In just the last few years, we have become one of the leading U.S. providers of legal services in the television and motion picture industries. Clients from both sides of the Atlantic, such as HBO, Channel Four, 20th Century Fox, Granada Anglia, and Sony Pictures have retained us. Over 100 production companies also have done so.

Why SmithDehn?

FOCUSED EXPERTISE

Many television and film clients once reluctantly believed that they had to retain higher-priced, large law firms in order to obtain the full range of needed legal services. Because we are one of the few firms with its main specialty in television and film work, we are able to provide focused expertise in every relevant area. Because of our focus, we can do this without being large, unresponsive, or overpriced.

A “CAN DO” APPROACH

There are plenty of media lawyers who can find risks and say “no, this can’t be done.” One of our areas of special expertise is in not only locating risks, but creating innovative solutions. Our “can do” approach has resulted in television programs and motion pictures being produced, when otherwise they might never have been funded.

We work with production companies, networks, and studios in devising a legal strategy and guidelines for productions, briefing the producers, securing the necessary insurance, drafting the contracts, supervising the releases and clearances, obtaining hard-to-get visas when needed, and performing any other legal work necessary to get any given project off to a solid start.

In the course of our work, we provide expert advice and assistance in matters involving the laws of contracts, copyrights, trademarks, immigration, defamation, and rights of publicity and privacy, among other areas.

During production, we field calls and emails around the clock and on weekends, assisting with immediate advice, research when necessary, negotiations with third parties, and nipping potential claims in the bud.

By the time of post-production, the need for legal editing already has been minimized, due to careful legal planning at the outset, and supervision during production. But our attorneys look at every rough and fine cut to double-check. When problems arise, instead of simply saying, “no, this part has to go,” we figure out ways to accomplish the creative goals of the director and producers, without inviting claims or litigation.

In those rare situations when claims are brought, we respond with a full arsenal of signed contracts or releases, legal research, and effective persuasion, with a strong media and entertainment litigation department to back up our position. Despite working on many dozens of television and/or film projects, not a single claimant has ever been able to prevail on our watch.

COST-EFFECTIVENESS

Our “can do” approach also includes reasonable fees. The legal fees of many firms go mostly to pay for expensive real estate and other costly overhead. We are not interested in impressing clients or anyone else with how much money we can spend on things that are unnecessary for first-rate legal services. We generally charge on a flat fee basis, rather than by the hour, so our clients can plan ahead financially. Also, we are an enthusiastic young law firm whose members are interested in doing challenging work and serving their clients, not in having bloated salaries.

WORD OF MOUTH

Our clientele has expanded, not through marketing campaigns, but rather through the word-of-mouth generated by satisfied clients. A partial, alphabetical list of the over 100 television and film companies that have hired us includes the following:

• Asheville: The Movie
• Granada Anglia Television
• Bird Productions
• Borat: The Movie
• Borough Films
• Channel Four International
• Channel Four Television
• Coquette Productions
• Da Ali G Show
• Darlow Smithson
• Element Films
• Extreme Television
• The Farm
• Film and Ink Productions
• Film Four International
• Firecracker Films
• Firefly Films
• Five
• Found Films
• The Graham Norton Show
• Great Projects Film Company
• Hollywoodland Productions
• Home Box Office, Inc.
• IWC Media
• Lion Television
• M360 Productions
• MTV Networks
• Mentorn Productions
• North One
• NFGTV
• Objective Productions
• RDF Media
• Shed Productions
• Shooting People
• So Television
• Sony Pictures Television
• Spectre Films
• Tiger Aspect Productions
• 20th Century Fox
• Unicorn TV
• Unique Communications Group
• Wanderlust Pictures

For further information, please contact Russell Smith,
Frank Dehn, or Mike Cleaver by email.