Media and entertainment: Cinema in France

The ‘proactive, very responsive and knowledgeable’ team at De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés handles traditional work for major industry players, but also assists VOD and SVOD providers with their legal matters. Charles Edouard-Renault is an arbitrator for the International Film and Television Association and WIPA for alternative dispute resolution in film and media. Julien Horn has a particular strength in intellectual property litigation. Philippe Moncorps is an expert in audiovisual transformations such as content production and protection. With expertise in intellectual property and commercial law, Louis De Gaulle  is another key name.

Taylor Wessing‘s cross-disciplinary media practice enjoys a very good reputation for advising French and international feature and television films on the production and financing of audiovisual content. Handling contract negotiations for production companies, the firm also negotiates loan-out agreements and escrow agreements for high-profile actors. The firm also advises start-ups, for example the first online SVoD cinema platform whom it assisted with the legal aspects of its launch. Claire Saint-Laurent-Mantoux has particular expertise in copyright law. On the contentious side, Benoît Goulesque-Monaux handles disputes for clients in the audiovisual space. With extensive experience in international film financing, Christian Valsamidis is considered a specialist in international co-production and distribution.

Seattle Avocats' practice is led by François Ronget, who has a deep insight into the cinema industry due to his in-house experience in a production company, in particular in film financing. The team frequently assists authors with audiovisual adaptation contracts, namely advising Amadou Mariko and Isabelle Sarfati in this respect, but also demonstrates strength in contentious matters.