Webcast
Transactional Drafting Tips for Pandemic-Era Entertainment Agreements
Streams live on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 02:00pm EST
Course Information
Course Description
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an undeniable effect on the entertainment industry as a whole. As counsel to production companies, writers, producers, directors, and actors, entertainment attorneys have had to expand their traditional approach to transactional issues to address pandemic-specific issues and cater to a new way of working in the the film, television, and digital industries. This program is designed to help attorneys incorporate pandemic era best practices into their development, production, and talent agreements to address the ever-evolving landscape in which clients must now work and create.
This program will benefit attorneys working with a broad spectrum of entertainment professionals.
Learning
Objectives:
- Effectively utilize force majeure clauses in entertainment agreements
- Discuss the structure of option-purchase agreements
- Analyze the implications of an extension of an option period due to the pandemic, and best practices for drafting option extension language
- Discuss the traditional purpose of theatrical commitments in distribution agreements, and the forced reassessment of such commitments
- Decide whether to include theatrical commitment language moving forward
- Explore new forms of “live” stage productions that have developed since the emergence of the pandemic, and best practices for drafting clauses in writer and option-purchase agreements to address novel performance platforms
- Discuss the COVID-19 Production Safety Agreement
Credit Information
Faculty
Mynda R. Krato
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC
Mynda Krato is an associate attorney at Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz, P.C. where she handles a broad range of transactional entertainment and intellectual property matters, with a focus on development, production, sales and distribution deals in the film, television, and digital media industries.
Prior to joining Frankfurt Kurnit, Ms. Krato was Manager of Business and Legal Affairs for FilmNation Entertainment, where she negotiated international film sales, distribution, and finance agreements for notable titles such as “Late Night,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” and “The Big Sick.” She also worked on a variety of motion picture development and production deals, and advised sales teams during major international markets and film festivals.
Ms. Krato began her legal career as a legal intern for the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies and later, the National Music Publishers’ Association, where she worked to protect the intellectual property rights of music artists, publishers, rights holders, and songwriters. She then worked as a law clerk for Fox Cable Networks and later, National Geographic Channels, where she helped to structure and draft licensing, production, talent, music, and development agreements for domestic and international television networks and online properties.
Ms. Krato is admitted to practice in both New York and the District of Columbia.