Media, Entertainment and Sports

Our attorneys’ knowledge of the business of media enables us to assist clients in a variety of commercial matters, including acquisition and dispositions of media companies and assets, licensing, affiliation agreements, non-competition agreements, confidential disclosure and idea submission agreements. We also handle a broad range of intellectual property issues, including copyright and trademark registrations.

Our representative transactional experience includes:

• Representing clients in rights acquisition and clearance, personnel and talent agreements, production agreements, and distribution agreements for both documentary and feature films.

• Representing a privately held publishing group in numerous acquisitions and dispositions of magazine and book publishing properties, including acquisitions from sellers in bankruptcy proceedings.

• Representing a privately held medical marketing communications company in several acquisitions of complementary businesses and its eventual sale to an advertising and media services conglomerate.

• Represented a major media conglomerate and its affiliates in connection with various M&A transactions, including its acquisition of an Internet entertainment company, its acquisition of an interest in a professional sports tour, and its sale of a music publishing company.

• Represented a national television corporation in its agreement to sell a major television station to a subsidiary of a national media company.

• Represented a privately held media company in the acquisition and divestiture of several publishing properties.

• Guided an internet-based medical information services company through several rounds of venture capital financing, strategic alliances with a national television network and a leading internet company, its initial public offering and its merger into another public company.

Intellectual Property and Tax Counseling

• Various sports-related tax-exempt organizations as special tax counsel in securing tax-exempt bond financing for facilities construction and renovation.

• A professional sports museum in connection with various intellectual property and tax-exempt organization matters, including:
  • Drafting and negotiating licensing, publishing, broadcasting, sponsorship, agency, website development and new media rights agreements.
  • Trademark and copyright counseling, prosecution and enforcement.
  • Counseling on issues concerning publicity and privacy rights.

• Counseling on tax-exempt matters, such as unrelated business income tax issues and charitable solicitations.

• A sports museum in its agreement to house and exhibit college football’s Heisman Trophy award.

• A professional basketball team’s foundation in connection with its charitable activities.