Industry Contacts
Entertainment
The entertainment industry is filled with questions regarding a wide range of legal issues such as intellectual property (including trademarks and copyright), right of privacy, contract, insurance, finance, and labor and employment matters. Our entertainment attorneys have the answers. Our attorneys have represented and counseled artists, musicians, record labels, producers, directors, writers, photographers, publications, politicians, organizations, managers/supervisors, agencies, publicity firms, venues, and radio stations.
Media & Technology
As the public becomes increasingly reliant on the Internet as a primary new source, and social media for guidance on where to travel, stay, eat, and with whom to do business, we are seeing an influx of defamation and commercial disparagement lawsuits. Our media and technology attorneys offer experienced, efficient, and proactive counsel on a wide range of legal issues including media liability and the right to privacy. Our extensive practice includes counseling (and when needed litigation) on media-related issues including defamation (libel and slander), copyright and trademark infringement, prior restraints, news gathering methods, challenges to political and commercial speech, and restrictions imposed upon Internet content and e-commerce. In addition, we offer representation for invasion of privacy claims including right of publicity, false light, intrusion, and the improper disclosure of private facts. We devote an equal share of our time counseling clients on the risks associated with on-air broadcasts and news/entertainment publications and help clients minimize unnecessary litigation, address news gathering concerns, and ensure legal compliance prior to publication or broadcast.
We have experience structuring confidentiality agreements, validating campaign advertisements, and drafting formal agreements to ensure the privacy of trade secrets or the development of original works of art. We establish privacy policies within an organization to support and protect our client’s investment and prevent confidentiality breaches.
Our areas of practice include:
- Defamation (Libel/Slander)
- Right of Publicity
- Intrusion
- False Light
- Improper Disclosure of Private Facts
- Personal Rights of Privacy and Publicity
- Civil Conspiracy
- Censorship
- Liability Arising from Political Speech
- News Gathering Issues
- Pre-Broadcast/Publication Counsel
News & Press Releases
- Law360, May 28, 2019
- The News-Gazette, April 9, 2019
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, March 22, 2019
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, January 24, 2019
- Crain's Chicago Business, October 25, 2018
- Chicago Patch, October 4, 2018
- The Washington Post, August 20, 2018
- Law360, May 28, 2018
- SmithAmundsen, February 20, 2018
- October 27, 2017
- Crain's Chicago Business, September 15, 2017
- Equality Illinois, August 1, 2017
- Chicago Sun Times, June 7, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 13, 2017
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, September 19, 2016
- Crain's Chicago Business, September 10, 2016
- The American Lawyer, August 2016
- Equality Illinois, July 8, 2016
- Above the Law, April 18, 2016
- Above the Law, April 13, 2016
Alerts
- February 27, 2017
Publications
- American Bar Association Forum Newsletter on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Fall 2018
Presentations & Events
- DePaul University; Chicago, IL, October 2019
- Chicago, IL; DePaul University, October 25, 2018
- Chicago, IL, September 13, 2018
- SmithAmundsen, Chicago, IL, July 12, 2016