What we do
Practice Areas
A variety of focused areas, one throughline — protecting creative work and structuring the deals that move it forward.
Entertainment & Copyright
So much of what falls under entertainment law is rooted in copyright. U.S. copyright law protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium — literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other intellectual works — whether published or unpublished. We help you protect those works from the moment they're created.
- Copyright strategy & registrationProtecting works from creation through registration.
- Infringement & enforcementCease-and-desist, takedowns, and disputes when work is misused.
- Clearance & fair-use counselUsing third-party material confidently and within the lines.
- Rights ownership & transfersAssignments, work-for-hire, and chain-of-title clarity.
Rights & Royalties
Owning the rights is only half the equation — value comes from managing them well. We help creators and rights-holders track what they own, license it on the right terms, and make sure every dollar owed is actually collected.
- Licensing & rights administrationGranting and acquiring rights on terms that serve your goals.
- Royalty collection & trackingSecuring collection from all sources with aligned administration.
- Royalty review & assessmentChecking the statements, assessing gaps, and pursuing missing revenue streams.
- Estates & inherited copyrightsPassing on copyrights and royalty streams, and managing rights that pass to heirs.
- Catalog & portfolio managementKeeping ownership, splits, and registrations organized over time.
- Society & PRO registrationAligning registrations with collecting societies and PROs.
Music
The music industry continues to evolve, and navigating its many revenue streams is essential to success. Effective management of the rights to the material is critical — and songwriters and recording artists in particular need to carefully weigh DIY against alignment with an independent or major company. To do it right, you need an attorney with specialized knowledge of the industry.
- Recording agreementsArtist, label, and distribution deals reviewed and negotiated.
- Publishing & songwriter dealsAdministration, co-publishing, and split agreements.
- Producer & session termsPoints, fees, and credits documented cleanly up front.
- Sync & master licensingNegotiating placements in film, TV, advertising, and games.
- Management & band agreementsRoles, revenue, and exits defined before they're tested.
- Sampling & clearanceClearing the material your work is built on.
Film & Video
Any filmmaking adventure — whether a sizzle reel or a potential blockbuster — has its best chance of viability with the proper contracts in place. Involving counsel at the outset brings clarity to development and signals your professional commitment to the project, establishing obligations and boundaries so you can focus on the film and maintain good relationships with writers, directors, talent, producers, and financiers.
- Production & financingStructuring the deals that get a project made.
- Option & rights acquisitionSecuring the underlying material to adapt and produce.
- Talent & crew agreementsCast, director, writer, and crew engagements.
- Clearance & E&O supportRights, releases, and the paperwork insurers require.
- Distribution & licensingGetting finished work to audiences and platforms.
- Releases & permissionsLocations, appearances, and third-party content.
Independent Filmmaker Package
Bundled essential agreements — talent, crew, releases, location, E&O, script assignments, and work-for-hire — for a flat fee set by your film's budget. The best time to perfect your rights is at the outset.
Management
Artists and creators are increasingly represented by managers, agents, and other professionals — and those relationships deserve the same care as any other deal. We counsel both talent and the professionals who represent them on the agreements that define how they work together.
- Management agreementsScope, commission, term, and exit terms set out clearly.
- Agency & representation dealsBooking, talent, and agency relationships, defined and documented.
- Power of attorney & authorityWhat a representative can and cannot do on your behalf.
- Commission & accounting termsHow money is earned, tracked, and paid through the relationship.
- Conflicts & fiduciary dutiesProtecting the client's interests at the center of the deal.
- Transitions & terminationsChanging or ending the business relationship cleanly when the time comes.
Literary
We represent writers and publishers in the review, drafting, and negotiation of publishing agreements, and we counsel authors on the legal aspects of their careers. Self-publishing is more accessible than ever — and it carries legal issues the self-published need to understand.
- Publishing agreementsReview, drafting, and negotiation for writers and publishers.
- Self-publishing counselPlatform terms, ownership, and rights retention.
- Screen & stage writingCounsel for screenwriters and playwrights on their work.
- Journalists & bloggersRights, permissions, and the legal side of publishing online.
- Literary & subsidiary rightsTranslation, audio, serial, and territory rights.
- Adaptation & option dealsTaking written work to screen, stage, or audio.
Business Law
We help you mind your business — providing general counsel services to creative and professional companies, small businesses, and start-ups. Clients retain us to handle the legal matters an in-house general counsel would otherwise provide; in effect, we are their outside in-house counsel.
The Company Counsel Mind Your Business Ongoing general counsel for creative companies, at a manageable monthly fee. Explore the Program →- Entity formationLLCs, corporations, and the right structure for your venture.
- Operating & shareholder agreementsOwnership, control, and decision-making set in writing.
- Commercial contractsVendor, service, and licensing agreements.
- Joint ventures & collaborationsAligning partners and protecting contributions.
- Ongoing general counselA steady legal partner as the business grows.
- Unwinding Your Business RelationshipsDissolutions, separations, and exits handled cleanly and fairly.
counsel to the creative
Not sure where your matter fits?
Tell us what you're working on. A consultation is usually all it takes to point you in the right direction.