Services:
- Litigation
- Defamation defense
- Invasion of privacy defense
- First Amendment rights
- Copyright and trademark infringement
- Idea submission and ownership
- Talent/management disputes
- Contract disputes
- Access to courts for televising proceedings
- Counseling
- Pre-publication/pre-broadcast review
- Libel readings
- Shield law/reporters’ privilege counseling
- Copyright/trademark ownership, registration, and enforcement
- International copyright issues
- International trademark issues
- Advice to foreign producers re U.S. practices and requirements
- Transactions
- Rights acquisition and licensing agreements
- Production agreements
- SEC, New York Attorney General, and other investor-regulatory filings
- Playwright, book-writer, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer, and music publishing agreements
- Cast album deals
- Domestic and foreign publishing licenses
- Performance rights licenses to literary materials
- Collaboration and ghostwriter agreements
- Book distribution agreements
- Author-agent agreements
- Sale of publishing assets
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Whether a lawsuit challenging media “speech” becomes a protracted battle—or a matter disposed of swiftly on First Amendment grounds—often depends on quickly identifying and pursuing an aggressive defense strategy. Our media lawyers have amassed a highly successful track record defending defamation and invasion of privacy suits brought against our media clients, by obtaining court-ordered dismissals or inducing plaintiffs to withdraw voluntarily. Our entertainment attorneys have worked within the publishing, film, television, music, and theater industries, bringing invaluable real-world experience to our entertainment counseling, transactional, and litigation work.
Group Chair Peter L. Skolnik is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for his First Amendment work, and was designated a New Jersey Super Lawyer in First Amendment and Media law. Peter's prior careers in theater, film, television, and as a literary agent inform his approach to entertainment counseling and litigation. Following fourteen years on the New York State Supreme Court bench, Hon. Franklin R. Weissberg has come to Lowenstein Sandler to resume his extensive entertainment practice. Frank has represented hundreds of Broadway and off-Broadway productions, and once again is a member of the Tony Awards Nominating Committee.
As a critical complement to our media defense litigation, we help our clients steer clear of litigation at the outset, providing pre-publication counseling that identifies genuine dangers without unnecessarily watering down First Amendment-protected speech. Lowenstein’s entertainment attorneys negotiate and draft a full range of industry agreements and are equally adept at litigating and arbitrating entertainment disputes. We bring experiential understanding of our clients’ business and creative realities to the table, finding pragmatic solutions that allow the presses and cameras to roll and the curtains to go up.
Practice Details
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