If you’re looking for a career in the entertainment industry, the United States is the place to do it. Valued at $717 billion, the US entertainment industry is the largest in the entire world.
The only problem is that things can get a little competitive and there are a lot of dishonest managers, producers, and more. One thing you’ll often hear is that if a deal or a break sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
So, how do you navigate the entertainment industry and weed out the bad? An effective and reliable entertainment lawyer similar to Robert K Bratt can help you stay out of trouble.
Read on to learn more about the advantages of hiring an entertainment lawyer so that you can decide if it’s time for you to do so.
Benefits of Hiring an Entertainment Lawyer
Why should you hire an entertainment lawyer or entertainment attorney? How can they make your life easier and ensure that your career is going in the direction you’ve always intended and hoped for? Let’s take a closer look at what entertainment lawyers do for their clients.
Negotiation in Entertainment
Negotiation is something that occurs outside of the courtroom, although it is still helpful to have legal representation. Why?
An entertainment lawyer is well-versed in entertainment contracts, which are chock-full of nuanced and industry-specific language. They can look over any documents you are asked to sign and determine what, exactly, you’re signing. This can help you to avoid signing contracts that are harmful to your career, offer less pay than you deserve, or ultimately don’t work out in your favor.
In turn, they can help you negotiate with the other party, whether that’s a record company, a producer, a casting director, or any other person in charge of getting your agreement in writing. Ultimately, the goal of negotiation is to dodge bullets and pick up work that suits you and your goals. Having an entertainment lawyer on your side for the negotiation process can speed up the trajectory of your career and keep you on track to success.
Litigation in Entertainment
Litigation refers to a Commercial Litigation Lawyer‘s work that is more strictly focused on the law. Litigation can occur in the courtroom, privately outside of the courtroom (arbitration), or with the help of a third-party moderator. When you are working in the entertainment industry, you will often go through arbitration and may even have to take a few cases to the courtroom.
One of the most common issues that may arise for the creators of the entertainment industry is intellectual property violation. This occurs when two artists bear work that is similar enough for the question of theft to arise. For example, if one film company produced a film that bore multiple plot points that were identical to another uncredited film that was recently released, the creators of the first film may try to sue the creators of the second.
Litigation in the entertainment industry is extremely complicated. No one should ever try to defend themselves, only a Thailand litigation lawyer should, as these cases are riddled with nuance and often hard to prove.
Note that litigation may also occur in relation to contracts. If you feel that your contract has been violated by the other party involved, you may get your lawyer involved. They will help you to either hold the other party accountable or nullify the contract altogether if renegotiation is out of the question.
When Is It Time to Hire an Entertainment Lawyer?
Now that you know the primary benefits of hiring an entertainment lawyer, a big question remains. When should you hire one?
We tend to say that the earlier you can hire an entertainment lawyer, the better. Once you start signing contracts, it’s time to secure legal representation.
When you bring an entertainment lawyer onto your personal team from the start, you can build a solid relationship with them. They can get a clear understanding of what your goals are and how you hope to achieve them. They will also know everything about your career and the contracts you’ve signed in the past, which can become a sort of leverage when you’re looking to sign new contracts.
Ultimately, you want to work with the same lawyer as much as possible. At the very least, you should get a consultation with a lawyer each time you are asked to sign a new contract.
Why Hire an Entertainment Lawyer, Specifically?
When you’re starting out in the entertainment industry, you may not have a ton of spare cash to invest in something like an entertainment lawyer. Is that really something you should prioritize?
It’s tempting to work with someone who isn’t a designated entertainment lawyer at a lower cost. For example, you may have a friend or relative that works in personal injury or education law that’s willing to look over your contracts free of charge.
While somewhat qualified help is better than no help at all, you’re always better off with an entertainment lawyer, specifically. Entertainment law is complicated and knowing the in’s and out’s of the industry is crucial if a lawyer wants to make sure their clients get good deals every time.
Get Your Career Off the Ground the Right Way
Are you ready to dive into the entertainment industry? Are you starting to get acting gigs? Is your band starting to get booked for events?
If you’re signing contracts, it’s time to hire an entertainment lawyer. That way, you can ensure that you’re only agreeing to fair deals and navigating litigation with ease. Get your entertainment career off the ground the right way.
Entertainment may seem glamorous on the outside, but on the inside, it’s all business. Take a look at more of our content to learn how to run your “business” the right way.