News

Richard Rosen has practiced law in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for almost thirty (30) years-- initially at O’Melveny & Myers, then at Pollock, Bloom and Dekom, and for the last twenty plus (24+) in his own firm. For much of that period he handled varied legal matters for high-profile clients in the motion picture-television industry including actors and performers such as Arnold Schwartznegger, Sylvester Stallone, Sherman Hemsley (“George Jefferson”), Gary Busey, Adrienne Barbeau, Rebecca DeMornay, Scott Baio, Leif Garrett, Max Baer, Jr. (“Jethro” on “The Beverly Hillbillies”), Flip Wilson and Jeff Maxwell (“Private Igor” on M.A.S.H.); producers and directors such as Alexander and Ilya Salkind (producers of the “Superman” movies starring Christopher Reeves), Frank Marshall, Peter Bogdonovich, Steven Stern, Walter Hill, Ken Russell, Joel Michaels, Garth Drabinsky, Robert Lawrence, Andrew Davis, Stephen Deutsch, Barnet Bain, Jim and Ken Wheat, William Tannen; plus countless artists (Martha Alf), special effects wizards (Robert Short, who won the Adcademy Aware for “Beetlejuice”), award-winning photographers (Norman Seeff), writers (Frank Coffey, Larry Ferguson, Jim Kouf), editors, singers, songwriters (Larry Hart), talent agencies, production/distribution companies, management companies, distributors, and foreign sales companies. He has attended film and television festivals and markets throughout the world, including Cannes, MIP-Com, Venice, Montreal, Havana and many local festivals.

As a litigator, he has been successful in a number of jury trials, winning a multi-million dollar verdict for Max Baer Jr. against ABC; winning two (2) trials on behalf of singer-songwriter Angela Winbush; obtaining a jury verdict against a prominent producer and former studio head; settling mid-trial for a high six-figure amount against Hemdale Releasing Corp. (known best for “Platoon”); settling a case against Disney on the eve of trial for almost three-quarters of a million dollars; and defending the producers of Valley Girl against a suit by Frank Zappa claiming he owned the name Valley Girl. The issues involved in these cases and others included copyright, trademark, contract and accounting claims, business and personal torts, dissolution of partnership, Lanham Act, and rights of publicity. He also handled numerous petitions for ratification of minor contracts, and petitions for legal emancipation by minors. In addition, he has arbitrated disputes under various entertainment industry collective bargaining agreements including DGA, WGA, SAG, AFTRA and SAG-ATA, as well as under AFMA (American Film Market Association) Agreements. In these cases, he represented parties on both sides of the disputes-performer and production company; movie buyer and seller; performer and agent; new agents and old agents.

In his non-litigation practice, he has substantial experience negotiating agreements in most every aspect of the entertainment industry. He has done motion picture and television deals (both live action and animation) involving performers, writers, directors and producers; book publishing deals; music publishing deals; sound track deals, live theater and musical theater productions. He has been the production attorney on a number of independent films, and represented the entire creative team responsible for 52 episodes of the animated series Pocket Dragon Adventures. He has also negotiated agreements with Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, RKO, Showtime, HBO, ABC Television, and countless independent production companies.

Rosen was the attorney for Sisterella, an original concept album which became a full musical theater production at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1996, attracting the attention and involvement of Michael Jackson, Robert De Niro, Michael Eisner (Disney) and Harvey Weinstein (Miramax) in the United States; Marcel Avram of MAMA Concerts in Germany/Austria; and Kevin Jacobson in Australia. He was personally responsible for setting up both the European tour that ran for 4 months in 1997 and the Melbourne, Australia production in 1998.

His experience with Sisterella came to the attention of playwrights and actors Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna, who asked me to produce their play Bermuda Avenue Triangle off-Broadway. They had a successful six (6) month run at the Promenade Theater in New York City in 1997. As producer, he was involved in all aspects of the business of the play, including marketing, promotion, publicity, etc., not to mention raising the entire production capital.

Upon his return from New York, he was asked to co-produce the independent motion picture Starry Night being produced by a client of his, Paul Davids. The Picture was shown at the Montreal Film Festival, and won an award for fans’ favorite film at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It is presently being distributed worldwide by Universal Pictures.

He also produced a series of “how-to” dance videos featuring the professional hip- hop dance group The Groovaloos. Inspired Video has obtained the worldwide distribution rights to the series.