Robb J. Klein is a partner and the Practice Group Leader of the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in the firm’s Century City office. Mr. Klein specializes in all aspects of entertainment and media law, particularly film and television financing, production and distribution, merchandising and the licensing of rights and digital media.
Mr. Klein has worked on the financing and production of numerous feature films, from small independent movies to studio blockbusters. He has also worked on numerous deals utilizing tax incentives around the world, and specializes in structuring international co-productions. His work for financiers includes acting for banks, institutional investors, entrepreneurs, tax funds and hedge funds, often involving secured lending and complex multi-party financing arrangements.
Mr. Klein also represents studios, independent production companies and individual producers and rights owners and advises on chain of title and copyright issues, joint development agreements, co-financing agreements, output agreements, first-look agreements, re-make deals, rights acquisition agreements and options, negative pick-up agreements and related financing documents, format rights and television licensing agreements, sales agency and distribution agreements. He has also acted as production counsel on many films.
With regard to digital business, Mr. Klein advises companies on their online commercial arrangements, from terms and conditions to commercial supply and advertising agreements, and on digital content production and licensing. He has represented both content owners and creators and digital platform operators. He also advises computer games developers in their dealings with publishers and on other types of software licensing.
Mr. Klein has worked on the commercial side of many significant corporate deals in the media sector including IPOs and acquisitions of companies in the film, television, music, computer games, mobile and video on demand sectors. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Klein was a partner of a leading European law firm, based in their London office; and is a qualified solicitor, licensed to practice in England and Wales.
Education:
- LL.B (Hons), Manchester University
- Chester College of Law (Law Society Final Examinations), with honors
Admissions:
- England and Wales
- California
Representative Experience:
- Represented Free State Pictures in connection with their investments in several pictures, including “A Walk Among the Tombstones” starring Liam Neeson, “Black Mass” starring Johnny Depp and the Working Title mountaineering drama “Everest”, starring Elizabeth Debicki, Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley
- Represented Miramax Films and Broad Green Pictures on the financing of “Bad Santa 2” in the sequel to the successful holiday comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton and Kathy Bates.
- Represented Kaushi Entertainment on the financing and production of “Machine Gun Preacher,” a $30 million independently financed motion picture
- Represented Sonar Entertainment in connection with the development, financing and distribution of several television series including “Taboo”, “White Rhino”, “11th Commandment” and “Biblical”
- Advised a European telecoms operator on their content deals for cell phones, a music mobile download service and a “life caching” product
- Advised on the acquisition by Universal Music by BMG Music Publishing for €1.6 Billion in particular on the complex due diligence exercise and the EU merger clearance
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