The media, entertainment, and sports industry has become a multibillion-dollar global juggernaut with unprecedented reach and influence. But with growth comes challenge. Constant technological advancement and changing economic models are forcing media, entertainment, and sports companies to continually change the way they conduct business. As a result, novel legal issues arise each day. Successful navigation of these turbulent waters requires experienced counsel who understand both where the entertainment industry has been and where it is going. Cozen O’Connor’s unrivaled grasp of the business side of the media, entertainment, and sport industry enables it to spot developing trends and fully prepare clients for the future.
Cozen O’Connor attorneys have been providing legal and business advice to clients in the media, entertainment, and sports industry for more than thirty years. Our firm is consistently recognized as a leader in the entertainment bar by legal and trade organizations, as well as peers. We work closely with a sophisticated group of film, television, cable, music, radio, sports, media, and telecommunications clients. With offices throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and the U.K., Cozen O’Connor has the international capabilities to deliver the highest level of service to our industry clients from Los Angeles to New York and Toronto to London.
Cozen O’Connor attorneys have long-standing, close relationships with individuals and companies at the highest levels of the entertainment industry. This gives us access to resources and information critical to our client’s success and allows us to operate at the cutting edge of this intensely competitive industry. We have been involved in the development of thousands of television productions, working on some of the highest-rated programs, and have served as counsel to dozens of films, from project inception through financing and distribution.
In addition to industry-specific knowledge, our clients benefit enormously from Cozen O’Connor’s multidisciplinary strength. We handle our entertainment industry client’s issues across many substantive legal areas, including licensing, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, finance, tax, labor and employment, litigation, public and project finance, and bankruptcy. Cozen O’Connor attorneys have the breadth to handle the entertainment industry’s most complex matters.
Cozen O’Connor attracts and retains forward-thinking lawyers who have the ability and desire to break new ground. Indeed, the attorneys in our media, entertainment, and sports practice are among the most creative and tenacious practitioners in the field. We are not bound by convention but, simply, by a fierce determination to do whatever is necessary to help our clients achieve their business goals.
CLIENTS
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Motion picture and television production companies, distributors, writers, directors, and actors
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Film studios
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Music industry record labels, publishers, and distributors; playwrights and composers
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Content distributors
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Professional sports teams and organizations, venues, and arena management companies
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New media ventures
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Mobile carriers and digital content service providers
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Advertising, public relations, and marketing firms
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Retail service and merchandise companies
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Private equity, venture capital, film funds, and strategic investors
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Financial institutions and service providers
SERVICE AREAS
Litigation
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Represent media, entertainment, and sports clients in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and mediations, including proceedings before the Independent Film & Television Alliance and the California Labor Commissioner
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Provide litigation counsel in dozens of subfields, including accounting, profit participation and royalty disputes, antitrust, commercial disputes, class actions, unfair competition, First Amendment, false advertising, rights of privacy and publicity, trademark, other intellectual property matters, employment, governmental investigations, defamation, and insurance coverage
Transactions
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Lead mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures
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Handle complex film financings
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Provide guidance to maximize and monetize production, infrastructure and tax-related incentives, rebates, refunds and credits under federal, state, provincial, local, municipal and other applicable statutes, legislation, laws and regulations pertaining to film and television production
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Negotiate the sale of media rights
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Assist with acquisitions and sale of media catalogues, and name and likeness rights
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Serve as television and motion picture production counsel from project inception through distribution
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Advise clients on business development, media initiatives, multi-platform content creation, brand management, and consumer and retail marketing strategies
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Negotiate and draft agreements for sponsorship, collaboration, merchandising, licensing, confidentiality, employment, and content distribution on behalf of talent, writers, directors, producers, managers, agents, production, financing and distribution companies, and networks in the motion picture and television industry
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Assist with financing, insurance, accounting, and taxation matters
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Negotiate and draft record, publishing, producer, management, distribution, touring, merchandising, sponsorship, licensing, and internet agreements
Corporate and Regulatory
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Counsel clients on advertising, marketing, and telecommunications regulations
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Provide government relations services
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Offer sophisticated antitrust, tax, and corporate compliance counseling
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Advise clients on employment and labor law regulations specific to the industry
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Promote and protect intellectual property rights, including copyrights and trademarks
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Assist with energy, environmental, and utilities law compliance
RELATED PRACTICES
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Real Estate
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Intellectual Property
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Labor & Employment
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Commercial Litigation
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Mergers & Acquisitions