Specialising in media, entertainment, IP and IT, boutique firm Crossen & Borowsky showcases strong cross-border capabilities, assisting clients on the full gamut of entertainment transactions, from project development and financing to international distribution, in addition to litigation and pre-litigation. Illustrious clients include Apple USA and MGM International Television Productions, among others. The team is jointly led by industry veterans Raechel Crossen and Sophie Borowsky, who are 'experienced and provide practical advice'. Recent work highlights include advising production company A24 on two high-profile television projects, as well as assisting Apple TV with compliance issues in the French market.
Media and entertainment: Television/radio in France
Crossen & Borowsky
Practice head(s):
Raechel Crossen; Sophie Borowsky
Testimonials
‘Broad film and television expertise. The team are incredibly responsive, clear and a pleasure to deal with.’
‘Raechel Crossen and Sophie Borowsky are my go-to French counsel for film and TV work. Both are very experienced and provide practical advice.’
‘Sophie Borowsky has an excellent grasp on finance matters and always provides a first-class service to clients.’
Key clients
Apple USA
MGM International Television Productions
A24
Shaftesbury Development Inc.
Annapurna Interactive
Asacha Media Group
Humanoids Inc.
Nordin Agency
AMC Studios
Universal Studio Group
Quantic Dream
PWC
Legendary Entertainment
Bank of Montreal
Satisfaction The Television Agency
Morgane Productions
CPB
Work highlights
- Advised A24, a U.S. based production company, in relation to two international productions shot in France in English and French.
- Advised Apple TV+’s as to its music legal and licensing guidelines and policies in relation to local French productions.
- Aided Quantic Dream, French leading actor in the videogames industry, as to the production of a videogame which is an adaptation of the famous film “Star Wars”.
De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés
De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés offers a wide range of expertise across the media and entertainment arena. Areas of focus include broadcasting rights and regulations, project financing, sector-specific tax incentives, studio restructurings and litigation. Catering to globally-recognised clients such as HBO and DreamWorks Animation, the firm has a balanced advisory and litigation practice, with notable cross-border capabilities. Louis de Gaulle and IP specialist Julien Horn lead the team alongside Charles-Edouard Renault, who is one of the few French arbiters for the International Film & Television Association and is highly-regarded for his work in entertainment litigation, and Philippe Moncorps, who specialises in audiovisual transformations.
Practice head(s):
Louis de Gaulle; Julien Horn; Charles-Edouard Renault; Philippe Moncorps
Key clients
GOOD HERO
247 Films
ASO-Amaury Sport organization
DreamWorks Animation
HBO
JP MORGAN CHASE
Microsoft
NBCUniversal
No Money Production
Paramount
TF1
Twentieth Century Fox
UEFA
Warner Bros. Discovery
ITV USA
Pechenard & Associés
Housing a specialist team, Pechenard & Associés is well-equipped to take on complex and high-stakes cases. With notable experience in defamation, privacy law, press law and litigation, the practice maintains an impressive track record of court victories and represents some of the leading players in the television and radio sector, such as France Télévisions, AFP and TV5. Media law specialist Eric Andrieu stands at the helm and is supported by Caroline Mas.
Practice head(s):
Eric Andrieu
Other key lawyers:
Caroline Mas
Testimonials
‘A very responsive and attentive team.’
‘Eric Andrieu and Caroline Mas form a complementary duo.’
Key clients
France Télévisions
Agence France-Presse (AFP)
TV5 Monde
Work highlights
- Assisted France Télévisions on a case initiated by several protagonists involved in the famous French criminal Villemin.
- Advised France Télévisions on a case initiated by a town councilor who claims that the comments made on a France Télévisions program were an attack on her reputation.
- Assisted France Télévisions on a case initiated by a producer of bananas in Guadeloupe for public defamation and discriminatory defamation.
Taylor Wessing
A dominant force in the entertainment sphere, Taylor Wessing handles the full range of media services, from IP assets to the financing and development of creative projects. With a large international network at its disposal, the firm is well-positioned to advise both national and international clients, including producers, distributors, institutional and financial organisations, in addition to directors and artists. The group is led by a quartet of specialists; Christian Valsamidis commands in-depth expertise of IP and banking matters in the entertainment industry, whilst Benoît Goulesque-Monaux focuses on media disputes. Other key contacts in the group include Claire Saint-Laurent and Marc Schuler.
Practice head(s):
Christian Valsamidis; Claire Saint-Laurent; Benoit Goulesque-Monaux; Marc Schuler
Key clients
Chapter 2
Chanel
L’Oréal Mugler
Animaj SAS
Studios D-Mondes (Group D 2j In Reunion Island)
Curiosa
Autopilot / Film Invaders
Mandarin Television
Films Sous Influence / Yvan Attal
Fargo
Fortiche Production / Animation Series “Arcane»
Mely Production / Mélanie Laurent
Sophie Barthes – Aden Film
Europacorp
N9NE Studio
Recifilm
Comcast
Banijay France
Buzzman
Amazon
Cloudflare
Work highlights
- Assisted on the co-production between Fargo, Pathé and Chapter 2 and management of the contracts between these companies, the scriptwriters.
Wilhelm & Associés
Wilhelm & Associés takes an interdisciplinary approach to advise an impressive roster of clients that includes Groupe Canal+, Banijay, Groupe Telfrance, Diversité TV (Numéro 23), Betclic and Radio France. With strong capabilities in rights acquisition, disputes, advertising and compliancy issues, the firm is also developing innovative approaches to the online gaming market. Pascal Wilhelm leads the team and enjoys a strong reputation in the media and entertainment arena, while Emilie Dumur specialises in disputes and IP mandates.
Practice head(s):
Pascal Wilhelm
Other key lawyers:
Emilie Dumur
Testimonials
‘Responsiveness, rigour of reasoning and practical sense of consultations and recommendations. The practical orientation of Wilhelm’s interventions makes it a trusted partner.’
‘Pascal Wilhelm’s opinion is valuable. Pascal has real legal and economic knowledge of the market and this industry.’
‘Emilie Dumur is a valuable ally.’
Key clients
Vivendi
Groupe Canal +
Amadeus
Betclic
B Smart TV
Unique Heritage Presse
Work highlights
- Advised Vivendi on its acquisition of Lagardère before the European Commission.
- Advised Groupe Canal+ on its action against the TF1 Group for anti-competitive and competition restrictive practices.
- Assisted Unique Heritage Presse, regarding Reworld Media Magazines’ action, arguing they have committed acts of unfair competition by poaching employees.
Deprez Guignot Associés
With considerable experience in litigation, Deprez Guignot Associés is noted for its expertise in the television sector, and acts as a trusted adviser to French TV channel MG, where the team oversees all matters, from daily due diligence to strategic mergers. The group also provides counsel to a number of communication agencies and major radio stations. Based in Paris, Pierre Deprez jointly leads the team alongside Frédéric Dumont, who advises both French and international clients in the media sector. Aurelie Bregou is another name of note.
Practice head(s):
Pierre Deprez; Frédéric Dumont
Other key lawyers:
Aurelie Bregou
Key clients
M6
Deezer
Moment
Memento
Winamax
Work highlights
- Advised the Groupe M6 on the strategic merger project between TF1 and M6.
- Assisted M6 before the French national competition authority and other courts.
- Advised the production company Memento, which produced the documentary “Air Cocaine”.
Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I.
Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. represents leading corporations, agencies and artists in the media sector. The team is developing innovative approaches to French and EU regulations, as well as advising clients on contractual practices. Copyright is another key area of expertise. The practice is led by Julien Guinot-Deléry, who focuses on both contentious and non-contentious matters across the whole spectrum of media law. Guinot-Deléry is supported by Camille Truchot, who leverages her sector expertise working in the online media, advertising and video games industries.
Practice head(s):
Julien Guinot-Deléry
Other key lawyers:
Camille Truchot
Key clients
Brut
FIFA
Quantcast
TF1
TotalEnergies
Reworld Media
Agence France-Presse
La Comédie-Française
Dior
Drouot
French Ministry of Culture and Communication
Fundamental Films
Groupe 1981
L’Oréal
Mediawan
Newen
OCS
Orange
Paris 2024
Pernod Ricard
Work highlights
- Advising Orange in the acquisition of Orange’s audiovisual and content division (OCS and Orange Studio) by Groupe Canal+.
- Representing OCS (previously known as Orange Cinema Series), a major French television network dedicated to movies and series, in a litigation against Sony Pictures Entertainment before the Paris Commercial Court.
- Representing Agence France-Presse (AFP), one the three leading press agencies in the world, in major media law litigation against Twitter before the Paris Civil Court.
Herald Avocats
Herald Avocats
is noted for its depth of expertise in the television sector and advises major clients such as the national broadcaster, France Télévisions. Juliette Félix co-leads the team, bringing multidisciplinary expertise in media and IP to advise and litigate on high-profile mandates. Practice co-leader is Jean Castelain focuses on litigation on behalf of TV groups, libel actions, contractual matters and broadcasting suspension proceedings.
Practice head(s):
Juliette Félix; Jean Castelain
Testimonials
‘Well-established in the radio and television sector.’
‘Juliette Félix is an excellent practitioner, who perfectly masters the niche technique of press and media law. She is a good litigator who is respected by the magistrates.’
‘Strong expertise in the audiovisual field and intellectual property. A coherent team.’
Key clients
France Télévisions
Work highlights
- Assistance from France Télévisions and two journalists following the defamation complaint by Bolloré subsidiary in Cameroon, Socapalm.
Simon Associés
Simon Associés is noted for its expertise in the TV and radio industries, in addition to its high-profile work for leading clients such as Mediawan and Netflix. The team is also well-equipped to advise on cross-border advisory matters and litigation. The practice is led by Julien Grosslerner, who maintains a strong reputation in both the French and US entertainment industries, while Tifany Carlos is the trusted adviser of the Paramount Group.
Practice head(s):
Julien Grosslerner
Other key lawyers:
Tifany Carlos
Key clients
Mediawan
Warner Bros Discovery
NBCUniversal
Paramount
Bellator
Newen
Netflix
Vice Media Group
ICB Records
Fresh LaPeufra
Mesdames Productions
Wagram Music
Robin & Co
The Oligarchs
TimpelPictures
The Oligarchs
Work highlights
- Handled all legal issues and contracts attached to the show Nouvelle Ecole jury hiring, competition rules, contestant contracts, beatmaker contracts and all (pre)litigation matters.
- Advised Paramount on a streaming platform launch in France and production of French original series, acquisition of studio films and series, adaptation of the service to French legislation.
Taliens
Experts on the interplay between IP and media law, Taliens advises clients on project development, regulatory compliance, disputes and sensitive issues. The firm is particularly renowned for offering a bridge between Anglophone clients and the French market. The team is led by Clara Steinitz, whose practice is supported by Jean-Frédéric Gaultier, recognised for his skill in handling sensitive media issues.
Practice head(s):
Clara Steinitz
Other key lawyers:
Jean-Frederic Gaultier; Emilie Gras
Testimonials
‘Clear, fast turnaround advice with an excellent quality of English.’
‘Clara Steinitz is an excellent lawyer, who provides pragmatic advice that demonstrates a deep understanding of the French entertainment industry.’
Key clients
Amazon
Associated Newspapers
BBC
Froggie Productions
Looks Filmproduktionen
News Corp
Paramount Global
The Guardian
TimeOut
TripAdvisor
Work highlights
- Advising Paramount Global and the production companies on commercial agreements with luxury and designer fashion brands relating to the acclaimed Netflix series Emily in Paris.
Vercken & Gaullier
Vercken & Gaullier represents many of France’s popular TV channels and radio stations. With over 30 years of industry experience, the firm caters to major players in the international market, including streaming platforms and distribution companies, and offers comprehensive guidance on contracts, collective management, litigation and lobbying actions. The group is collectively led by Florence Gaullier, Edouard Mille and Gilles Vercken.
Practice head(s):
Florence Gaullier; Edouard Mille; Gilles Vercken
Key clients
Arte
Bouygues Telecom
Cision
Eurosport
France Médias Monde
Groupe Bayard
Kantar
Mediawan
Onclusive
Program33
TF1
WAN Avocats
A specialist media team, with considerable expertise in the field of copyright, WAN Avocats is jointly led by Isabelle Wekstein-Steg, who regularly represents TV broadcasters and audio-visual groups, alongside Raphaël Naccach. Amélie Gouazé is another key contact in the group.
Practice head(s):
Isabelle Wekstein; Raphael Naccach
Testimonials
‘Professional and respond quickly. They are efficient and knowledgeable.’
‘Honest and easy to work with.’