Entertainment
The Entertainment Group’s full-service approach allows our clients in the industry to thrive in business by focusing on their creative work. We strive to keep our clients from being distracted by the headaches and complexities of lawsuits and legal, tax, and business matters, so they can spend their valuable time doing what they love.
Our specialty niche in the music sector is supported by an all-encompassing practice that includes work with:
- Record Labels
- Recording Artists
- Publishers
- Songwriters
- Film Composers
In addition we partner with creative people throughout the motion picture and television sectors of the Industry, including:
- Talent agencies
- Managers
- Producers
- Directors
- Performers
- Screenwriters
- Authors
- Post Production Houses
Our senior lawyers are passionate about their work. With in-depth knowledge and expertise throughout the industry, we are uniquely suited to empathize with our clients’ challenges and help achieve their ambitions.
With years of experience representing high-profile professionals, such as Grammy winners and production executives, in their tax planning issues, we are extremely savvy in structuring transactions with an eye for maximizing tax benefits.
The Entertainment Group offers expertise in a variety of music, motion picture, and television matters, including:
- Deal structuring and business planning
- Tax planning and tax disputes
- Estate planning
- Handling lawsuits and/or arbitrations relating to entertainment disputes
- Copyright and trademark matters: registrations and counseling, defending and/or prosecuting copyright and trademark lawsuits
The litigators in the Entertainment Group are experienced in handling lawsuits in all sectors of the entertainment industry, including contract and intellectual property disputes, talent guild matters and profit participation, and royalty disputes.
- Prevailed on behalf of an internationally renowned entertainer by successfully opposing a bankruptcy trustee’s motion to obtain additional royalties and compelling transfer of copyrights back to artist.
- Successfully settled lawsuit against a major music publisher for repeated failure to properly account for royalties.
- Negotiated the sale of a $22 million music-publishing catalogue.
- Represented a Grammy-winning artist/composer in recent signing with a prominent record label.
- Provided tax counsel to an artist splitting with his label, resulting in corporate reorganization and tax-free return of master recordings to our client.
- Saved famous rock star over $1 million in resolution of IRS tax dispute.