what is an entertainment attorney

An entertainment lawyer practices a specialized type of law specific to the entertainment industry. When you think about what is an entertainment lawyer, an image of a slick Hollywood type looking to take advantage of a naïve performer may come to mind.

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What is the job description for an entertainment lawyer?

Jan 30, 2022 · An entertainment lawyer practices a specialized type of law specific to the entertainment industry. When you think about what is an entertainment lawyer, an image of a slick Hollywood type looking to take advantage of a naïve performer may come to mind. But it is important to understand what an entertainment attorney does, as they can provide essential …

How to become an entertainment attorney?

Jul 03, 2020 · Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients’ best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and …

What does an entertainment lawyer do?

If problems arise, such as tax concerns, criminal charges, or bankruptcy, the entertainment attorney will help the client find a specialist. For example, if an entertainer faces a lawsuit, the entertainment attorney can help the entertainer find a litigator who specializes in the type of litigation at issue (such as a copyright dispute).

Who are some of entertainment lawyers?

Entertainment law allows an attorney to focus on a niche type of law and apply it to the entertainment industry. Entertainment lawyers often develop a highly unique skill set that is in high demand in the industry. The serious business of entertainment Entertainment law is many different types of law combined.

What is the role of an entertainment lawyer?

Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients' best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and Composers.Jul 3, 2020

What do entertainment lawyers do on a daily basis?

1. What do entertainment attorneys do in a typical day? Lawyers within the practice field of entertainment law break their typical day down to events much like those below: They draft and negotiate development and production contracts with writing, directing, acting and recording talent.

Is it hard to be an entertainment lawyer?

Turns out, it's really difficult to break into. It now seems to me that people break into the entertainment law field in one of three ways: Good connections, great experience on the business side, or incredible credentials.

Where do entertainment lawyers make the most money?

Average salaries for entertainment lawyers vary by city. For example, Law Crossing reports that average salaries were highest in Los Angeles where they earned ​$165,000​ per year. Those working in Glendale and San Franciso averaged ​$164,500​ per year. New York City entertainment lawyers averaged ​$161,000​.Jan 20, 2022

How do you become an entertainment lawyer?

How to Become an Entertainment Lawyer?Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree. Aspiring lawyers must first complete a bachelor's degree program before applying to law school. ... Step 2: Take the LSAT Exam. ... Step 3: Get a Law Degree. ... Step 4: Enrol in the Bar Council.Nov 5, 2021

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Types Of Lawyers That Make The Most MoneyMedical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

What should I study for entertainment law?

The common degree for entertainment lawyers is the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. This degree program typically takes three years to complete, although many schools now offer part-time programs....4. Earn a law degreeCopyright law.First amendment practices.Intellectual property law.Negotiations.Income taxes.Apr 8, 2021

How much do top entertainment lawyers make?

Salary Ranges for Entertainment Lawyers The salaries of Entertainment Lawyers in the US range from $10,018 to $187,200 , with a median salary of $18,674 . The middle 57% of Entertainment Lawyers makes between $18,674 and $74,346, with the top 86% making $187,200.

Is entertainment law competitive?

2. Entertainment Law Is Competitive It's no secret that entertainment law is a competitive area of law in which to practice. Who wouldn't want to work with major musicians, actors, directors, and producers? For those reasons, entertainment law can be a hard niche to break into.Jun 15, 2020

How much do Nintendo lawyers make?

532 Nintendo of America employees have shared their salaries on Glassdoor. Select your job title and find out how much you could make at Nintendo of America....Nintendo of America Salaries.Job TitleSalaryLawyer salaries - 1 salaries reported$186,163/yrCorporate Counsel salaries - 1 salaries reported$212,652/yr2 more rows

What type of law is entertainment?

Entertainment law, also referred to as media law, is legal services provided to the entertainment industry. These services in entertainment law overlap with intellectual property law. Intellectual property has many moving parts that include trademarks, copyright, and the "Right of Publicity".

How much do sports lawyers make?

Sports legal positions may differ based on particular positions. According to PayScale, sports agents make an average of $51,699 every year. On the other hand, sports attorneys have considerably higher salaries, amounting to a colossal $95,000 per year.

What is entertainment lawyer?

What is an entertainment lawyer? Unlike divorce or corporate lawyers, an entertainment lawyer represents and protects the interests of creatives, companies and others in the many areas of the entertainment industry, such as film, television, new media, theater, publishing and music.

What is intellectual property?

Intellectual property, or IP, is big business. From a screenwriter’s spec script to a musician’s original song, anything created within this industry necessitates protection from those who may want to buy it, option it, license it—or infringe upon it with unauthorized use. An entertainment lawyer can see to it that a client’s intellectual property is handled properly and protected when copyright or trademark issues arise.

Which states offer competitive financial advantages for productions?

Many states outside of California and New York offer competitive financial advantages for productions, making it attractive to creatives on a budget to film in these other locations with local crew and other resources at their disposal.

Do entertainment lawyers provide free consultations?

Yes, most entertainment lawyers will provide a brief complimentary consultation. Keep in mind, though, that this consultation isn’t about getting free information for a legal issue. Rather, the consultation is to determine if that particular lawyer will be a good fit for your needs. 10.

Where is Anna Keizer?

Anna Keizer originally hails from the Chicagoland area. After receiving her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago, she moved to California and finished her M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. She has also graduated from UCLA’s Writing for Television Professional Program and is currently in post-production on the short She Had It Coming, which she wrote and is executive producing.

Is an entertainment lawyer an employee?

Is an entertainment lawyer hired as an employee or contractor? Unless you are potentially forming a company that would require the ongoing services of an entertainment lawyer, they would not be hired as an employee. Rather, they are a contractor who is part of a law firm or the proprietor of their own business. 16.

Do entertainment lawyers charge hourly?

Very commonly, lawyers charge an hourly rate, but it’s possible to hire one who uses flat rates for particular services as well. Should you hire an entertainment lawyer for a court case, you may even be able to negotiate having their fee—or contingency rate—come out of the expected settlement.

What is entertainment attorney?

Entertainment Attorneys help their clients to understand legal agreements, ensuring that the terms are in their clients’ best interests. They work with Recording Groups, Record Producers, Songwriters, Music Publishers, Record Label Executives, Music Producers, and Composers. They negotiate recording, merchandising, touring and publishing contracts, as well as Producer agreements.

What do people think of entertainment attorneys?

When most people think of Entertainment Attorneys they envision a flashy, high-powered office and an intense workload. While this is certainly the case at many big-name firms, other Attorneys find this type of corporate environment doesn’t sit well with their creative clients.

How much do entertainment attorneys make?

Entertainment Attorney salaries can range from $77,000 to $186,000. Moo says “there are a couple different ways” Entertainment Attorneys are paid. “The flat fee for reviewing contracts is the most common because it’s the most affordable, especially for newer musicians.

What does Moo say about being successful?

Of the experience and skills necessary to become successful, Moo says, “it goes back to just being good with people. A lot of clients have said to me, ‘You’re so easy to talk to; the last Entertainment Attorney I talked to was a real jerk and made me feel stupid.’ It’s not brain surgery. Anything in law can be made simple. My goal is to explain a lot of things so people understand.

What do entertainment lawyers major in?

Many Entertainment Lawyers majored in Legal Studies or Music Industry Studies as undergraduates. A degree in Music Industry Studies or something similar can give the future Lawyer an understanding of the many areas of the music business before they hunker down and dive deep into the law at law school.

What is the best book about music?

There’s a great book called All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. That’s a terrific book to read because it gives a real overview of how the industry is. Figure out what kind of music you like. If you can find great music and bring it to a company or develop it yourself that’s super valuable.

What does a music lawyer do?

For superstar level clients, the Music Lawyer may also assist in licensing their image for merchandising purposes or handling the paperwork on sponsorship/endorsement deals. They may even get involved in non-business legal matters , such as prenuptial agreements or divorce settlements.

What is an attorney in the entertainment industry?

For better or worse, however, attorneys are part of the fabric of the entertainment industry. They facilitate connections between performers, producers, and venues, and assist in drafting and negotiating contracts.

Why do entertainers hire lawyers?

The most common reason that an entertainer hires a lawyer is to review, draft, or negotiate a contract.

Why is hourly billing so difficult?

Hourly billing is tricky, because it's difficult to know how many hours a particular task will take. If you can, get your attorney to agree to fixed fees for certain work rather than hourly billings. For example, if your attorney is negotiating a merchandising deal, get a flat rate for the whole job.

What is the most common method of payment for attorneys?

The so-called "billable hour" is still the most common method of payment. Many attorneys ask for a retainer, which is an advance payment for legal work. The amount of the retainer is included in the attorney-client fee agreement.

How much do attorneys charge per hour?

Understand up front that most attorneys bill on an hourly basis (often between $300 and $700 an hour) and send a bill at the end of each month. Some attorneys bill on a fixed-fee basis, in which you pay a set amount for services (expect to pay $5,000 to $25,000 to negotiate a major entertainment deal, for instance).

What is fee agreement?

The fee agreement is negotiated between you and your lawyer and establishes the payments and the lawyer's responsibilities. It is usually contained within a broader retainer agreement, the contract between you and your lawyer outlining your relationship.

How to choose an attorney?

Don't choose an attorney purely based on his or her "know-how." Consider also style and personality. While these qualities might seem superficial, remember that you may spend long hours working together. You may prefer to be represented by an attorney whose style and demeanor correspond with yours. Do you want someone aggressive? Ambitious? Accommodating? Serious? Boisterous?

What is the role of a lawyer in entertainment law?

Drafting and negotiating contracts is a key part of entertainment law. Lawyers must work to carefully to negotiate agreements that are favorable to their clients. They must be mindful of issues like enforceability of contract terms and damages in the event of a breach.

What is entertainment law?

Entertainment law is the collection of the many areas of law that impact the entertainment industry. Entertainment law is the sum total of several different types of law that are relevant to the entertainment industry including transactional law and litigation. Laws that impact the entertainment industry include federal and state laws, ...

What are the laws that entertainment lawyers must follow?

Entertainment lawyers must be mindful of labor and employment laws that apply to their industry. Whether it’s written law from a federal or state agency or it’s a negotiated union contract, entertainment lawyers who employ talent and production staff must be sure to follow labor and employment laws .

What is standards and practices?

Standards and practices refers to the ethical and legal implications of an entertainment production. Lawyers help entertainment companies identify practices that might subject the company to legal liability. They help the company implement best practices in order to minimize legal liability.

What happens when you dispute a contract in the entertainment industry?

When there are disputes, people and organizations in the entertainment industry turn to litigation. They might use litigation to resolve contract disputes, torts, employment disputes and other types of wrongs or disagreements.

What is a non-compete agreement?

They may want assurances from the talent that they aren’t going to go work for the competition for a period of time after their employment ends with the company. An agreement that restricts a talent from working for the competition is called a non-compete agreement. Both national on-air talents and local talents may have a non-compete agreement as part of their employment contract. However, non-compete agreements must be reasonable. Both creating a non-compete agreement and challenging its enforceability may be part of entertainment law.

What is contract law?

Contract law in entertainment law. A large part of entertainment law is contract law. Some contracts in the entertainment industry last years while others are for a single event. Contracts in the entertainment industry might involve very large amounts of money. Drafting and negotiating contracts is a key part of entertainment law.