Entertainment & Sports Law Lawyers and Attorneys

Attorneys in this category work on the business of creative and athletic careers: recording, publishing, film and television production agreements, talent and endorsement deals, name, image and likeness contracts, touring and venue agreements, rights clearance and licensing, royalty audits, and disputes over all of them.

The practice is contract and intellectual property work with industry-specific customs. Who owns the master, who controls the copyright, how net proceeds are defined and what happens on termination are the recurring questions.

Before you hire

• Have agreements reviewed before signing. Rights signed away in a first deal are rarely recovered.
• Check whether the person is acting as a lawyer or an agent or manager — the roles, duties and regulation differ.
• Ask how fees work: hourly, flat per agreement, or a percentage, and whether that percentage stacks on top of other commissions.

Intellectual property, trademarks and business law cover the underlying rights and structures.