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+lifestyle Why Do You Need An Entertainment Attorney? Text: Paul Gardner, Esq. ttorneys in the entertainment industry usually provide general legal advice and negotiation skills – but this is only a small part of what they do. An experienced and "connected" music attorney can be a valuable member of your team, getting your demo in front of the right pair of ears. A good entertainment attorney should also have in their repertoire, the ability to be your business advisor and your personal "rainmaker." In addition to bringing parties together for the purposes of creating new deals, entertainment attorney may also administer copyrights and collect funds on your behalf. Of course, if things go wrong regarding any deal transaction, then your attorney can coordinate the ensuing litigation. varies based on geography and experience, but generally you can expect to pay $250.00 to $450.00. Alternatively, entertainment attorneys can also charge a percentage of the deal transaction (usually 5%). But understand with that percentages, you must also consider that the other members of your team (i.e., agent, manager, business manager) also take a percentage, thus further reducing what you ultimately will take home. Lastly, flat-fee billing is best used for smaller, but specific, engagements such as incorporating or registering trademarks. The best way to find an entertainment attorney is word of mouth. Ask other artists and industry professionals for recommendations. In addition to this, entertainment attorneys Fee structures for entertainment attorneys can often be found at entertainment industry can vary. First, see if the attorney is charging conferences. Attorneys often participate at you for the initial consultation. Once that is these events as panelists and usually stick settled, you need to determine which method around after the event in order to network of payment is best for you – hourly rate vs. and answer questions. However, if you prefer percentage vs. flat-fee billing. Hourly rates an approach that is less public in nature, then you can contact various lawyer referral services or obtain a copy of the most popular lawyer directory – Martindale-Hubbel, available at your local library. In all cases, you should expect a written legal services agreement, as well as the requirement to pay an upfront retainer deposit, which is typically held in trust and applied against fees and costs as they accrue. Costs, by the way, are usually billable and can include messengers, fax, overnight mail, travel, long distance phone calls, and photocopies. Because of the limited number of entertainment attorneys and companies, you should also be aware of potential conflicts of interest. Attorneys are ethically required to disclose conflicts of interest. Many conflicts can be dealt with by disclosure and informed consent of the parties. However, some require that the attorney step aside and that the parties retain separate counsel. On The Shelf A well-known music label decided not to release any more of a well-known artist's albums, but that didn't mean that they would be releasing that artist. The artist was not allowed to release their new material for the label, nor allowed out of their contract to record for others. Instead, the label asked the artist to "just" write songs for a fellow label mate for the remaining three years of the contract. Could you handle this yourself, or do you think it would be best to send in your "connected" entertainment attorney? The Flywire 53