Five Barnes & Thornburg Entertainment Attorneys Lauded in Variety’s Legal Impact Report

LOS ANGELES - Variety Magazine has named Barnes & Thornburg entertainment, media and sports attorneys Carolyn Hunt, Jason Karlov, Rebekah Prince, Bryan Thompson and Steve Weizenecker as leading lawyers in its annual Legal Impact Report. The report honors attorneys who represent high-profile entertainment industry clients.

“We are pleased to see the hard work of five of our entertainment, media and sports attorneys recognized by Variety’s Legal Impact Report,” said Bob Grand, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg. “The name of the report says it all: Our attorneys make an impact in the industry by effectively and efficiently helping clients reach their business goals.”

Hunt and Weizenecker work together on often-complicated financing structures by combining Hunt’s experience advising on lending and other finance and distribution procedures with Weizenecker’s niche practice devoted to production incentives.

Hunt is featured for her work in international film and TV finance and distribution and specifically for her representation of the MUFG Union Bank in its prints-and-advertising financings. Hunt was also recognized in 2017 for her work on behalf of various banks in co-financing deals for the film “Hollywood Adventures” and the first two seasons of the Netflix series “Marco Polo.” She is a partner in the Los Angeles office and advises investors on media finance, entertainment transactions and distribution matters.

Weizenecker is recognized for drafting the Georgia Music Investment Act, Georgia’s first-ever tax incentive specifically for the music industry. He is a partner in the Atlanta office and focuses his practice on tax incentives and other matters for film, television and videogame clients.

Karlov, Prince and Thompson are profiled for their work advising high-profile celebrity talent, ranging from musicians to all-star athletes to social media influencers, as well as advising entertainment and media companies.

Karlov, chair of the firm’s Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group in Los Angeles, continued the work he was recognized for in the 2017 report, and is featured again for his extensive practice featuring a variety of prominent entertainment and media clients, including Bob Dylan; John Fogerty; the NFL (including half-time shows)/NFL Network; T Bone Burnett; and the Grateful Dead’s song catalog, as well Beachbody and Peloton in their music licensing. He counsels clients in the music, entertainment, live events, advertising and technology industries.

Prince is a corporate partner Los Angeles office with significant experience negotiating celebrity endorsement transactions as well as joint ventures and license agreements in the media and entertainment, health and fitness, restaurant and hospitality, and consumer products industries. In Variety, she is lauded for her work advising top athletes and entertainment clients.

Thompson joined the firm in 2017, and is commended for his experiences working at Fox Networks Group – from where he joined the firm – Yahoo! and Whalerock Industries. He serves as special counsel in Barnes & Thornburg’s Los Angeles office and focuses on corporate and transactional matters for television and digital clients.

Attorneys in the Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group have a thorough understanding of the business, financing, distribution and licensing needs of the film, television, music, technology, gaming and sports industries. The group represents motion picture producers and distributors, serves as outside general counsel for musicians and entertainers, and negotiates significant marketing and promotional agreements.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 14 offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.