Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz boasts a team of nearly 100 attorneys who represent a star-studded client list. With its heart in the entertainment industry, the firm serves clients from its two offices in New York and Los Angeles.  

The Entertainment of It All

Frankfurt Kurnit was founded in 1977 by five attorneys looking to service the robust New York City entertainment scene. The firm’s early clients included Sidney Lumet, Al Pacino, Carl Bernstein, Elaine May, and Robert Redford. Founder Mike Frankfurt represented Robert Redford in the purchase of the Utah mountain that would become Sundance (and Frankfurt even claims to have come up with the name). Since then, Frankfurt Kurnit has represented some of the world’s top publishers, producers, directors, distributors, actors, celebrities, models, writers, financiers, charitable organizations, online content and service providers, and many of the foremost advertising agencies, information technology companies, and corporate brands.

Star Clients

Frankfurt Kurnit provides legal services to clients in a wide range of industries and disciplines worldwide, including entertainment, advertising, intellectual property, technology, litigation, corporate and finance, estate planning, charitable organizations, and professional responsibility. Today, the firm represents everyone from Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses, to award-winning creative talent, business owners, and executives.

Frankfurt Kurnit’s reign of celebrity clients goes well beyond its original East Coast clientele. The firm has represented the likes of Robert DeNiro, Anthony Bourdain, John Goodman, and the estates of Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie. The firm knows the ins-and-outs of what its clients need, and offers tailored practice groups to match. For example, the firm’s celebrity branding practice group assists in endeavors like maximizing commercial endorsement opportunities, launching product lines, and securing trademarks. The content review and clearance group advises clients before the release of media like reality and true crime shows, podcasts, documentaries, films, news, and more. The fashion group focuses on talent in the modeling industry by providing counseling for licensing agreements, fashion shows, and television productions.

Embracing All Forms of Diversity

Diversity is more than lip-service at Frankfurt Kurnit. In addition to diversity playing a prominent role in the recruiting process—which starts early, with a summer internship for diverse high school students—the firm has hosted countless events covering various aspects of diversity. Recent events have included antiracism workshops with diversity and inclusion consultant Paula Edgar, as well as an in-house training on “Creating and Maintaining a Respectful Workplace Environment.” In 2020, the firm began a monthly film and book “talk back” series with clients who have directed, produced or written works focused on racial justice, diversity, and working from home.

COVID-19 Update

In light of the pandemic, our attorneys and staff continue to work remotely in our New York and Los Angeles offices. Because we believe in the value of an in-person experience—for both new hires and longtime colleagues—we have decided to cancel our 2021 summer associate program. We will resume our summer associate program when we are back in the office.