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The firm has extensive experience in all aspects of film and television production and distribution, as well as commercials. This includes production legal, development (including rights acquisition and other chain-of-title issues), licensing, and distribution agreements for traditional and new media and sales.

RPR&S negotiates arrangements and prepares contracts for the financing, development and production of motion pictures, television programs and other creative content. This includes distribution licenses (such as pre-sales), debt agreements, equity agreements, gap financing, completion bonds, co-production agreements, and soft money transactions. As part of this practice RPR&S is experienced in obtaining, perfecting—and, if necessary, foreclosing upon—security interests in various forms of intellectual property.

The firm represents theatrical and television performers, producers and executive producers, directors, writers, authors and life-story rights owners in their relationships with studios, networks, agents and managers. RPR&S handles every aspect of compensation paid to talent including upfront fees, royalties, and bonuses. In addition, the firm negotiates studio contingent compensation definitions and has been involved in multi-million dollar overall deals for stars and television show runners.

RPR&S handles all phases of branded entertainment including sponsorships and product placement. Deals the firm has negotiated include a $50 million, multi-year sponsorship and pouring rights agreement for the University of Southern California with Coca-Cola; a project for Fireman’s Insurance Company involving a documentary film about the fire fighting profession; sponsorship deals with Gerber and Kellogg’s; and the negotiation of a multi-year sponsorship by Slim Fast of Dancing with the Stars Live Tour for the BBC and ABC.

The firm represents some of the leading companies involved in production and distribution of content in broadband, wireless and other new media platforms. RPR&S provides services in all aspects of acquisition, development, production and distribution of new media content. In addition, the firm has negotiated and drafted some of the early stage distribution agreements with MSOs and other institutional carriers of new media and, in that capacity, helped define elements of the new media industry. The firm has been instrumental in transactions that involve music and rights licensing, engagement of talent, and managing compliance for online contests and sweepstakes.

The RPR&S team has expertise in international production with a substantial background in Canadian tax credit rules and foreign co-productions involving the UK, France, Spain and other countries. The firm has extensive contacts in foreign markets as well as in emerging markets including India, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

RPR&S has expertise in representing clients—including some of the world’s largest franchisors—in franchise agreements and operations.

The firm represents several top international real estate development companies that are engaged in the development of entertainment-related properties outside of the United States.

RPR&S has extensive experience in all aspects of intellectual property disputes, such as claims that involve copyright, trademark, rights of publicity and personality and unfair competition. The firm has litigated intellectual property cases in federal and state courts on both coasts of the United States, as well as in arbitrations.

The firm represents entertainment and media clients in a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, such as claims for breach of contract, enforcement of secured instruments, tortious interference, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate malfeasance, corporate dissolution and other business claims.

With both direct in-house and law firm experience, the attorneys at RPR&S are experts in labor relations. RPR&S has negotiated more than 50 collective bargaining agreements with each of the entertainment industry unions and guilds, including the WGA, DGA, SAG and AFTRA.

RPR&S represents employers in all aspects of employment, such as employment agreements, employee confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, employee handbooks, independent contractor agreements and employment termination. Additionally, the firm negotiates and drafts sophisticated executive employment agreements with complex equity, incentive and bonus-based compensation elements for both employers and employees. The firm also presents programs for workplace harassment and discrimination prevention and compliance requirements.

RPR&S represents and counsels clients in all aspects of employment law disputes, such as claims that involve discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, employee benefits and collective bargaining agreements. In addition to court litigation, the firm regularly represents clients before the California Labor Commissioner, the National Labor Relations Board and other administrative bodies. Since the firm has strong relationships in the entertainment industry it often is able to resolve labor and employment disputes quickly.

The firm counsels its clients regarding compliance with their obligations for payment of wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standard Act and applicable state regulations.