CDAS Brings on Former General Counsel of A&E, Doug Jacobs, as Partner

owan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) is proud to announce that Doug Jacobs, recently Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel of A&E Television Networks, has joined the firm as a partner in its New York office. Mr. Jacobs’ practice will primarily focus on matters involving the cable television industry and the evolving digital media universe, building on his almost 20 years as general counsel at several major cable networks.

Mr. Jacobs joins Cowan, DeBaets following eight years at A&E Television Network, where, during his seven years as general counsel, he managed AETN’s legal and business affairs team, and among other matters, oversaw the acquisition of the Lifetime branded channels. He previously served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Court TV, and also as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at CBS and Vice President of CBS Sports. He is a well-known figure in the cable and television industries.

“We are delighted to welcome Doug to the firm,” said CDAS partner Stephen Sheppard. “Doug’s vast experience with the legal issues affecting the cable industry is hard to match. Having participated in the extraordinary growth of cable over the past two decades, Doug is ideally positioned to counsel clients on the major issues now roiling the industry – including over-the-top content distribution, system consolidation, and international expansion. Given Doug’s broad range of experience, bringing him on board was a unique opportunity for the firm.”

“I’m very excited to be joining Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard,” said Mr. Jacobs. “The firm already possesses an impressive list of lawyers deeply versed in most every aspect of the entertainment practice – in fact, several of my new partners have themselves been general counsel of substantial media companies. As general counsel at Court TV and A&E, I had the pleasure of working with Cowan, DeBaets as outside counsel on an ongoing basis, and have consistently been impressed by the high level of the firm’s expertise across a range of issues.”

More information about Doug Jacobs is available here.

About Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP

For more than 25 years Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP has provided legal counsel to leading media and entertainment clients, from individual creators, to corporations, associations and non-profit organizations.

The firm provides transactional services for clients in connection with feature film, documentaries, cable, broadcast television, theatre, music, publishing, dance, photography, visual arts, fashion, software, advertising, licensing and online technologies. It counsels in copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights as well as manage clients’ trademark portfolios. The firm’s litigators handle all forms of media and digital rights disputes including copyrights, trademarks, advertising, domain name, media defense, publicity rights and commercial cases. The firm understands its clients’ businesses and is committed to offering them individual attention that includes in-depth industry knowledge, as well as focused legal advice.