Peter, Rubin & Simon, LLP is a boutique entertainment firm offering expertise across a wide spectrum of practice areas covering entertainment transactions, television and film production, business organization, artist representation, intellectual property, new media and labor. Click on specific Practice Area descriptions to the right for more information and to find out how PR&S can assist you.

 

 

 

Television and Film Development,
Production and Distribution
The firm has extensive experience in all aspects of television and film development, production and distribution. This includes production legal, development (including rights acquisition and other chain-of-title issues), licensing, and distribution agreements for traditional and new media sales. PR&S's clients include prominent producers of both scripted and unscripted content and leading animation companies. The firm also has extensive experience in structuring Canadian content and other international co-productions for compliance with rules governing eligibility for tax credits and dealing with governmental authorities.
Artist Representation
The firm represents theatrical and television performers and hosts, producers and executive producers, directors, writers, authors and life-story rights owners in their relationships with studios, networks, agents and managers. PR&S handles every aspect of compensation paid to talent including upfront fees, royalties, residuals and bonuses, and assists the guilds as an advocate for rights under guild agreements. In addition, the firm negotiates studio contingent compensation definitions and has been involved in multi-million dollar overall deals for stars and television showrunners.
New Media
The firm represents some of the leading companies involved in production and distribution of content in broadband, wireless and other new media platforms. PR&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 compliance management of online contests and sweepstakes.
Business and Career Counseling
A critical portion of the firm's mandate is to guide the business and career strategies of individual and institutional clients. PR&S assists its clients in structuring, organizing and forming business entities for acquiring, developing and exploiting content in all media. The firm's services range from the incorporation of single-purpose production entities to the negotiation of complex transactions involving multiple individuals, entities and trusts.
Financing
PR&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, PR&S is experienced in obtaining and perfecting security interests in various forms of intellectual property.
Branded Entertainment
PR&S handles all phases of branded entertainment including sponsorships and product placement. Some of the 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 documentary film about the firefighting profession for Fireman's Insurance Company; sponsorship deals with Gerber and Kellogg's; and Slim Fast's multi-year sponsorship of the Dancing with the Stars Live Tour for BBC Worldwide and ABC.
Intellectual Property
PR&S advises its clients in all aspects of acquisition, clearance and protection of intellectual property including copyright, trademark, rights of publicity and personality and unfair competition. The firm is skilled in dispute resolution on behalf of both owners and users of intellectual property. The firm also handles copyright and trademark registration and maintenance for a variety of clients.
Labor and Employment
PR&S has deep familiarity with the entertainment industry union and guild agreements. The firm negotiates on behalf of its clients with unions, including the WGA, DGA, SAG, AFTRA, the Animation Guild and IATSE, both to resolve disputes and to establish terms of employment. The firm negotiates and drafts sophisticated executive employment agreements with complex equity, incentive and bonus-based compensation elements for both employers and employees.

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