Practice Area

The primary components of our Sports and Entertainment Law sector are as follows:

1.   Entertainment Law

A.   Intellectual Property (IP) Protection & Monetization

B.   Content Development & Production

• • • Talent Agreements:
      • Music: Drafting and negotiating recording contracts, music publishing deals, co-writing agreements, and touring contracts.
      • Film/TV: Negotiating agreements for actors, directors, writers, and producers.
      • Publishing: Negotiating book publishing contracts for authors, including advances, royalties, and subsidiary rights (e.g., film options).
    • Production & Financing:
      • Financing Agreements: Structuring deals with studios, networks, and independent financiers.
      • Co-Production Agreements: Drafting joint venture agreements between multiple production companies, often from different countries.
      • Distribution Licenses: Negotiating deals with streaming services, television networks, and theatrical distributors for the right to exhibit the final product.

C.   Corporate & Transactional

• • • Formation of Entities: Setting up production companies, management firms.
    • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): Handling the acquisition of a production company, a music catalog, or a streaming service.
    • Joint Ventures: Structuring partnerships for specific projects or long-term business endeavors.

2.   Sports Law

A.   Team & League Representation

• • • League Governance: Advising leagues on rules, franchise relocations, expansion, and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with player unions.
    • Stadium & Arena Agreements: Negotiating leases, financing deals, and naming rights agreements for sports venues.
    • Sponsorship & Licensing: Drafting agreements for corporate partnerships, broadcast rights, and merchandise licensing.

B.   Event Management & Facilities

• • • Event Agreements: Negotiating contracts for hosting events, including those with venues, vendors, and broadcasters.
    • Ticketing: Drafting terms and conditions for ticket sales and managing related consumer law issues.

3.   Cross-Sector Practice Areas

A.   Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• • • Breach of Contract: Suing over failed payments or unfulfilled contractual obligations.
    • IP Litigation: Fighting copyright infringement (illegal streaming, music sampling) and trademark disputes.
    • Defamation & Privacy: Representing clients in libel, slander, or invasion of privacy lawsuits.
    • Royalty Audits & Disputes: Investigating and litigating claims of underpaid royalties from record labels, studios, or distributors.

B.   Corporate & Brand Work

• • • Mergers & Acquisitions: Facilitating the sale of a sports team, a music label, or a film library.
    • Sponsorship & Endorsements: Structuring and negotiating complex, multi-year global sponsorship deals for both athletes and entertainment properties.
    • Digital Media & New Technologies: Advising on legal issues for e-sports, and social media influencer agreements.