The creative SPARK! That's what I'm here to protect, and nurture. Welcome to the website for the Law Offices of Christopher Nunes. I practice what I call "entrepreneurial entertainment law".  This involves building a business around an entertainment project - or building a business around your talent.  This includes, among other areas of specialization: Business formation and operation (LLC's, C Corps, S Corps, Partnerships, etc.) Copyright and idea protection Agency, studio and label relationships Financing your film/record label/other creative business (negotiating with equity or debt partners, creative financing techniques, governmental liaison, etc.), and Advice on business strategy, networking or other resources. Of course, this can just be the tip of the iceberg.  Please read further into the site to see if any of your questions are presented there or if the services I provide might help your art or business. Top 4 (easy) questions most often asked of me....

Q. What's the deal with attorneys shopping music for their clients... and do you do this??? I do not shop music for clients, but I understand why I get asked this question so much.  Getting your music into the right hands is extremely difficult.  Some industry books suggest that attorneys will submit music to labels in order to "end run" the hurdles that record labels put into place to manage their business.  This is a tricky proposition.  What those books typically don't mention is that the attorney must have an established relationship with the record label such that the attorney can make a personal phone call to someone in the A&R department.  Attorneys can't just randomly call up a label and get music successfully submitted.  It doesn't work this way.  Submitting music to labels is sometimes performed by attorneys as a courtesy to their existing musical clients - it shows that the attorney respects the client's work, but also that the attorney respects their attorney-client relationship.  In my opinion, it is unethical to accept musical clients - and charge them - solely to submit their music to a label.  So no, as a policy, I do not submit music for new clients.

Q. How do I keep my idea safe? Quite honestly, using an attorney to submit ideas is your best defense. Barring a good relationship with an attorney, you can register your writing projects with the Copyright Office or with the Writers' Guild of America. If you have an idea that has not been written down, then you will want some form of Non-Disclosure Agreement with whomever you submit your idea. Basically, you need to create a traceable paper trail between you, your idea, and the recipient in order to later prove that they were witness to your idea, and that it came from only you.

Q. How do I get help with my question, and how do I hire an attorney? Going to an attorney for the first time can be intimidating.  "Will they charge me?  Will I lose control of the situation?  Will they pressure me?  Will I look stupid?"  These are all normal questions if you've never hired an attorney before.  But one thing I try to emphasize to all my clients and prospective clients is that an attorney is someone who will be on your team, no matter what.  The attorney is supposed to be an extension of you - someone with skills, knowledge and experience that you don't have, but someone who's behind you all the way.  This is important for everyone to know - the client is in charge.  So approaching an attorney for help with your problem shouldn't intimidate you - I'm here to help.  I never charge for an initial consultation.  That's how we figure out if my help is really needed, or if there are ways for you to do something yourself.  Once you do hire me, we work out a way for it to be affordable, to make sense to both of us, and to do our best to solve your problems.

Q. How do I get my screenplay into the hands of an actor/producer/director? If you do not have an agent - and historically the above question only comes from people who do not yet have agents - then getting your material into the appropriate hands is purely a relationship/networking effort. You must find someone who knows the actor/producer/director's people and convince them that your material is worth passing along. This takes persistence, dedication, strong networking ties, as well as the ability to handle many "no's" before reaching the YES.  Many people turn to entertainment attorneys to help them shop their idea, screenplay or music.  Because entertainment attorneys are one of the first resources that successful artistic ventures secure, studios, agents and record labels feel more comfortable reviewing materials that are represented by counsel.

Q. How do I sell my idea? It is extremely rare for someone to sell "just" an idea. No one is going to want to do your work for you, but if someone DOES buy your idea without any work behind it, then be prepared to receive very little money. In order to make any money from your original idea, you need to be prepared to put a little development effort into it. This includes preparing a business plan, lining up the relevant resources, people, and finances, and maybe even providing a preliminary example (i.e. short film/trailer for your feature, a sample product, a completely written pilot with treatments for a full season's worth of episodes, etc.) You must put in the time and effort in order to reap the benefit of your idea. Note: If your idea is Reality TV-based, be prepared to put in even more time and effort.

Of course, I understand that this is just the beginning of questions you might have about maneuvering through the waters of entertainment and entrepreneurial law. That is why working with an attorney like myself - someone who understands not only the legal issues, but also the associated lifestyle and business issues - is vital for long term success. To learn more, visit my pages via links in the boxes above.

Copyright 2005,2008 Law Offices of Christopher Nunes               Privacy Policy

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements or the information contained on this website.  Before you decide, please contact me for more information about my qualifications and experience.  Accessing this website or corresponding with me via email does not automatically create an attorney-client relationship, but all inquiries will be treated confidentially and with respect.