Practice

Entertainment, Technology and Advertising

The Business-Focused Lawyers Behind Modern Media and Entertainment

Sheppard guides industry leaders across entertainment, technology and advertising with thoughtful, business-oriented counsel shaped by deep sector familiarity.  

Our Entertainment lawyers advise companies innovating at the crossroads of content and technology, offering solutions built for today’s evolving media landscape. 

Supporting the Deals That Drive Today’s Content 

Spanning film, television, music, digital media, gaming and beyond, our practice supports clients at every stage of the content lifecycle.

Drawing on in-house experience within major media organizations, we recognize the operational and strategic demands facing our clients and respond with tailored, practical advice. 

We support every aspect of content creation and exploitation—from development and financing to production, distribution and monetization. Our team is trusted to handle high-profile transactions, including content acquisitions, catalog investments and brand collaborations, always focused on driving value and aligning with clients’ commercial objectives. 

With technology reshaping the industry, our Entertainment lawyers regularly advise on emerging trends in streaming, AI, data-driven distribution and digital engagement. We draft robust agreements that anticipate change and support sustained growth. Clients value our integrated approach to intellectual property, advertising, privacy and dispute resolution—ensuring they are protected and well-positioned in a rapidly moving marketplace. 

Areas of Focus

Advertising
We advise advertisers, agencies, brands and platforms on advertising strategy, compliance and disputes across traditional and digital media. Our work includes substantiation, endorsements and testimonials, influencer campaigns, comparative advertising, promotions and regulatory compliance. We help clients navigate FTC and state consumer protection requirements while supporting creative, commercially effective campaigns that move quickly to market. 
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Art
The art market presents a unique mix of legal, commercial and reputational considerations. We counsel artists, collectors, galleries, estates and institutions on transactions involving fine art and cultural assets, including acquisitions, consignments and cross-border sales. Our experience also extends to authenticity, provenance and intellectual property issues. Clients value our discreet, commercially grounded approach and our ability to navigate matters where legal rights, market practice and reputation are closely intertwined. 
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AI
We counsel entertainment, technology and advertising clients on the full range of legal issues arising from artificial intelligence and machine learning. Our work includes rights allocation, training data, authorship, licensing, risk management and regulatory considerations. We help clients integrate AI into creative and commercial workflows while addressing evolving intellectual property, privacy and compliance concerns in a rapidly developing legal landscape. 
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Branded Entertainment
Sheppard helps brands, agencies and platforms structure innovative content deals that connect with audiences and protect creative integrity. We advise on branded entertainment partnerships, integrating legal and commercial insight for projects spanning streaming, social media, influencer campaigns and live events. Our team ensures authentic, compliant content that drives value in today’s complex media and marketing landscape. 
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Commercial Transactions
Commercial relationships underpin every successful media and technology business. We negotiate and structure a broad range of agreements, from development and production arrangements to licensing, services and strategic partnerships. Attention is paid not only to legal protection, but also to how agreements function in practice across distribution channels, platforms and territories. The result is documentation that supports long-term relationships and adapts to changing commercial realities. 
Entertainment Finance
Financing structures play a critical role in bringing creative projects to market. Our lawyers advise lenders, investors, studios and producers on a wide range of entertainment finance matters, including production financing, slate deals, gap financing and secured lending. These transactions require careful coordination of rights, collateral and revenue streams. We help clients balance creative control, risk allocation and commercial return in an increasingly complex financing environment. 
Entertainment and Media Litigation
Sheppard’s trial team handles high-stakes entertainment disputes for studios, streamers, producers and top talent, protecting creative and business interests. We represent clients in copyright, trademark and idea submission claims, internal disputes and complex commercial matters—resolving cases efficiently while safeguarding reputations and advancing business objectives across the entertainment industry worldwide. 
Film & TV Transactions
Film and television transactions demand both industry fluency and legal precision. We represent studios, production companies, distributors, financiers and talent in matters spanning development, financing, production and distribution. Streaming, international distribution and cross-border arrangements are a regular part of our work. By understanding how value is created and exploited over time, we help clients negotiate deals that protect their creative interests and support long-term monetization. 
Guilds
Our lawyers excel in collective bargaining for motion picture, TV and advertising, mastering residuals, credits and guild rights. From low-budget negotiations with IATSE/DGA to residuals audits and Tri-Guild arbitrations, we secure optimal labor terms. Experts in “New Media” guild rules, we handle arbitrations, labor litigation and NLRB cases, ensuring our clients thrive in the entertainment industry. 
Interactive Media
Interactive media businesses operate where technology, content and user communities converge. We support companies in gaming, immersive media and other interactive formats on platform agreements, content development, publishing, monetization strategies and regulatory considerations. Legal issues around intellectual property, user-generated content, virtual economies, data use and emerging technologies are addressed holistically, so our clients can focus on progressing in fast-moving digital environments. 
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IP Licensing, Technology and Commercial Transactions
Licensing sits at the heart of many modern media and technology businesses. We advise on complex licensing and commercial arrangements involving intellectual property, technology and data, including software, platforms, content and brands. Transactions are structured to align legal rights with commercial objectives and future growth. By anticipating how technology and business models evolve, we help clients manage risk across increasingly interconnected digital ecosystems. 
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Intellectual Property
Protecting and leveraging intellectual property is central to success in the contemporary entertainment, technology and advertising industries. Our lawyers advise clients on copyright, trademark, trade secret and right-of-publicity matters, as well as portfolio strategy and enforcement. Rather than treating IP in isolation, we integrate these considerations directly into commercial transactions and business planning, helping clients safeguard the value of their IP assets, while supporting future innovation and creative development. 
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FCC
Regulatory oversight is a defining feature of the communications landscape. We advise media and technology companies on matters involving the FCC, including licensing, compliance, enforcement and transactional issues. We have experience working with broadcasters, cable operators and digital platforms. Clients rely on us to navigate regulatory requirements in a way that supports their wider business objectives and adapts to a rapidly evolving communications environment. 
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Live Entertainment
The live entertainment industry presents distinct operational and commercial challenges, as well as opportunities. We represent promoters, venues, producers and talent in matters involving music and other tours, events and experiential entertainment. Our work includes venue agreements, tour financing, sponsorships, ticketing arrangements and risk management. By understanding the operational realities of live events, we help clients structure agreements that balance creative ambition with logistical and financial considerations. 
Podcasts
An increasingly established part of the media landscape, podcasting has become a major platform for content creation and monetization. We advise podcast networks, producers, talent and platforms on development, production, distribution and growth. Our work includes content acquisitions, advertising arrangements, talent agreements and intellectual property issues. We help clients navigate a rapidly growing medium shaped by evolving audience behavior, platform strategies and revenue models. 
Retail, Fashion & Beauty
Brand, image and speed to market are critical in retail, fashion and beauty. Our lawyers advise companies on transactions, licensing, advertising, influencer relationships and brand protection across these industries, and across physical and digital channels. The work often spans product development, supply chain issues, e-commerce, marketing compliance and intellectual property enforcement. 
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Sports
The sports industry increasingly blends entertainment, media, technology and commerce. Our practice advises teams, leagues, sponsors, media companies and investors on transactions and disputes involving media rights, sponsorships, naming rights, venue agreements and commercial partnerships. Athlete-related matters and reputational considerations often sit alongside these deals. Clients appreciate the fact our advice reflects both the commercial scale of modern sports businesses and the public visibility, regulatory scrutiny and stakeholder dynamics that define the sector. 
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Technology and Interactive Media Transactions
Transactions involving technology and interactive media require forward-looking legal frameworks. We advise on platform development, digital content distribution, data-driven products and strategic partnerships. The agreements we draft are structured to accommodate evolving technologies, monetization models and regulatory requirements. By focusing on flexibility and scalability, we help clients future-proof their relationships in fast-changing digital markets. 
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