What does an entertainment lawyer do?
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Here are a few examples of what the entertainment lawyer can do for you. Drafting Agreements on Your Behalf. Whether you are a professional writer with a focus on scripts, an actor, or a musician, there are bound to be contracts and agreements related to …
Dec 20, 2013 · Entertainment lawyers can help negotiate deals and opportunities for you, and represent you if you have a dispute involving an entertainment matter. They can assist with: Reviewing contracts Negotiating terms of a deal, arrangement, opportunity, or contract
Oct 26, 2018 · What Does an Entertainment Lawyer Do? Entertainment law, sometimes referred to as “media law,” provides various legal services to individuals and businesses involved in the entertainment industry. This area of law covers all different types of media including: Film Music Publishing Advertising Internet TV/Radio Theater
Oct 06, 2020 ·
Entertainment lawyers can help negotiate deals and opportunities for you, and represent you if you have a dispute involving an entertainment matter. They can assist with:
One of the biggest mistakes many artists, bands, and other talent make during the course of their entertainment careers is not getting legal help soon enough. Many aspiring authors, musicians, actors, producers, models, bands, and others often make the error of relying on their managers or agents to pair them up with a lawyer. This can often lead to disastrous consequences, with the entertainer receiving very little independent legal advice by a lawyer who is actually looking out for their best interests.
One of the key things entertainment lawyers do is examine and negotiate contracts and deals. Most of their day is spent meeting with clients, labels, and other lawyers. They then draft arrangements, land booking agents or concert deals and deal with a myriad of other agreements. Not to be confused with a music manager, ...
They help musicians to understand legal agreements and publishing contracts. In this article, we will look at what entertainment lawyers do on a day-to-day basis, and who the best lawyers are in the entertainment industry right now.
Senior associate solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, Butler-Ball has often been referred to as one of the best music lawyers in London. She has many years’ experience in advising clients in the media and entertainment industries. Butler-Ball advises both individuals and businesses working in music, film, TV, and digital media. She holds a certificate in Legal Rights and Trade Practices in the Creative Industries from UCL Faculty of Laws. The biggest highlights of her career so far has been acting for recording artists on their deals, with some being signed to major record labels such as Sony Music. Much of her recent work also includes providing legal advice to digital media companies and publishers.
Because the industry utilizes so many different fields of practice, entertainment lawyers must have extensive knowledge about multiple legal categories. They must also be familiar with various sectors of the entertainment industry, though some choose to work in just one sector such as music or film.
Entertainment lawyers are law professionals who represent the artists, employees, and companies involved in the entertainment industry. Keep reading to learn more about the entertainment lawyer.
Litigation-based lawyers on the other hand, are focused on defending clients in lawsuits and pursuing lawsuits on behalf of clients. These attorneys must be familiar with both criminal and civil laws. For instance, a litigation lawyer may represent a musician being sued by a production company for copyright infringement.
After graduating, many lawyers begin their careers by working as law clerks after graduation. Since it is a very specialized field, it is not uncommon for entertainment lawyers to work in a different area of law before finding a job in the entertainment industry.
The median wage for attorneys in the U.S. is $119,250 as of 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”) Occupational Outlook Handbook. This accounts for all lawyers, as the BLS does not distinguish by area of practice.
Larger law firms are likely staffed to handle a wide variety of legal specialties. They may also employ both transactional and litigation lawyers. Smaller firms or private practices generally focus on a specific area within litigation or transactional law.
A Master of Law degree (M.L. or LL.M) is available for students wanting to take a closer look at the law after receiving their Juris Doctorate degree. The degree is internationally recognized, and it can broaden a person’s career horizons.
Entertainment lawyers are often generalists in the field of entertainment law, which requires them to know a lot of legal subjects. They can give you advice and recommendations about:
Networking is one of the most important skills for entertainment lawyers. They should have connections in the film or music industries so they can secure the best contracts for their clients. Other types of lawyers may focus on marketing to potential clients. Draft contracts for a client, review contracts from managers, publicists, record labels, ...
On the other hand, these attorneys may work directly for professional organizations to perform duties they may desire. They most often deal with transactions—negotiating and drafting contracts.
Call that attorney back and be ready to sign the retainer agreement to get started. Expect to spend between $250 and $500 per hour once the attorney begins to work for you. Finally, listen to the advice you get and, of course, take the advice you pay for.
Education. Like other attorneys, an entertainment attorney spends three years earning a law degree after receiving a bachelor’s degree. But an entertainment attorney chooses to focus on entertainment, most often graduating from a law school that offers a specialization in entertainment law.
Some of the top schools are the University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Stanford University and New York University. Once a person graduates from a law school, they can represent clients in the entertainment industry without requiring additional training or certification.
They act as general counsel for established artists, helping with marketing and merchandising deals, as well as real estate transactions and tax issues. Also, they help artists secure the rights to use music that other artists have written, complying with copyright laws.
Entertainment lawyers represent people in the entertainment industry (authors, musicians, actors, producers, etc.) in lawsuits and can advise them about contracts they’re entering into.
If you’re being sued, an entertainment lawyer will do their best to prove your innocence or reduce any charges against you. There are no guarantees in a lawsuit, but having a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the law and court procedure will give you your best chance.
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.
Entertainment lawyers provide legal help for artists, employees, companies and individuals involved in all areas of the entertainment industry, including film, radio, television, music, publishing, theater and digital or multimedia entertainment like video games.
Maintain relationships with studios or record labels and be aware of who's influential and what deals are being made in the industry. Having strong contacts can help a lawyer get a deal done quickly, while knowledge of what's being offered elsewhere can help the lawyer get the best deal for a client.
Act as general counsel for established artists, helping with marketing and merchandising deals, as well as real estate transactions and tax issues.
Not all entertainment attorneys have the same job description. Let's look next at the different specialties that entertainment lawyers can have.
If you are an entertainer, movie producer, or musician, an entertainment lawyer can assist you with important legal issues, including intellectual property rights. Hiring an entertainment attorney will enable you to negotiate or write your contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and work on publication deals.
Entertainment lawyers provide services to the entertainment industry, including film, music, television, theater, publishing, visual arts, and multimedia. They also represent sports stars and other celebrities. Entertainment lawyers negotiate and write contracts, deal with intellectual property issues, and practice employment and labor law.
Although entertainment lawyers do assist their clients with legal decisions such as contracts, compensation, real estate purchases, etc., entertainment attorneys also use their skills to help further a client's career.