From initial concept to final publication, your ideas need to be protected, your agreements need to be strong, and you need sound guidance as to the risks along the way. Let us help.

Our team can assist you through your media and communications activities, from protecting your initial concept to counseling you with regard to the final production and distribution of your communications. Regardless of delivery vehicle, we know what to do and how to protect your work.

Clients often turn to us for assistance with the following agreements and services:

• Advertising review
• Pre-publication review
• Performance agreements
• Creation and execution of contest promotions, lotteries and sweepstakes
• Intellectual property ownership and use
• Anti-trust guidance and counsel
• FCC notice requirements
• FTC, TCPA, ATF regulations
• Media, tort, and invasion of privacy
• Litigation

If your business has interests in foreign countries, it is important to watch international data protection and privacy regulations. Our International Data Protection Regulations group will help you stay ahead of the curve and prepare for new rules that affect your company.

Concept to Publication

From concept to creation in all types of media, clients seek our counsel for fair and measured evaluation of the issues at stake and the potential risks involved. We know their business and take care to manage the process, their reputation and their work as if it were our own. We regularly represent a host of media organizations and businesses in this area including:

• Advertising agencies – boutique and full-service agencies
• Bands, artists, production companies and others in the entertainment industry
• Digital media specialists
• Publishers and authors
• Corporate advertisers – businesses using social media, e-commerce or traditional advertising

Litigation

With a host of media platforms and communications vehicles before you, communicating your business’s messages has never been more exciting. With the promise of agility and expediency, however, comes even greater potential for error.

When things don’t go as planned – and you need representation in a suit or you want to pursue a claim of your own – we can represent your interests in disputes involving issues of:

• Access to publicly available information (Sunshine Law)
• Anti-trust
• Commercial disparagement
• Commercial speech
• Comparative advertising
• Defamation
• First Amendment rights
• Intellectual property rights
• Invasion of privacy
• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

Whether using social media, traditional channels or merging these two and more, we can help you better understand all of the rules and regulations governing your media and communication activities.

Communications

Our attorneys represent a broad range of communications providers, working with clients on matters ranging from compliance and license applications to right-of-way access and franchise negotiations. Our work includes issues involving public utilities, in addition to assisting clients in the telephone, cable, Internet and broadcast sectors. We have experience related to:

• Local exchange carriers
• Switch acquisitions and financing
• Fiber optic installations
• Line leasing and IRUs
• Pole agreements
• Municipal franchise negotiations and right of way issues
• Satellite dish installations
• Cellphone operations
• Tower sites
• EMF issues
• PEG channel issues
• Obscenity issues
• Must carry rules
• 911 services

 We also provide interpretation of PSC and FCC rules and regulations, as well as various facets of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and advise Internet service providers on user policies and contracts, copyright and trademark, web agreements, licensing and security. We have assisted clients on developing communications policies to protect client information and proprietary data. In addition, we have helped clients deal with data breaches.

On behalf of cable television operators, we have handled franchise negotiations, sales and purchases of cable systems, rate reviews, rights of way, disconnect problems and investment in or purchase of foreign cable systems. In addition, we have experience with radio and television personalities’ contract negotiations, recording contracts and royalty licensing matters, as well as in the sale and acquisition of cable companies and radio stations.