Robert M. Angel,
 A Professional Corporation
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Expertise
LEGAL ISSUES


Your lawyer will also anticipate issues which may arise even if they seem unlikely during the honeymoon phase when you receive the initial offer or first draft of your contract.  For instance, the studio may choose to terminate you without cause, but your attorney may have negotiated a clause which would require that you still be paid.  Or the network may change something you wrote after you deliver it; if they are sued about the change in your material, your attorney may have negotiated a clause that the studio’s insurance will be responsible for defending the claim and therefore the network will be responsible for the costs of the litigation and for defending the claim against you.  By anticipating these potential issues your attorney will provide additional legal protections for you which the studio, your agent, or your manager would not have and may therefore save you money or even make you more money.

CONTRACTS             

All entertainment contracts are subject to some level of negotiation regarding the business points and at least some of the legal terms.  There are many different types of contracts involved in development, production, and distribution of films and television programs.  Your entertainment attorney is intimately familiar with all phases of film, television and theater production from soup to nuts – from development and writing through financing, production and distribution.  This expertise will include contracts with the studio or network, for rental of office space and equipment, production locations, insurance and production liability issues, agreements with individual talent, crew, and guilds, merchandising and product placement, privacy, promotion, censorship, and copyright and trademark issues.  Your attorney’s expertise will provide the best protection for you and your project, thereby minimizing expenditures and maximizing fees and potential profits. The collective bargaining agreements set minimum standards, but an experienced entertainment attorney with knowledge of the guild agreements will be able to negotiate more favorable terms for you beyond the guild minimum.  Your attorney will have contacts throughout the industry and knowledge of many types of contracts in addition to the guild agreements.  This knowledge will allow your attorney to make the best deal for you the client because your attorney will know the similar types of deals available from your employer and other companies and how best to structure your deal. 
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