Entertainment & Media

The attorneys in Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Group are well-versed in the unique issues and challenges facing those in the entertainment, media, and sports industries.

Our Approach

Our attorneys have significant collective experience in a plethora of entertainment, media, and sports matters, and have represented clients in transactions stemming from all types of contracts, negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, as well as other dispute resolution.

They have expertise in areas including print media, literary, music, television, motion picture, broadcast and cable television, radio, advertisement/branding. Other areas of concentration include but are not limited to, fine art, and digital technologies.

Entertainment Law

Sponsorship and Endorsement Agreements	Film and Television Production Agreements
Book Distribution Agreements	Sale and Acquisition of Professional Sports Teams
Author-Agent Agreements	Copyright/Trademark Ownership, Registration and Enforcement
Talent/Management Disputes	Co-Promotion and Strategic Alliances
Composer/Music Publishing Agreements	Restraining Orders and Other Types of Litigation
Right to Privacy/Publicity	Composer/Music Publishing Agreements
Restraining Orders and Other Types of Litigation	Right to Privacy/Publicity
Tax and Labor Law

Our attorneys are pioneers and leaders in the field of entertainment law, who have handled virtually every type of transaction that an entertainment or media business may require, including music recording and publishing agreements, producer agreements, music licenses for film and television, artist intra-band agreements, scripted and non-scripted television and film production agreements, on-screen and crew talent agreements for a myriad of media, management agreements, work-for-hire agreements, personal appearance agreements, book publishing agreements, name and likeness, and endorsement agreements.

Our firm understands that a career in the entertainment industry comes with peaks and valleys, and we are committed to counseling entertainment clients by fostering long-term goals. We also work to create enduring business relationships by and among the members of a group of creative individuals and entities.

Co-chair Ronald S. Bienstock has represented artists, songwriters, composers, bands, producers, engineers, managers, on-screen talent, models, fiction and non-fiction writers, studios, media production companies, music, recording and publishing companies, television production companies, new media and internet companies in various emerging markets, and non-profit organizations, amongst others, in all of their entertainment-related business matters. As part of our entertainment law and transactional practice, we obtain innovative and creative results for our clients.

Our team has provided legal counseling, negotiations, strategy, media supervision and crisis management on a variety of national and international matters. We have also negotiated and assisted in the production of various reality television and film projects. Our attorneys can navigate the multi-faceted nature of the entertainment industry in different circumstances and help clients in their endeavors.

Media Law

First Amendment and newsgathering advice and defense	Drafting and negotiating agreements for the creation, development, production, distribution, licensing and dissemination of all manner of media and entertainment content, products and services
Privacy issues, including misrepresentation of photographic images	Security issues
Litigation	Unfair competition defense
Entity formation	Purchase and sale of media and entertainment properties and businesses
Employment matters	Negotiating Media Rights
Providing counsel on corporate formation and business law for various sports ventures	Cease & Desist Notices
Trademark and Copyright Registration & Enforcement	Regulatory Issues

Due to the development of new technologies, media and entertainment companies are up against new legal issues. The attorneys in our group have substantive experience in areas relating to Entertainment, Media, and Sports law, including First Amendment defense, all manners of communications, entertainment content issues, newsgathering concerns, licensing, intellectual property rights, antitrust, new and existing technologies, distribution, financing, acquisitions and divestitures of interests in sports and media properties and businesses, employment, bankruptcy, real estate and constitutional law.

Representative Clients

Dave Ellefson – Megadeth	Darryl Jones – Rolling Stones	Joe Santriani
Chuck Burgi – Billy Joel Band	Desiree Bassett	Bobby Kimball – Toto
Zebra	Murphys Law	Agnostic Front
Rod Morgenstein	The Aristocats	Wicked Little Dolls
Circuline	Chris Butler – The Waitresses	Drive The Bus
Little Anthony & the Imperials	Richard Danielpour	Crystal Talierfero – Billy Joel Band
Shotgun Wedding	Ashley Massaro	Blue Cheer
Rudess / Morgenstein Project	Yungchen Lhamo	The Tornadoes
Winger	Billy Joel	Bret Michaels
Cubic Feet	DJ Reach	Quicksand
Goo Goo Dolls	Cubic Feet	Artie Fletcher
Serban Ghenea	Will Calhoun	Takeshi Asai
Living Colour	Beth Hart	Simple Plan
Dream Theater	Leslie West – Mountain	Barret Strong
Manny Cabo	Cicero and the Orations	Bernard Fowler – Rolling Stones
24-7 Spyz	John Ginty – Robert Randolph	John Petrucci
Jonathan Moffit	Moccasin Creek	Carmine Appice – Cactus / Vanilla Fudge / Rod Stewart
Greg Phillinganes – Michael Jackson / David Gilmore	Shawn Patterson – “Lego Movie” / “Everything is Awesome”	Cannibal Corpse
Steven Wilson	Jonathan Mover	Gordon Bahary – Electric Kingdom
Kathleen Turner	Ken Hensley	Porcupine Tree
Vinnie Moore	Mercyful Fate	Steve Morse
Dixie Dregs	Steven Haigler	Heartist
Greg Curtis	King Diamond	Jr Writer
LCD Soundsytem	Rufus Reid