Hiring an entertainment law attorney

Raellic

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I thought I would post about my experience looking for and finally finding an entertainment lawyer. My need is somewhat unusual in that I need a one-stop-shop who does both music and film, and also fundraising transactions for those areas. Also, I'm a lawyer myself (although I only do litigation, not transactions). I'm willing to spend top dollar on an entertainment lawyer who can handle transactions and, if possible, also introduce me to contacts in his or her network (although I don't say that part...it's understood). I am from Northern California, so I either need someone in L.A. or in the Bay Area.

Month 1: I email several entertainment law firms in L.A. with my need. None of them respond.

Month 2: I call an entertainment lawyer who I know through a professional colleague. She refers me to another firm. I call them and they refer me to yet another firm. The other firm is not interested.

Month 3: I post an inquiry on California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA), which is a referral service. They refer me to a questionable lawyer who charges more than $400 per hour but wants to meet me at a coffee shop because he has no office. I turn that one down and get a new referral from CLA. This one is interested but he has a very money-centric operation and I balk at the substantial deposit requirement and the fact that I have no way to contact him directly.

Month 4: I give up. What it looks like is that entertainment lawyers only take on a client if the lawyer's standing in the industry increases, not the client's!

Month 5: I develop my concepts and plans in more detail. It turns out I need one more thing: a lawyer who can do private offering transactions (fundraising) in the context of a motion picture project. I look for the top-rated lawyers in this area on Yelp, and I find what looks like a great choice. They tell me they have no entertainment experience, but they would highly recommend a particular entertainment lawyer in San Francisco who also has a L.A. office. I thank them and write it off because I don't want to deal with another entertainment lawyer's drama. But then I read this guy's twenty or thirty five-star Yelp reviews, including specific comments about how great he is at particular things. He has amazing testimonials on his website from motion picture producers, writers, and directors. I think to myself: I'll at least meet him and see what he's like. I call him and I am immediately able to reach him on his mobile phone. I set up an appointment. I meet him at his office, which is beautiful. This guy has the best ever in-person rapport/pitch and he has all the right qualifications. He says he looked over my project pages and he loves it, and wants to represent me. We spend an hour talking about movies, film festivals, entertainment law, and other stuff. He only wants two hours of attorney fees up front ($395/hr.) and seems like a really nice guy. I hire him on the spot. He gives me a tour of the office and we chat about our respective law practices. What a joy compared to months of banging my head against the wall. He immediately gets to work on my case and has already provided helpful advice. I could not be more satisfied with this.

So it looks like finding entertainment law representation is a combination of luck and having an interesting product to offer. None of it has to do with your financial resources or willingness to spend money. In case anyone is wondering, lol.
 

DKM

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Perhaps distance is an issue, but NYC has entertainment attorneys. I will need representative help in a couple of months, glad you found someone though. Yes, I am wondering. What is the attorney's name?
 

ranjitmore

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Raellic, thanks for sharing. That was a good read, and good to know you found what you were looking for.

To anyone who might know the answer: What is the difference between entertainment lawyers, managers and agents?
 

Jakedfw

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Hi Raellic,

Entertainment law in Los Angeles is highly stratified due to the payment model, which is 5% of the deal and not a per hour retainer. I have the same attorney as Donald Glover, and he took me on to negotiate a sale to Blumhouse, but in my first call he said, “This phone call is costing me more money than the deal will make me.”

He was only half kidding.

You really need a six figure deal in hand with the promise of more in hand to get the attention of any of the major entertainment attorneys in LA. It’s not that they’re jerks—it’s just that the money in LA is so stupid that smaller deals truly are... not worth the time for even a single call.
 

Jakedfw

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Broadly speaking: Agents sell your work due to their connections and understanding of the market. Entertainment lawyers negotiate and close the deal.

I don’t know what managers do.
 

Barbara R.

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It was surprising to me that you had so much trouble finding a lawyer. Could it have something to do with the financial structure of your proposition? Payment depending on results, for example? Or were you asking them to do something out of their usual scope of work? I ask because the few times i needed an entertainment lawyer, it was easy to find one and those I talked to seemed quite eager for the work. They're expensive---I remember $400/hour, and that was years ago!---but there were plenty of them around. I think my agent gave me a list, and I talked to several.

Anyway, you found a good one, it sounds like. Hope it all works out.