The Entertainment Industry in 2020: Four Legal and Business Issues For Consideration
1. AB5 Brings Uncertainty: The new California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) became effective on January 1, 2020. Originally created to codify the California Supreme Court’s decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903 (Dynamex), and to address the increase of misclassification of workers as independent contractors, the
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) Partner Eleanor M. Lackman Named a “2019 Trailblazer” by the New York Law Journal
Eleanor M. Lackman, an equity partner of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS LLP) has been named a “2019 Trailblazer” by the New York Law Journal. Eleanor is one of only 51 attorneys selected for the prestigious recognition. To review Eleanor’s profile and the full NYLJ “2019 Trailblazers” list, click here.
CDAS LLP Partners Briana C. Hill and Simon N. Pulman Named to Variety’s 2019 Legal Impact Report
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams and Sheppard LLP (CDAS) partners Simon N. Pulman and Briana C. Hill have been named to Variety’s “2019 Legal Impact Report.” The annual list includes the top entertainment attorneys that have made a significant impact on the industry over the past twelve months. Simon, based in New York, is a partner and
CDAS LLP Announces Two New Partners
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP is pleased to announce Briana C. Hill and Benjamin Jaffe as new partners. Briana works in the firm’s Beverly Hills office; Ben is based in its New York office. Briana C. Hill is a transactional attorney in the firm’s entertainment group and primarily counsels clients in general entertainment and
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP Recognized as a 2019 Tier 1 National Firm for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television by U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP is pleased to announce it has been named a Tier 1 national firm for Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures & Television for the second consecutive year by the 9th Edition of U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.” CDAS is one of only 24 firms to receive this honor. Review
PARTNER SIMON N. PULMAN FEATURED IN VARIETY’S “2018 DEALMAKERS ELITE NEW YORK”
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams and Sheppard LLP (CDAS) partner Simon N. Pulman is included in Variety’s “2018 Dealmakers Elite New York” feature. “Dealmakers Elite New York” profiles the people behind the major entertainment industry deals of the past 12 months – executives, lawyers, financiers, entrepreneurs and others from all sectors of the business, including film, TV,
Recent Developments in IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA.
IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA have all been in the news this summer with respect to subscription video on demand (“SVOD”) and ad-supported video on demand (“AVOD”) platforms and the impact the continued growth of those platforms continues to have on the entertainment industry. 2018 IATSE Agreement and the Editors Guild. IATSE leadership reached a tentative
Scott J. Sholder Named a 2018 Law360 Rising Star for Media and Entertainment
Cowan DeBaets, Abrahams and Sheppard LLP attorney Scott J. Sholder has been named a Law360 Rising Star. A Partner at the firm, Mr. Sholder is among one of 168 attorneys included in the full list and one of only 4 attorneys recognized for their dedicated work in the practice area of Media and Entertainment. Law360’s
Five Important Negotiation Principles For Consideration
Don’t Negotiate Your Own Deals. In an ideal world, you would never negotiate your own deals. The first reason for this is obvious – if you’re a creative or an executive, you have to operate in multiple different capacities and wear a lot of different hats. An experienced professional negotiator – whether lawyer or agent
Lundin v. Discovery Communications: Even in Reality TV Context, Parties Can’t Contract Away Liability Based on Intentional Harms
The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in Lundin v. Discovery Communications ruled that a defamation suit brought by a reality television star against the network and producers of a reality show was not barred simply by virtue of an exculpatory “Assumption of Risk” provision containing a waiver of all claims. Significantly, the