Practice Areas: Media & Entertainment - Fredrikson & Byron P.A.

Alexander Rosenstein, Co–Chair

612.492.7341

Overview

No One Understands Your Business Like Someone Who's Been In It^®

Members of our Media & Entertainment Law Group have seen the advertising, media and entertainment industries in a way very few lawyers have. From the inside.

For more than 30 years we have worked with you as partners and advisors in building Minnesota's film, television, music, and new media industries.”

Group co-chair, John Stout, has actually worked in the industries he now represents and continues to hold key leadership positions in them. John is a director, co-founder and past chairman of the Minnesota Film Board and has worked on the financing of more than 60 independent feature film projects with companies and filmmakers throughout the country. As co-founder of New Front Films, John has had producing roles in three of the company's six feature films. He's also a resource panelist for the Independent Features Project and a past chair of the Cricket Theater.

Steve Bergerson is a former ad agency account executive. He is a former member of the prestigious National Advertising Review Board, and chair of the American Advertising Federation’s Ad Standards Committee. He is a past president of the Advertising Federation of Minnesota and Board Chair of the Better Business Bureau. He serves as General Counsel to the Minnesota Advertising Federation, Trademark Counsel to the American Advertising Federation, Chair of the Midwest Advertising Review Board, and is a nationally known industry speaker.

John and Steve's backgrounds, plus those of others in the group, give our lawyers a practical working knowledge of our clients' businesses that just can't be learned in a classroom or courtroom.

Our Goal Is To Help You Do What You Want. Not Tell You What You Can't

Creativity requires intuition, open-mindedness, ingenuity and risk-taking – attributes not commonly associated with lawyers. Creative professionals often view attorneys as naysayers, more likely to say what can't be done than to explore the possibilities.

Your experience with us will be different. We're more than your lawyers. We're your colleagues.

Our Group Is Greater Than The Sum Of Its Lawyers

Fredrikson & Byron's Media & Entertainment Group brings together many attorneys from a variety of disciplines.

We have a distinct but related combination of skills, interests and capabilities.

Our experience is in areas as diverse as employment, corporate, partnership and securities law, business and tax planning, dispute resolution, sports, entertainment and media law, cable television franchising and community programming, fiber optic and telecommunications planning and development and advertising, promotion, trademark and copyright law.

We regularly draw on one another's special knowledge and experience. What's more, we have the resources of one of the area's largest law firms, with more than 160 attorneys. So even when you work directly with only one of us, you benefit from the synergistic thinking of many.

The Quality Of Our Advice Is Best Measured By The Success & Potential Of Those We Represent

Name the most successful advertisers and advertising and sales promotion agencies. Think of the most technologically progressive cities in the country. Or the most talented entertainers, music producers, writers and filmmakers.

Big or small, established or on the rise, they may well be working with us.

We're proud of our relationships with all of them. And think our association is more than a coincidence.

Advertising & Promotion

We work with advertisers, advertising, direct marketing and sales promotion agencies, designers, illustrators, photographers and other creative service businesses of all sizes throughout the country.

The services we offer these clients include:

Advertising copy review
Sweepstakes review, rule drafting and registrations
Agency/client agreements
Talent contracts
Idea disclosure agreements
Trademark searches, registrations and licensing
Competitive advertising disputes/litigation
Television/Radio network commercial clearance
Copyright registration, protection and licensing
Trade secret protection
Errors/omissions insurance review
Music licensing agreements
Non-compete agreements
Confidentiality agreements
Product labeling and warranties
Hold-harmless agreements
SAG/AFTRA issues
Self-regulation challenges
Client seminars
Trade secret protection

Film, Video & Media

Fredrikson & Byron lawyers represent video, film, television and multimedia production companies, producers, directors, writers, communications companies, investment partnerships and others in the industry. The services we offer these clients include:

Analysis of entertainment projects and investment opportunities
Copyright and trademark protection and licensing
Business and project organization and tax planning
Analyzing and negotiating distribution agreements
Errors and omissions insurance review
Motion picture filming arrangements
Motion picture production agreements, including director, producer, talent, location, writer, soundtrack and other agreements
Sale and licensing of rights in stories, screenplays, photography and music
Television programming agreements
Tax, business and estate planning