What do Entertainment Lawyers do?
What Do Entertainment Lawyers Do?
Entertainment lawyers help clients in the entertainment industry understand legal issues and protect their rights. They provide legal services to individuals and companies in areas like film, TV, music, publishing, theater, sports, digital media, and more.
Key Responsibilities
Some of the main things entertainment lawyers do include:
| – Negotiating contracts | Entertainment attorneys review, draft, negotiate, and sometimes litigate agreements like record deals, licensing contracts, employment agreements with producers, option/purchase agreements, profit participation agreements, and more. |
| – Protecting intellectual property | They help clients register copyrights, trademarks, patents, and understand how to legally protect creative ideas and work. |
| – Navigating industry regulations | Entertainment lawyers keep up with complex industry regulations around things like royalties, residuals, unions, standards and practices, FCC regulations, state film commission incentives, and more to ensure compliance. |
| – Handling litigation | When conflicts arise over contracts, rights, royalties payments, credits/billing, defamation, privacy rights, and other issues, entertainment lawyers can represent clients in mediation, arbitration, or court litigation. |
Clients and Industries
The types of clients entertainment lawyers work with include:
- Musicians, songwriters, composers, music producers
- Actors, directors, writers, casting directors, producers
- Publishers, authors
- Professional athletes
- Reality TV participants
- Influencers, online content creators
- Production companies
- Film studios, TV networks
- Record labels
- Theater producers and performers
- Venues, promoters, talent agencies
- Video game designers and publishers
Entertainment law spans a wide range of industries like:
- Music
- Film and TV
- Theater
- Publishing
- Sports
- Digital media
Within these areas, attorneys may develop niche specialties over time. For example, an entertainment lawyer might specifically focus on representing film producers or music touring artists or book publishers.
Education and Background
To become an entertainment lawyer, there are a few common steps:
- Earn an undergraduate degree
Attend law school and earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree
Pass the bar exam to become licensed in your state
Gain experience through internships or clerkships during law school
Many entertainment lawyers start their careers at general practice law firms to gain foundational experience before specializing. Over time, they may transition into boutique law firms or open their own practices focused entirely on entertainment law.It’s also common for entertainment lawyers to have experience working within the entertainment industry first before going to law school. This hands-on background provides helpful context for representing clients down the road. For example, someone might work for five years as a talent agent or music producer and then decide to get their law degree and become an entertainment lawyer.No matter their path, the most successful entertainment attorneys are those passionate about entertainment and staying on top of industry trends and developments. It’s a very relationship-driven field, so building strong networks is also key.
Day-to-Day Work Environment
The daily work life of an entertainment lawyer varies greatly depending on factors like:
- Firm size – Large firms have more support staff while solo practitioners handle more administrative work themselves
- Client base – The needs of musician clients are very different than production company clients, for example
- Deal volume – Some attorneys work on high volumes of smaller deals while others handle a few huge, complex deals at once
Despite these differences, common day-to-day entertainment lawyer tasks include:
- Communicating with clients by phone and email
- Reviewing agreements and documents
- Researching issues coming up for clients
- Drafting customized contracts and agreements
- Negotiating deal points and terms
- Navigating relationships between parties as a deal broker
- Managing filing/registration of trademarks, copyrights, patents
- Preparing clients for hearings, depositions, trials
- Staying up to date on the latest entertainment industry news
The work environment itself also varies widely – while some attorneys work long hours at a law firm office, others have more flexibility to work remotely or run their own virtual practices.
Why Hire an Entertainment Attorney?
Here are some of the key reasons individuals and companies in entertainment hire lawyers to support them:Expertise navigating complex industry issues – Entertainment law intersects contract law, intellectual property law, litigation, and intricate industry regulations. An experienced attorney knows how to guide clients through the nuances.Negotiating favorable deals – Attorneys act as advocates in negotiations to structure agreements favorably for their clients. They identify problematic terms and push to get clients the best possible deal.Avoiding costly mistakes – From registration issues to contractual loopholes, legal mistakes in entertainment can lead to financial disaster or rights loss. Skilled lawyers help protect clients from oversights.