Katten Selected as Finalist for AMEC's Media & Entertainment Counsel of the Year Awards

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of three finalists for the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel’s (AMEC) 2008 Outstanding Media and Entertainment Law Firm Award.  AMEC is the leading trade association serving general counsel and business affairs attorneys at media and entertainment companies.  Katten will be honored as a finalist and the winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner ceremony on January 9. 

“We have worked diligently to build a sophisticated and diverse practice in the area of entertainment and media,” said Susan Grode, who serves as co-chair of Katten’s Entertainment and Media Practice along with Michael S. Hobel.  “We are honored to be selected by AMEC as a finalist for this prestigious award.”

In naming Katten a finalist, AMEC recognized its role as counsel in some of the entertainment industry’s most significant transactions, as well as several high-profile complex litigation matters.

“This recognition by AMEC is a testament to our talented entertainment lawyers, who not only provide high-quality legal services to our clients, but also understand the business of entertainment,” added Mr. Hobel. 

The Media & Entertainment Counsel of the Year Awards were created in 2005 by AMEC founders Arnold Peter, Peter Winkler and William Simon.  This year’s award winners will be determined by a distinguished panel of judges, including:

• John Amer, partner and legal practice leader, Korn/Ferry International 
• Bob Gerrard, executive vice president and general counsel, Scripps Networks 
• Eric Golden, president and general counsel, Imagility
• Steven Glick, senior vice president and general counsel, Thomson Americas  
• Shelley Reid, senior vice president of business and legal affairs, Fox Television Studios
• Andy Reif, chief executive officer, The Championship Gaming Series
• David Shapiro, senior vice president of business and legal affairs, DIC Entertainment 
• Michael Silver, senior vice president of business and legal affairs, Universal Recreation Group, NBC Universal

Katten’s Entertainment and Media Practice provides clients with comprehensive domestic and international representation in the entertainment industry.  The firm’s clients are engaged in many areas of entertainment, including feature motion pictures, television, animation, Internet, pay-per-view and video on demand, merchandising, licensing, technology, print and electronic book publishing, music, stage productions, interactive games and entertainment and communication systems, film finance, production and distribution, labor relations, executive employment agreements, estate planning, and copyright, trademark and intellectual property protection.  The practice’s clients include a wide range of financiers, including banks and other financial institutions, motion picture studios, networks and cable channels, independent motion picture, television and new media production and distribution companies, music companies, game developers and publishers, entertainment industry investors, and individual entrepreneurs.  Litigation attorneys within the practice offer clients a full range of dispute resolution services, including representation involving intellectual property issues, contractual and business tort disputes, distribution rights issues, and artist representation in business and personal matters.