Vault Law Resource Center

Media, Entertainment, & Sports

Overview

Lawyers practicing in media, entertainment, and sports represent artists, entertainers and athletes, movie studios and record labels, sports leagues and teams, and other associated parties. On the transactional side, the day-to-day work is often similar to the work of any other corporate attorney, with perhaps more IP issues involved, including drafting agreements, negotiating, counseling clients, and researching IP questions. Entertainment lawyers also handle disputes relating to the field, including everything from contracts to defamation to IP issues to licensing to first amendment, and more. Media, entertainment, and sports law is seen as glamorous and can be hard to break into, especially outside of LA and NY. Entertainment and Sports lawyers who represent creatives and athletes will have to deal with big egos and sometimes unrealistic expectations and lawyers who represent studios, teams, labels, and other companies are essentially doing corporate generalist work for more interesting clients. Large law firms will often fold these clients into their general corporate practices. Lawyers who wants to specialize in these areas often practice at media and entertainment boutiques.

Top Ranked Firms

Top Ranked Firms


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Practice Area Q&A’s

Proskauer firm logoQ&A Christine Lazatin

Christine Lazatin

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Sheppard Mullin firm logo
Q&A Han Kim
Q&A Ramela Ohanian

Han Kim & Ramela Ohanian

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Sidley firm logo
Tracy Smith headshot
Luisa Lizoain headshot

Tracy Smith & Luisa Lizoain

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Sheppard Mullin firm logo
S Aluko headshot
A Robinson headshot

Segun Aluko & Alexis Robinson

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For certain clients, my role begins during the negotiation of the deal terms or at a project’s inception. For others, I step into the project and prepare the long-form agreement to reflect the parties’ intentions. Every day, I am either directly negotiating or managing the negotiations of various agreements.

— Ramela Ohanian , Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sports law is not, in and of itself, a thing! On some days, we are finance lawyers; on other days, we are M&A lawyers; and on other days, we work in intellectual property, real estate, tax, funds, or private credit.

— Christine Lazatin , Proskauer Rose LLP

Advice from Vault Law

Advice card Entertainment & Sports Practice Area Insights: Media, Entertainment, & Sports

Entertainment & Sports Practice Area Insights: Media, Entertainment, & Sports

By Vault Law Editors

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