Lawyers?

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  • Lawyers?

    Awhile back, somebody was big on (Elsa) Ramo Law and they seem like a solid lead. Any others that you guys would suggest?

  • #2
    Re: Lawyers?

    Originally posted by medic1 View Post
    Awhile back, somebody was big on (Elsa) Ramo Law and they seem like a solid lead. Any others that you guys would suggest?
    When choosing a lawyer I would say it all depends on what career stage you're in and what exactly you need representation for. Is this for a specific deal or hire? Is it a WGA signatory contract or are you dealing with indie producers? Or are you looking to have someone on retainer for submissions in lieu of a manager/agent? There is also the issue of payment. For new writers most entertainment lawyers will charge by the hour instead of a percentage since the writer presumably won't have enough of a stable income source from his or her writing to justify the percentage.

    When vetting lawyers I recommend to always check IMDB pro and check out the type of clients they rep and the kinds of productions they have worked on. Are they part of a large faceless firm or are they more one-on-one? Are they focused on transactional volume in indie films (production legal) or are they looking for higher-end long-term clients? I recommend to google the hell out of them (the individual lawyer rather than the firm) and also look them up in the state's bar web portal to check their standing and complaint history.

    http://www.calbar.ca.gov
    Manfred Lopez Grem
    WGA Writer - Director | Zero Gravity Management

    REEL - IMDB

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Lawyers?

      Originally posted by manfredlopez View Post
      When choosing a lawyer I would say it all depends on what career stage you're in and what exactly you need representation for. Is this for a specific deal or hire? Is it a WGA signatory contract or are you dealing with indie producers? Or are you looking to have someone on retainer for submissions in lieu of a manager/agent? There is also the issue of payment. For new writers most entertainment lawyers will charge by the hour instead of a percentage since the writer presumably won't have enough of a stable income source from his or her writing to justify the percentage.

      When vetting lawyers I recommend to always check IMDB pro and check out the type of clients they rep and the kinds of productions they have worked on. Are they part of a large faceless firm or are they more one-on-one? Are they focused on transactional volume in indie films (production legal) or are they looking for higher-end long-term clients? I recommend to google the hell out of them (the individual lawyer rather than the firm) and also look them up in the state's bar web portal to check their standing and complaint history.

      http://www.calbar.ca.gov
      I send out all my submissions but I hope to have a lawyer-possibly on retainer if it's not too much (just learned Ramo Law is $5,000) that I can refer the firm to if I get serious consideration. I don't even bother with agents anymore but still querying managers. And thanks for your response!

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      • #4
        Re: Lawyers?

        Originally posted by medic1 View Post
        just learned Ramo Law is $5,000
        That sounds about right. BTW, if you're at the submitting stage, then you really don't need a lawyer at this time. You could wait until someone wants to either hire you or purchase something from you. It's best to contact lawyers when you have a concrete thing that they can work on, like a contract or deal memo from a producer.
        Manfred Lopez Grem
        WGA Writer - Director | Zero Gravity Management

        REEL - IMDB

        Comment

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