L.A. TECH & MEDIA LAW FIRM – Intellectual Property & Technology Attorneys
Los Angeles Entertainment Attorney: From Traditional Media to the AI Frontier
Strategic Legal & Business Affairs for the Global Content Economy
In the 2026 media landscape, the boundaries between film, gaming, and digital experiences have dissolved. Producers and distributors are navigating a complex “Next-Generation Bundle” where legacy economics meet disruptive technology. Success requires a legal expert who understands not just the Standard SAG-AFTRA/DGA/WGA Agreements, but also the emerging laws governing AI digital replicas, biometric data, and algorithmic distribution.
At L.A. Tech & Media Law Firm, we provide the sophisticated business affairs counsel necessary to protect your intellectual property assets and maximize your revenue across the full innovation cycle.
The Three Pillars of Modern Entertainment Law
The entertainment industry is currently undergoing a structural shift. We focus our practice on the three areas where legal strategy creates the most competitive advantage:
1. Production & Talent Governance
We guide producers through the “myriad of legal issues” involved in content creation, from initial option agreements to final delivery.
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AI & Digital Replicas: Navigating 2026 mandates (including the NO FAKES Act and SAG-AFTRA guardrails) for the use of synthetic likenesses and voices.
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Script & Content Clearance: Meticulous fair use analysis and First Amendment defense to protect your creative vision.
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Cast & Crew Infrastructure: Drafting complex talent agreements, deal memos, and labor law compliance for a global workforce.
2. Entertainment Finance & Private Equity
As private equity and venture capital increasingly dictate Hollywood’s “Consolidation 2.0,” we offer sophisticated advice on capital structures.
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Debt & Equity Financing: Structuring slate financing, gap loans, and tax credit-backed transactions.
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Buy-and-Build Strategies: Helping firms identify valuable IP libraries and undervalued media assets.
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Revenue Share & Participations: Drafting transparent “Success-Based” models that survive the scrutiny of modern auditing.
3. Distribution & Exploitation
The shift toward “Frictionless Entertainment” requires distribution deals that account for multi-channel bundling and global streaming rights.
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Sales Agency & Distributor Agreements: Negotiating territorial rights, minimum guarantees, and marketing commitments.
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Brand Exploitation: Licensing and merchandising agreements that turn characters and IP into lifestyle brands.
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Digital Media & Ad-Tech: Structuring AVOD (Advertising-Supported VOD) and programmatic ad-revenue share contracts.
Core Legal Services
Since 2007, David Nima Sharifi has been recognized as a top entertainment attorney in Los Angeles for his unique ability to bridge the gap between traditional entertainment and emerging technology.
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Development: Literary option/purchase agreements, life story rights, and joint venture formation.
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Physical Production: Filming permits, location agreements, and equipment leasing.
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Music & Podcasts: Production agreements, synchronization licenses, and publishing deals.
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Compliance: 2026 California Employment Law updates, including the latest “Stay-or-Pay” restrictions and minimum wage/exempt salary thresholds for industry professionals.
Why Choose a Technology-Integrated Entertainment Firm?
In 2026, every entertainment project is a technology project. Whether you are dealing with Deepfake defense, Interactive Media Agreements, or Crowdfunding compliance, our firm applies a “Data-Driven” approach to legal affairs that few traditional entertainment firms can match.
Los Angeles Entertainment Lawyer
Entertainment producers in traditional and new media are faced with a myriad of legal issues from copyright law, to labor law considerations, to local laws dealing with filming permits, and contracts with their cast and crew. Content distributors face equally complex issues ranging from conducting legal clearances to negotiation of royalty and profit participation terms.
The field of entertainment law involves a mixture of different transactional legal categories revolving around drafting and negotiating contracts and providing legal and business affairs counsel to entertainment producers, distributors and artists.
David Nima Sharifi is highly experienced as an entertainment law attorney for Los Angeles producers and publishers, and represents many entertainment industry clients in production, publishing, advertising, music, podcasts, and other platforms. David has been recognized as a top entertainment attorney in Los Angeles representing new media clients and productions.
Experienced Los Angeles entertainment technology law attorney David Nima Sharifi represents clients in all areas of the entertainment industry including film, television, music, stage, and publishing. The principal areas of Entertainment Law overlap with Intellectual Property Law, particularly trademarks, copyrights, contract law, and rights of publicity. Some of the legal issues in entertainment law include:
- Script clearance
- Product placement and sponsorship
- Defamation matters
- Contract and Deal Memos
- Joint venture agreements
- Statute of frauds
- First Amendment matters and fair use defense
- Film financing agreements
- Production agreements
- Music production agreements
- Talent agreements
- Option agreements financing agreements
- Profit participation & revenue share deal
- Product and digital merchandising contract
Core Services
Development / Production Agreements: Our business affairs experience enables us to structure complex arrangements required for producers to hire top talent. We negotiate rights agreements, including literary option and purchase agreements, life story agreements, and talent agreements for actors, writers, directors and producers.
Entertainment Finance: We consult independent production companies, financial institutions, private equity funds, hedge funds, distributors, and high net worth individuals throughout the United States in shaping and structuring debt and equity capital structures in entertainment financing.
Sales and Distribution Agreements: Our expertise in negotiating agreements between sales agents and producers / financiers counts, and agreements between producers and distributors informs our consultation and legal drafting related to the distribution of entertainment products and underlying rights.
Advertising and Promotion: We represent studios, agencies, producers and famous brands in product placement, commercial tie-in and publicity arrangements, including contests, sweepstakes, and web-based promotions.
Publishing, Licensing and Merchandising: We provide unmatched expertise when consulting clients in developing strategies to build or exploit brand value. We advise on trademark registation strategies and negotiate licensing and merchandising agreements between brands, sponsors, content producers and manufacturers.
To discuss your entertainment and production law needs contact us to schedule a confidential consultation.
“During the course of 4 years I have had the pleasure of working very closely with David for all of my business entertainment production needs. He is consistent, resourceful, easy to work with, and an overall very talented attorney with a proven track record of delivering excellent results.”
- Client since 2010
Entertainment Producer
CONTACT
L.A. TECH & MEDIA LAW FIRM
12121 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 810, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
Office: 310-751-0181
Fax: 310-882-6518
Email: info@latml.com
SUBSCRIBE
- Trademark and Copyright Protection
- Corporate Law & Entity Formation
- Cofounder Agreements
- Confidential Proprietary Rights
- Startup Funding Strategy
- Intellectual Property (IP) Protection
- Competitive Barrier Strategy
- Pitch Deck and Lean Startup Consultation
- Software Licensing Agreements
- Patent Protection
- Corporate Governance
- Contract Negotiation
- Digital Publishing Agreements
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Litigation
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