Chris Nunes is an entertainment attorney based in Hollywood California. His practice focuses on assisting independent filmmakers, musicians, artists, and entertainment entrepreneurs with the opportunities and legal decisions faced in their careers. Past clients include directors, producers, writers, actors, television hosts, bands, songwriters, record labels, novelists, designers, fashion brands, magazines, photographers, models, internet companies, and financiers. As an entertainment attorney, Chris approaches client problems with the client's sensitivities in mind - his approach isn't a take-all legal approach that leaves a deal in jeopardy. Chris crafts solutions to situations with the bigger picture in mind, and in a way that is easily accessible for all types of clients. With Chris's hands-on approach, negotiations result in better outcomes for the client, better deal values overall, better appreciation for the details of the deal by the other side, better deal relationships, and a greater likelihood of success for all concerned which has resulted in a client retention rate of over 99%. Chris's industry experience and comprehensive knowledge serve to educate his clients during and after a deal. If you need a movie or music lawyer for one of your projects, please contact Chris via the "Contact Me" page, or by calling his office at 323.337.9070.
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BEHIND THE ESQ.
When I'm asked what I do for a living, I often reply "I'm an entertainment counselor." This is meant as a double entendre: I am a legal counselor, representing film, TV, music and art clients across the globe. I also often act as personal counselor for my clients, walking them through the various opportunities and problems they encounter in their professional lives.
My clients sit on both sides of the artistic fence - talent and corporate - and include actors, musicians, producers, directors, writers, record labels, production companies, financiers, fashion labels, painters & art galleries, models & photographers, corporations and private individuals. This allows me to understand and anticipate problems from both sides of a deal.
I received a bachelor of arts in business economics from UCLA and my law degree from Georgetown University. I spent five years doing business strategy in the dotcom boom prior to law school, and since 2003 my entire law practice has been dedicated to the entertainment industry. My professional experience covers every transactional aspect of the entertainment business, including theatrical & TV distribution, brand & property licensing, talent agency & management engagement, production financing & tax credits & offshore banking, music distribution, music & literary publishing, integrated sponsorships, and everything else associated with running a successful branded entertainment business. I am typically heavily involved in the negotiation and structuring of my clients' entertainment deals and I maintain active participation in my clients' businesses on an as-needed basis.
SERVICES PROVIDED
I pride myself on assisting and enabling the business of art and entertainment. I practice "entrepreneurial entertainment law." On the artist's side, and as a fan of art, music and film, I approach legal and business problems in terms that artists can understand, leaving the artist with both a sustainable understanding of the issues and reusable resources or documents from which to draw in the future (without the need for help from an attorney). I excel at translating complex and important legal and business concepts into the artist's frame of thought. My goal is to act as an extension of my client - an extension with a different set of skills and education that allows the artist client to do what they do best ~ create.
In assisting non-artists with their legal or business issues, I pursue the same strategy - explain everything as clearly as possible and leave the client with the tools to handle as much as they are comfortable with, while making sure that I am present to address delicate or complicated issues.
Typical entertainment services include assisting clients with:
- Copyrights, Idea Protection and Submissions
- Trademarks, Licensing and Merchandising
- Film Development, Production, Finance and Distribution
- Television Development, Production and Distribution
- Product Sponsorships and Integration
- Music Publishing and Administration
- Talent Management and Agent Relationships
- Electronic and Emerging Media
- Business Plan Preparation, Business Consulting and general
business or specific industry strategy
- Incorporation and/or Formation of LLC's, LLP's, Inc.'s,
501(c)(3)'s or partnerships
- Venture Capital Term Sheet Negotiations
FILM
MUSIC
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FAQ's
How do I find financing for my film? Do you represent executive producers?
When do you get involved in the process? Can you help me with a problem I have with a business partner?
What are your rates and are you accepting new clients? Do you require a retainer?
Can you help me get my script into the hands of an actor who is perfect for the role?
Do you shop music to record labels?
How do I protect my ideas - either story ideas or product ideas?
Do you have templates of contracts so that I can get started on my projects?
Do you help clients anywhere?
Do you help all entertainment clients - film, music, TV, fine arts, internet, and new media?
How do I find financing for my film? Do you represent executive producers that I can put my project in front of?
How to raise financing is the most common question for independent filmmakers. Everyone knows that access to capital is a key step to making a film - there are very few successes like "Paranormal Activites" or "Blair Witch" out there to be made for $15,000, or even $250,000. So where do you find the money?
All producers know that there are numerous books for sale on different approaches to raising money for film projects. The list is exhaustive, and too lengthy for my to repeat here. But by far the favorite is finding high net worth individuals with a love for film, and convinceing them to invest in your project. It's the cleanest, and most romantic, way to finance your project. But with the recent changes in the economy, especially the real estate collapse, the number of domestic angel investors out there has been cut to 10% of what once was. This is slightly countered by the suffering exchange rate of the dollar - which makes US dollar investments relatively cheaper for foreigners. Still, the economic problems in foreign countries are also making potential investors afraid of putting their money into risky projects., no matter the discounts.
All that being said, there are still dedicated investors in the film community who are looking for quality projects. These are film-oriented investment funds, experienced independent executive producers, and production companies with studio contracts. I do represent a handful of executive producers, and have relationships with film funds, so yes, it is possible that quality film projects could earn their attention. However, I will never present a project that has not been adequately packaged - this includes tying down the story rights, appropriate producer agreements, preliminary budgets & locations, and at least one talent element attached. Often, you get one chance to convince an investor to come aboard - they will always say no if you're not prepared. Please feel free to contact my office if you need assistance with this preparation.
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It is MUCH much easier, more effective, and less expensive for the client if I can help avoid a problem from the beginning, rather than try to fix a problem after the fact. Often, when a problem has already arisen, the different sides become entrenched in their position, limiting the available solutions. Also, it takes up to 10 times as long to fix a problem, as it would have taken to prevent one. This translates directly into 1) more time getting to your goals and 2) a less effective or desireable outcome overall. If I could educate potential clients on one point, it would be this one. We're all cost conscious with our projects. But when a client comes to me with an existing problem, the options are already limited, and often, a client's attempts to save a little legal expense up front creates a situation costing far more than the early advice would have cost. Additionally, I like when I'm able to help a client, and dislike having to charge a client for little or no results. I can't guarantee a particular outcome during a problem, so my fees to try to fix a problem are the fees I appreciate the least.
Key steps about when to involve a lawyer:
Hiring a lawyer is one of the most important decisions you'll make in your business life. In the entertainment world, a good lawyer will not only help you avoid problems, but also potentially connect you with new opportunities. I view taking on a new client as an equally important decision. I tend to work fairly closely with my clients, so the quality of their projects is tantamount to my decision to assist them. Considerations for me:
Sure, some clients come and go if I can quickly help out, but more often than not, I am involved in everything from the early negotiations through the completion of the project. I was proud to discover that over the last 6 years, I have retained over 99.5% of my clients' business. I am always looking to assist new clients.
Generally, the required retainer to begin working on a client's project varies with the project. If I personally connect with the quality of, or the goals of, a project, I will sometimes defer my fees. However, deferring fees is actually more expensive to the client than if I were to bill on an hourly basis up front. This is because I will take a percentage of the project in lieu of an hourly fee. By taking a percentage, I am assuming some of the risk that the project will not be successful, but this also means a larger payoff when it IS successful.
Possibly, depending on the quality of the project. I have many relationships with agents and managers throughout Hollywood, so it's possible that I already have a connection to particular talent. Because of these relationships, I cannot simply forward any material to them that crosses my desk. I must necessarily act as a filter, only passing along material that is properly formatted, and professionally completed. Please feel free to send your professionally completed materials to my office for review. But please also be aware that by submitting your material to my office, I will hold that material in confidence, but not attorney-client relationship will exist until you and I agree to my representation. It is possible that I represent another client on a similar project, or even one of the other parties to a deal you're considering. So until I make an evaluation of the potential relationship, and until you and I have discussed my services, you should assume that no attorney-client relationship exists regarding any materials you submit to my office.
This is probably the single most common question I receive from musicians and music managers. The answer is... Sometimes.
Sometimes I like the music enough to send it to my connections at labels. But rarely.
Sometimes the client can afford to hire me at my hourly rate to shop the music. But rarely.
Sometimes I know music supervisors who are looking for that exact sound. But rarely.
Most of the time, it makes more sense for the client to shop the music on their own.
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.
Yes, I have templates of commonly requested contracts - please email me with your request. An online library will be made available shortly.
I am licensed to practice law in California, and my practice is centered in Hollywood, so most of my clients are filmmakers and musicians in California. However, I represent clients around the world because copyrights and trademarks - the two most important assets in the entertainment business - are federally regulated. This allows me to help clients in other states and other countries, all remotely via email or phone, from my offices in California. Billing, too, is handled over the internet, to allow for near-real time billing and work delivery. Additionally, because California has such an extensive judicial history of evaluating entertainment cases, California is the "go-to" jurisdiction when choosing a state's applicable laws for entertainment contracts. This means that if you're in Idaho, or Illinois, or Romania, you can choose to have California's laws apply to your contract when you're drafting your agreement. Please contact me for further information about this, or to see if I might be able to assist you in your entertainment matter.
I started my entertainment law practice with mostly music clients. Over time, my practice has transitioned to a largely film oriented practice. I try to concentrate on new clients that allow me to assist them start-to-finish on their film projects. However, I still have many clients in the music industry, as well as many TV, fine arts, new media, internet, and other entertainment and business clients. Because of my hands-on approach with my clients, I must be able to assist various types of entertainment clients at various points in their business cycles and professional development.
I initially went to law school to study international law. I was passionate about politics and international relations. Upon reaching Washington DC, however, I discovered that international law wasn't what I was expecting. I wanted to assist clients and have an immediate impact, not spend the better part of my lifetime working to achieve distant goals. I also needed to work on projects about which I would be as passionate as I was with international politics. Art - specifically movies and music - was the only other thing that resonated with me so profoundly. Perhaps I am an aspiring artist trapped in an attorney's robes. Regardless, I get a lot of satisfaction and personal pride from the fact that I am assisting my artist clients to create successful careers from their art.
The hiring of an entertainment 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.
CONTACT ME DIRECTLY
info_chrisnunes.com
323.337.9070
CHRIS NUNES, ESQ.
FILM + MUSIC + ART + LAW
LOCATION: On the Sunset Strip
8335 Sunset Blvd, 3rd Floor
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(cross street: Sweetzer)
map me!
PHONE: 323.337.9070
EMAIL: website_chrisnunes.com
