contacts with numerous industry insiders, and utilize this background in our negotiations. We are experienced in negotiating complex financing and acquisition transactions across the sports spectrum. Our clients include well known athletes, sports networks, professional sports announcers, Internet sports media companies, sports team managers and professional sports leagues and associations.