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Adam Beasley Named an “Up Next” Honoree In Variety’s 2018 Dealmakers Impact Report

Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (CDAS) associate Adam Beasley was named an “Up Next” honoree in Variety’s “2018 Dealmakers Impact Report.” The highly anticipated feature, published on December 4th, profiled the people behind the most important entertainment industry deals of the past 12 months – executives, lawyers, financiers, entrepreneurs and others from all sectors of the

Depp v. Bloom: Hollywood Handshake Deals May Be on the Way Out; Belt-and-Suspenders a Possible New Trend in Percentage Fee Arrangements for Legal Services

While former Judge Alex Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit once noted that “[m]oviemakers do lunch, not contracts[,]”[1] Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Green’s August 28, 2018 decision in Depp v. Bloom, 2018 WL 4344241 (Cal. Sup. Aug. 28, 2018), may force legal professionals in Hollywood to skip lunch in favor of properly executed fee
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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
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CDAS Partner Eleanor M. Lackman Selected to The National Law Journal’s Elite Boutique Trailblazers 2018 List

  CDAS LLP is pleased to announce that partner Eleanor M. Lackman has been selected to The National Law Journal’s “2018 Elite Boutique Trailblazers” list. The list recognizes outstanding attorneys and firms nationwide who have made a remarkable difference in their area of specialized law. Only 29 attorneys from 25 firms were selected for inclusion in 2018 list.

Mega-Mergers: Impact on Business and Consumers

Following Comcast outbidding Disney for the purchase of Sky, a European satellite broadcaster, the next deal on the horizon seems to be a merger between CBS and Viacom. This comes hot on the heels of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, and AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner. With traditional players in the industry bulking up

Demystifying WGA Television Residuals

Under the Writers Guild of America Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement (the “Basic Agreement”), credited writers for television motion pictures, including episodic programs, are entitled to receive compensation for the reuse of their work, also known as residuals. Television residuals were first negotiated by the Writers Guild of American (the “WGA”) in 1953, under the
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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,

A Closer Look: Senate Passes Music Modernization Act

On September 18, 2018, after months of intense negotiations with various music industry groups and lobbying interests, the United States Senate unanimously approved the Music Modernization Act (now renamed the Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act, “MMA”), clearing what many believe to be the last major hurdle required for the MMA to become the most