Entertainment Law
Entertainment Law covers all aspects of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theater, interactive and digital entertainment and sports. We handle transactional matters for both individuals and institutions, guiding them in the creative and business areas of their entertainment, media and technology initiatives.
Industry heavyweights hire E.L. Key Law LLC. to negotiate complex contracts, leverage entertainment properties and skillfully handle disputes when they arise.
We have in-depth knowledge in the music and cinema industry. We know the industry players, often on a first-name basis, because our lawyers have had a hand in many of the entertainment industry’s biggest contracts and deals.
As a result, we are able to assist media, entertainment companies and talent to connect and work with these key industry players with the resources that can help to further their business and creative initiatives. In addition, our legal expertise and understanding of our clients’ businesses and objectives allow us to give practical advice for prudent decision-making.
We provide legal counsel to production companies, artists, authors, producers, writers, directors, talent and below the line personnel. Our expertise includes contract negotiations, intellectual property rights, licensing agreements, motion picture and television distribution agreements, screenwriters’ agreements, production contracts, licensing and distribution agreements and assistance in the management of daily business matters.
E.L. Key Law Group’s areas of representation include:
- Film and television financing, development, production and distribution
- Theatrical stage production and financing
- Finder’s contracts and shopping agreements
- Domestic and international co-production and pre-sale
- Branded entertainment
- Advertising and marketing
- Book-to-film deals
- Film and television animation agreements
- Digital, mobile, social media and video content distribution and licensing
- Intellectual property protection and enforcement
- Fair use legal opinions
- Talent agreements
- Endorsement deals
- Merchandising
- Music agreements, including master use and synchronization license
- Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations and strategic alliances
- Collective bargaining negotiations/agreements, including SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA, Teamsters and IATSE agreements
- Employment agency license applications
- Talent management, model management, talent agency, literary agent and publishing agreements
- Clearances and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance
- Regulatory compliance, including SEC, FTC and FCC regulations
Business Law
Business law deals with the creation of new businesses and the issues that arise as existing businesses interact with the public, other companies, and the government. This area of the law draws on a variety of legal disciplines, including tax law, intellectual property, real estate, sales, employment law, bankruptcy, and others. The attorneys at E.L. Key Law Group specialize in transactional work, with business combinations and transactions that require special financing, including joint ventures, business formation, product and technology licensing, distributorship arrangements, leveraged leasing and synthetic leasing. In fact, our lawyers are often hired for the purpose of avoiding future litigation.
Our attorneys have access to an incredible network and bring a broad perspective to the practice of entertainment law. Our attorneys combine their in-depth knowledge of the law with practical and efficient strategies. We are committed to providing clients with legal services tailored to their individual needs which allows us to provide tremendous value. We recognize that our responsibility is not only to provide competent, timely legal services for a fair fee, but to keep each client informed as to the status of each matter.
We offer legal counsel to business owners, doctors, designers, retail owners, wholesalers including:
- Contract Negotiations
• Business Collections
• Business Consulting
• Business Formations – Corporations, LLCs, Partnerships
• Assistance in the Management of Daily Business Matters
Other services include:
- Contract Negotiation, Review and Drafting
• Copyright and Trademark Registration
• Creation of Business Plans
• Dispute Resolutions
Film & TV Production Law
Producing a film or television series is an exciting endeavor – but can also be complex. At E.L. Key Law Group, our job is to take care of the nuts and bolts of the legal aspects of your production, so you can focus on the creative side of your project. Our team’s goal is to protect you from unexpected legal claims that can arise even after the cameras have stopped rolling.
E.L. Key Law Group counsels content creators and providers across all forms of media in strategizing, structuring, and negotiating complex deals ranging from branded content to new ways to create great content and distribute it. These deals certainly include stuff like film, television series or documentary production, product placement, advertiser-sponsored programming, celebrity endorsements, funding of independent content creation and domestic or worldwide distribution. We counsel clients to have a solution for every screen, whether as content owner or distributor.
Our entertainment attorneys can assist with all stages of the production process – from development and financing to pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution.
Our client base includes:
- Producers, directors, screenwriters, actors and other talent
- Production companies and distributors
- Emerging creative digital and media companies
We have experience drafting and negotiating various production-related documents, including:
- Development Deals
- Appearance Releases
- Location Releases
- Nondisclosure Agreements
- Employee and Independent Contractor Agreements
- Product Placement Agreements
- Assisting with chain of title and related guild signatory documentation (WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA)
- Sales Agent Agreements and Distribution Agreements
- Production Legal packages for Films, Television Shows and Internet Projects
- Entity Formations – Incorporations, LLC and Partnerships
- Script Acquisitions
- Above the Line Agreements – Producer Agreements, Executive Producer Agreements, Director Agreements
- Copyright and Trademark Registration
- Talent and Crew Agreements
- Location, Equipment, Prop and Miscellaneous Agreements
- Distribution Agreements
- Post-Production Agreements
- On Call Legal Advice During Production