Media and Entertainment
Strategically located throughout the major entertainment capitals of the world, including Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Nashville, New York, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo, our team of lawyers across practice areas are trusted by clients in publishing, film, television, music, streaming media, and gaming for their extensive experience litigating, negotiating, enforcing, and managing some of the industry’s most sensitive, cutting-edge, and high-profile legal matters.
We have represented clients across all facets of the industry such as major studios, broadcast networks, cable and pay television services, streaming media platforms, and music labels, as well as talent agencies, managers, and performing artists.
Media and Entertainment Litigation
With our deep bench strength, we have tackled some of the global entertainment industry’s most complex and high-profile litigation matters. We are well positioned to represent our clients’ interests at every phase of dispute. Our litigation experience includes:
- Protecting and enforcing valuable intellectual property rights across content areas, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and rights of publicity.
- Providing representation in idea theft claims.
- Prosecuting and defending complex disputes over profit participation and contract claims.
- Providing representation in sensitive investigations involving claims of misconduct, wrongful termination, discrimination, and other employment claims, while being sensitive to the impact on labor relations.
- Prosecuting and defending actions involving First Amendment issues, speech restrictions, defamation, slander, libel, and privacy.
Media and Entertainment Transactions
Leveraging our Corporate practice’s strong transaction experience, we are adept at providing industry-specific advice and counsel to prominent clients across the spectrum of entertainment industry transactions. Our lawyers’ deep understanding of the needs of our industry clients make them well situated to bring a creative approach to transactional issues in the media and entertainment space. We assist with:
- Company formation and corporate restructuring through mergers and joint ventures, as well as with managing financial aspects, operational capital, and ongoing business activities.
- Crafting and executing licensing deals, technology-related contracts, engagement in capital markets, and strategic acquisition and monetization of company assets.
- Forming strategic alliances and overseeing financial transactions relevant to the creation, production, and distribution of content, coupled with monetizing intellectual property internationally in existing and nascent markets.
Thought Leadership
In a landmark ruling with far-reaching consequences for federal agencies and the regulated community, the Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine.
While most of the attention surrounding the Supreme Court’s (the Court) decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo (Loper), overturning the longstanding Chevron doctrine, has focused on the increased potential for successful challenges against agency actions, the decision will impact all stages of the public policy lifecycle—legislation, regulation, and only then litigation.
On 30 January 2024, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule (Final Rule) increasing the premium processing fee from US$2,500 to US$2,805, increasing filing fees for I-129 and I-140 employment-based petitions, and imposing a new Asylum Program Fee for each Form I-129 and I-140 filed by employers.
Following a year's 'grace' to allow businesses to be prepared, changes to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (ASIC Act), which commenced on 9 November 2023 means that Unfair Contract Terms (UCTs) now contravene these legislations.