Lawyers practicing in media, entertainment, and sports represent artists, entertainers and athletes, movie studios and record labels, sports leagues and teams, and other associated parties. On the transactional side, the day-to-day work is often similar to the work of any other corporate attorney, with perhaps more IP issues involved, including drafting agreements, negotiating, counseling clients, and researching IP questions. Entertainment lawyers also handle disputes relating to the field, including everything from contracts to defamation to IP issues to licensing to first amendment, and more. Media, entertainment, and sports law is seen as glamorous and can be hard to break into, especially outside of LA and NY. Entertainment and Sports lawyers who represent creatives and athletes will have to deal with big egos and sometimes unrealistic expectations and lawyers who represent studios, teams, labels, and other companies are essentially doing corporate generalist work for more interesting clients. Large law firms will often fold these clients into their general corporate practices. Lawyers who wants to specialize in these areas often practice at media and entertainment boutiques.
- Contracts
- Copyright and Trademark law
- First Amendment
- Media Law
- Negotiation
- Privacy Law
- Sports Law
- Trademark and Copyright
- Agent
- In-house at a studio, production company, label, team, league, or other associated company
- Law firm practice
- Non-legal business role at entertainment or media company
- Sports or entertainment agent
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
Kendall: I split my practice roughly equally between sports and entertainment, spanning M&A, debt and equity financing transactions, joint ventures, and complex commercial arrangements. On the entertainment side, my practice covers traditional mediums like film and TV, alongside emerging areas such as AI, gaming, and audio content. On the sports side, I handle investments in teams and commercial assets, as well as high-value media and sponsorship deals. For both sports and entertainment clients, I serve as a trusted advisor for aspects of their business, including employment, tax, regulatory, and corporate considerations, and help them structure, negotiate, and execute on larger deals.
Sam: I practice in entertainment, sports, and media (ESM) on the transactional side and have grown into what I consider a Swiss army knife. I work on M&A, financings, initial public offerings (IPOs), and other capital markets transactions; a range of commercial agreements (e.g., licensing, sponsorships, and talent deals); and IP matters involving copyright, trademark, and name/image/likeness (NIL) considerations. I also provide general advice to clients navigating campaigns and activations.
What types of clients do you represent?
Kendall: I represent networks, studios, production companies, sports organizations, governing bodies, high-level individual talent, and investors across the entertainment and sports landscape. I also collaborate with global corporate clients and investors pursuing broader industry assets. Our cross-disciplinary practice operates globally, so I frequently partner with in-house teams and counterparties across geographies and roles.
Sam: I represent a mix of financial institutions, strategics, and operating companies. On the financial side, I represent a number of leading asset managers for music catalog trans-actions and related securitizations. I also handle commercial work for companies native to the entertainment sector and guide clients through everything from podcast acquisitions to naming rights agreements for professional sports venues. In the capital markets space, I’ve been part of teams representing underwriters in offerings with significant content risk, as well as on entertainment spin-offs.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
Kendall: Given the size and scope of the Latham platform, I am lucky to be involved in everything from the largest public company M&A transactions in the industry to bespoke commercial transactions. Some of my recent work includes advising the Pac-12 on its rebuild and media deals, supporting Blumhouse on its acquisition of the Saw franchise, guiding MGM’s sale to Amazon, and working with the International Olympic Committee on the licensing of its media rights. I also frequently advise on talent-driven joint ventures, film financing and distribution transactions, and IP licensing.
Sam: In the past few years, I have built my practice to focus on music corporate and finance transactions, and I was part of the team that advised Skydance on its merger with Paramount, where I had the opportunity to lead on industry diligence and related work. I’ve handled music licensing for Amazon, SoundCloud, and iHeart and represented the underwriters in fitness IPOs, focusing on music licensing risks and disclosures.
How did you choose this practice area?
Kendall: I worked in college sports for three years before law school, and that experience inspired me to pursue a career in sports and entertainment. Practicing in this space lets me participate in high-profile, industry-shaping transactions while staying close to the business. As outside counsel, I handle these deals on a serial basis, rather than once or twice over a career. This combination led me to choose the ESM practice and keep building my career here.
Sam: I took six years between college and law school, moved to Los Angeles, and started dating my now wife, who worked (and still works) in music. My friends all worked or were involved in the industry, which convinced me that I, too, wanted to work around music, sports, film, and art. This was my reason for going to law school. I chose UCLA because it offered strong entertainment coursework, and I focused my job search on finding the right practice area first. Joining Latham’s ESM group was a perfect match, letting me do high-end transactional work inside the industries I care about.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
Kendall: My day centers on conversations with clients, counterparties, and my Latham colleagues to identify issues, creatively solve problems, think through deal architecture, and align stakeholders to get deals done. A practice in our industry requires a lot of relationship-building and bringing people together across geographies and disciplines, so a significant portion of my day-to-day involves working closely with the full scope of the deal team.
Sam: My common tasks blend client communication, drafting, and diligence. As I’ve progressed in my career, I find myself more often on calls, kicking off matters, and walking clients through revised agreements or giving practical guidance on deals and operational matters. I draft and negotiate everything from short releases to 150-page merger agreements, and I read a lot to evaluate contracts for diligence or advise on existing relationships. Roughly half my current workload is M&A, so deal management and coordinating timelines across large document sets are frequent responsibilities.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Kendall: Develop industry fluency and learn to speak the language, then pair that with building a wide base of legal skills that touch entertainment deals, including tax, employment and benefits, debt and equity financing, and IP. Master the fundamentals—clear writing, disciplined drafting, client communication, and project management—which will position you well in a practice that moves as fast and requires as much versatility and curiosity as ESM.
Sam: Entertainment-focused coursework helps you understand the industry’s legal infrastructure, but clinics are even better for practical skills. Equally important, immerse yourself in the business: read the trades, subscribe to newsletters, and follow industry journalists so you know the players, deals, and trends. Non-legal roles at labels, agencies, or production companies, even grassroots roles, demonstrate genuine interest and give you context that translates directly to practice.
What do you like best about your practice area?
Kendall: I love the breadth of people and the collaboration. I work closely with lawyers and clients across geographies, practice groups, and roles, including in-house lawyers at big companies, in-house lawyers at small companies, talent lawyers, studio business affairs and production lawyers, and other BigLaw lawyers. At Latham, we try to always build an A-team of attorneys across the firm to provide the client with the perfect combination of expertise for the deal, so I constantly partner with colleagues. Externally, our counterparties and clients vary widely, which keeps the work interesting and dynamic.
Sam: I enjoy the variety in every aspect: the variety of deal types, clients, and industries. In a single week, I can touch music, sports, film and TV, and talent matters, shifting from a complex merger agreement to a short talent agreement or advising on a campaign. Playing a part in the creation of culture and the arenas where people spend their time and attention energizes me. I also genuinely enjoy our clients and colleagues, who are smart, kind, and eclectic people who see the world in intriguing ways.
What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?
Sam: Junior lawyers focus on high-impact fundamentals, particularly in deal management and due diligence. My own path included drafting starting early, through ancillary documents, short agreements, diligence memos, and analyses, then build-ing toward heavier contract drafting and negotiation. Junior associates frequently join client calls to take notes, learn the dynamics, and begin building relationships. On smaller matters, a junior associate is often one of two or three people on a matter, which means significant client exposure from the start. That setup allows the junior to hone their judgment and leadership early, graduating to building larger relationships and running teams over time.
How do you see this practice area evolving in the future?
Kendall: The industry changes constantly, driven by technology, consumer behavior, consolidation, and shifting investor interest. The deals we do today look totally different than the deals we did 5 or 10 years ago. I expect tech to keep reshaping content creation and consumption, which will continue to influence deal structures and strategy across entertainment. The college sports landscape is truly a new frontier: NIL, conference realignment, and evolving governance have created unique investor opportunities. These changes require us to innovate alongside our clients to adapt and execute in real time.
Sam: I see two powerful trends reshaping ESM. First, finance is now deeply embedded in entertainment, especially in music. Investors and strategics have become highly sophisticated, and structures like asset-backed securitizations have moved from rare to routine. Second, AI continues to accelerate change across content creation and distribution, introducing novel legal issues and new market players. For us and our clients, this means rethinking deal terms, IP frameworks, and risk allocation.
What are some typical career paths for lawyers in this practice area?
Kendall: Practicing in sports and entertainment creates a uniquely valuable skill set, as you combine BigLaw rigor with deep industry fluency. Our alumni often move in-house to studios, tech companies, and sports organizations, where the blend of transactional and commercial experience proves immediately useful. Some attorneys also move into talent-side work.
Many choose to stay and grow at Latham, where the outside-counsel model offers a seat at the table on high-profile, industry-shaping deals—repeatedly. Whatever path you choose, the blend of industry fluency and transactional rigor gained by building a practice in ESM will translate into strong opportunities.
Kendall Johnson, a Los Angeles partner, works at the intersection of sports and entertainment, drawing on unique crossover experience to handle complex transactions spanning the industry. She works with a mix of global clients, including professional teams, governing bodies, and other major sports rights holders; networks, studios, streaming platforms, and independent production companies; digital and new media content creators and distributors; private capital and strategic investors; and high-level individual talent.
Kendall previously worked in the Stanford University athletic department as the primary public relations contact for various teams, collaborating closely with television networks and coordinating media efforts for NCAA Championship events.
Sam Lehman, a Los Angeles associate, represents studios, media companies, and other entertainment, media, and technology clients in transactions involving the acquisition, financing, exploitation, and licensing of intellectual property (IP) and media-related assets. Sam’s experience includes advising on M&A and negotiating personal services, sponsorship, and IP licensing agreements in the entertainment, sports, media, and advertising industries.
Sam also has an active pro bono practice focused on finalizing adoptions for Los Angeles area foster families and M&A for pro bono organizations.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
I advise clients on the business and legal aspects of acquiring, financing, exploiting, and managing film, television, and other media assets. My practice also extends across the sports ecosystem, where I counsel clients on the distribution of complex media and data rights and help corporate sponsors, leagues, and organizations leverage IP to expand their reach through sponsorships, endorsements, strategic partnerships, and fan engagement initiatives.
What types of clients do you represent?
My clients include many of the industry’s leading studios, networks, and streaming platforms, as well as production companies and strategic investors. I also represent major participants across the sports landscape—including governing bodies, leagues, teams, owners, venues, and corporate sponsors—spanning both the professional and collegiate levels.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
My work centers on complex commercial licensing arrangements, with particular experience in the use and monetization of IP across traditional and digital content platforms, theme parks and other location-based entertainment venues, sports, and live events, as well as marketing campaigns and distinctive brand initiatives. I also advise U.S. and international clients on industry-specific M&A, strategic joint ventures and alliances, and the development and launch of innovative products and services.
How did you choose this practice area?
Early in my career, my practice was evenly split between corporate transactions in the entertainment and sports industries and broader M&A, corporate finance, and general corporate matters. That broad foundation was invaluable to my development as a lawyer, but I found myself especially drawn to the complexity and creativity of deals in the entertainment and sports sectors—industries that were, and continue to be, in the midst of remarkable transformation.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
I typically manage several deals at various stages of negotiation or execution. Much of my day is spent strategizing how to advance each transaction—whether by reviewing agreements, analyzing and summarizing key issues for the client, or discussing those issues with them on a call. No two days are the same, but every day involves thoughtful problem-solving, collaboration with my teams, and keeping deals moving toward completion.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
For my practice area, the most valuable foundation is experience with general corporate transactions. Learning how to take a deal from start to finish—understanding the process, pacing, and problem-solving involved—is the best preparation. Industry-specific expertise develops naturally over time, but cultivating curiosity about the business side of entertainment and sports is key. Reading industry trades and staying current on major trends and developments are excellent habits to build early.
What do you like best about your practice area?
What I enjoy most about my practice is the opportunity to counsel clients throughout the entire life cycle of their business—from formation and financing to acquisitions, joint ventures, daily operations, and ultimately, exit strategies. I value being a long-term strategic partner, helping clients anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and stay ahead of the many market shifts that shape the media and sports industries.
What is unique about your practice area at your firm?
One unique—and particularly exciting—aspect of our entertainment, sports, and media practice is that it bridges both corporate and litigation work. This structure allows us to collaborate closely with colleagues from transactional and litigation teams, bringing diverse perspectives and experience to each matter and creating a dynamic, multidimensional approach to solving clients’ challenges.
What kinds of experiences can summer associates gain in this practice area at your firm?
Summer associates in our practice gain hands-on experience across a range of entertainment, sports, and media matters. They may help draft and review agreements for film or television projects, conduct research on IP or rights issues, or summarize key points in the negotiation of sports sponsorships and other commercial deals. Each summer associate is typically assigned to a deal team, with opportunities to join calls and meetings for a behind-the-scenes perspective on how transactions and projects come together from start to finish.
What are some typical career paths for lawyers in this practice area?
I have spent my entire career—20 years—at O’Melveny in the entertainment, sports, and media practice, and it has been incredibly rewarding. Many of our colleagues, however, have taken different paths, moving in-house at major studios, networks, streaming platforms, or sports organizations. These roles let them take the skills and insights they developed here and apply them directly to shaping deals and strategy from the inside.
Amy L. Siegel, Co-head of O’Melveny & Myers’ entertainment, sports, and media industry group, represents key stakeholders in the entertainment, sports, and media industries.
Amy focuses her practice primarily on complex commercial licensing arrangements, with expertise in the use of intellectual property (IP) rights in connection with traditional and digital means of content exploitation, theme parks and other location-based entertainment venues, and sports and other live events, as well as marketing campaigns and unique branding initiatives. She also has broad experience advising U.S. and international clients on industry-specific M&A, the creation of strategic alliances, and the launch of innovative products and services.
Amy’s clients include the industry’s leading studios, networks, and streamers, as well as production companies and strategic investors, in all business and legal aspects relating to the acquisition, financing, exploitation, and management of media-related assets. She also counsels clients throughout the sports ecosystem on the distribution of complex media and data rights and helps corporate sponsors and organizations leverage valuable IP to grow audiences via sponsorships, endorsements, partnerships, and fan engagement platforms. Amy’s work is at the forefront of complex deals involving augmented reality, virtual reality, non-fungible tokens, the metaverse, and other media-related technologies.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
I am a partner in Proskauer’s sports group. I’ve been representing clients in the sports industry for over 15 years, during which time I’ve been involved in hundreds of transactions. For my first decade at Proskauer, my practice focused primarily on sports finance, sometimes representing teams, owners and/or leagues borrowing funds; other times, I was representing the banks and other financial institutions lending money; and other times, I was representing leagues in regulating the amount of debt incurred by their teams and related affiliates. In recent years, my practice has expanded to include advice on league expansions and emerging leagues and related governance matters.
What types of clients do you represent?
I regularly represent several major sports leagues (including the NBA, the NHL, MLS, and the National Women’s Soccer League), as well as emerging leagues (such as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), and League One Volleyball) and a number of NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB teams.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
I have worked on many of the industry’s most exciting financings, including acquisition and stadium financings, working capital facilities, leaguewide and league-level credit facilities, workouts, and restructurings.
In addition, I have worked on numerous expansion and ownership transactions for the NBA, MLS and the NHL (including the NHL’s expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle), as well as the launch of various new sports leagues, including the PWHL, MLTT, and MLS’s affiliated D3 league, MLS NEXT Pro.
How did you choose this practice area?
Believe it or not, I wasn’t looking to work in sports. When I joined the firm, I was drawn to the sports group by the sheer talent of its attorneys. I wanted to work with people who could not only train me on the technical aspects of the law but could also teach me how to deftly navigate a conference call, a deal table, a boardroom, and beyond. I wanted to learn from the best.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
At this stage of my career, I spend a lot of time with clients advising them and developing strategies to help them achieve their business objectives. I also do a lot of collaborating and sound-boarding internally, both within the sports group and across other practice groups at Proskauer.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Focus on the fundamentals. Build sound legal muscle memory from day one: drafting, attention to detail, clear communication, and negotiating tactics. These skills will translate across almost every practice area inside and outside of sports.
What do you like best about your practice area?
The sports business industry is actually quite small, so my days are often filled with repeat players and familiar faces. Many of my clients have been my peers and counterparts for over a decade; we have grown up together professionally and moved through the ranks together over the years. Dozens of other clients are Proskauer alumni. It’s a fun dynamic when we all get together to do deals because it’s basically like working with extended family.
What misconceptions exist about your practice area?
Sports law is not, in and of itself, a thing! On some days, we are finance lawyers; on other days, we are M&A lawyers; and on other days, we work in intellectual property, real estate, tax, funds, or private credit. We can wear all of these hats at different times on the same day. The constantly shifting balance and variety of work keep us on our toes and keep things interesting.
What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?
Everything and anything. The sooner junior lawyers can get their hands dirty, the better. From the outset put pen to paper for the first draft of a document; volunteer to reach out to a client or take the lead on a conference call; raise your hand for as much as you can. We will find a way to get you involved.
What are some typical career paths for lawyers in this practice area?
For many of my colleagues and mentees, life after Proskauer has meant finding (and excelling at) a dream job within the sports industry—some on the legal side, some on the business side—as general counsel, presidents, and commissioners and in a myriad of other opportunities.
Christine Lazatin is a leading sports finance lawyer advising professional sports teams, leagues and owners, corporate borrowers, and financial institutions on many of the industry’s most critical and complex financings. In addition to her financing work, Christine represents clients on a full range of corporate matters, including governance and policy work for the NHL, the NBA and MLS. Christine is a pioneer in the field of sports law and has been recognized as an elite lawyer by a variety of sports and legal publications. She was named a Power Player: Outside Counsel by Sports Business Journal (SBJ) in 2021, was named to SBJ’s Game Changers Class of 2022, and is one of the few women to be ranked by Chambers USA in the Sports Law category.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
I provide ongoing counseling to producers and various types of entities on entertainment transactional matters including in areas such as digital media, television, film, podcast, and tech. I prepare, negotiate, and manage a variety of documents, including term sheets, contracts, and business proposals.
What types of clients do you represent?
I represent a diverse group of clients, including podcast and tech companies, networks, producers, and studios. Clients range from individual producers to major studios.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
I work on multiple types of agreements, such as production services agreements and talent agreements including writer, producer, and director agreements. I also work on major first-look and overall agreements with A+-level talent. In addition, I handle influencer marketing agreements and various types of rights agreements, such as option purchase agreements and short-form content acquisition agreements.
How did you choose this practice area?
I’ve always wanted to be an entertainment lawyer. I’m a consumer of the industry’s content—an every day user. And, the idea that you can be part of bringing a project to life—to people’s living rooms, to the big screen on their night out—it’s the ultimate goal for an entertainment attorney. Entertainment was my number one choice for a practice area and the reason why I attended law school.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
A typical day involves a mix of client meetings, contract negotiations, and counseling on client business decisions. For certain clients, my role begins during the negotiation of the deal terms or at a project’s inception. For others, I step into the project and prepare the long-form agreement to reflect the parties’ intentions. Every day, I am either directly negotiating or managing the negotiations of various agreements.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
I recommend taking a few Entertainment courses during law school and seeking internship opportunities in order to get hands-on experience either with a media company or an entertainment law firm. In addition, it is important to stay up-to-date with the industry and to stay apprised of the latest press releases and articles. I would recommend reading Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline.
What do you like best about your practice area?
I love the creativity and the evolving nature of the entertainment industry. Every deal is unique and aimed at bringing a story to life, whether it is a series, podcast, film, or other type of media.
What is unique about your practice area at your firm?
Entertainment law in general, but specifically our firm’s practice area, is highly collaborative. Our team is experienced in working closely with creatives, business executives, talent, and with many other roles. In addition, we’re team players, working closely with one another and consistently lending our individual expertise to various matters.
What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?
Typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area include reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing material points in contracts, conducting legal research, reviewing redlines, and preparing first drafts of contracts.
Media, Entertainment, & Sports can span many areas of law, from constitutional law and contract law to intellectual property, privacy, and more. How do you juggle wearing so many hats?
Our practice group, along with our firm, stays current on industry trends. We anticipate client needs and quickly adapt to the latest developments in the industry. We are experienced in issue-spotting and have broad expertise that can address any matter that arises during a project, delivering high-quality work product along the way.