Services – Law Office of Darrell J. Greenwald, Esq.

Focused Legal Support for Creative Professionals

I provide transactional legal services to talented creative professionals including actors, writers, directors, musicians, athletes, comedians, authors, influencers, podcasters, media personalities, public figures and other creative entrepreneurs. My practice is built to help you negotiate, structure, and secure the deals that define your career—before disputes arise.

I do not litigate, and I’m not an agent. I don’t book gigs or file lawsuits. What I do is offer focused, accessible, and deal-driven legal services designed to support your career and safeguard your work. I negotiate, draft, and review clear, enforceable agreements, protect your intellectual property and rights of publicity and privacy, and help you make smart legal and business decisions rooted in experience and strategy. I help my clients select, form, and operated their business through the appropriate legal entity. From business formations, to written agreements, to intellectual property protection, my services are tailored to the unique challenges my clients face across entertainment, media, and digital platforms.

My Practice Areas

A detailed view of what I offer. I’ve grouped my services to make it easier for you to find what fits your needs. Whether you’re negotiating your first deal or reviewing a complex rights agreement—I’m here to help.

CONTRACTS, LICENSES, AND AGREEMENTS

Negotiate • Draft • Review
Contracts are the foundation of your professional life. They define your rights, obligations and determine the revenue you are entitled to and owe to others. I negotiate, draft, and review the full spectrum of entertainment, media, and intellectual property agreements with a sharp eye for the details that protect your rights and maximize your revenue. I handle contracts that shape your career—from talent agreements and appearance releases to confidentiality agreements (NDAs), sponsorship deals, and brand partnerships. I don’t just read the fine print—I make sure you understand it. Whether you’re about to sign or still in the negotiation phase, I ensure your contracts are clear, fair, and built to protect your interests.

Common Contracts I Handle:

Deal memo & contract review
Negotiation strategy and markup
All film and TV contracts
Talent, performance & work-for-hire agreements
Recording, publishing & licensing contracts
Sponsorship, influencer & endorsement deals
Collaboration and split agreements
Representation contracts (agents, managers, publicists)
Guest appearances & contributor agreements
Ghostwriting or work-for-hire agreements

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (COPYRIGHTS & TRADEMARKS)

Register • License • Defend
Your creative output is your intellectual property (IP)—and it’s one of your most valuable assets. Your ideas, performances, and content deserve legal recognition and protection. I help you protect it, license it, and enforce it through strategic filings and contract clauses. I help clients register copyrights and trademarks, evaluate licensing opportunities, and navigate takedown or infringement issues. Whether you’re a filmmaker, musician, comedian, or podcaster—owning your IP is the first step toward owning your career.

I do not handle patents, which require a specialized patent attorney usually with an engineering background, licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But if you’ve invented a device or technology, I can refer you to a trusted IP specialist.

Intellectual Property Services Include:

Copyright registration (music, film, writing, digital content)
Trademark search, clearance & registration
Name/image/likeness licensing
Rights clearance and licensing guidance
Rights enforcement guidance
DMCA takedowns and infringement responses
Collaboration and joint authorship advice
Contractual IP ownership review
IP audits and protection plans

BUSINESS FORMATION & OPERATIONS

Corporations • LLCs • S-Corps
Whether you're a solo creator or a multi-member production team, forming the right business entity protects your assets, legitimizes your operation, and opens the door to long-term growth. I help clients select, form, and operate their businesses through the appropriate legal structure/entity, whether it’s a corporation, limited liability companies (LLC), or an S-Corps). From choosing the right business structure to drafting solid internal agreements, I ensure your business is legally sound from day one.

Business Legal Support Includes:

Entity formation and registration
Security a Tax Identification Number (TIN/EIN) for your business
Custom operating agreements and equity splits
Contract templates for recurring collaborators
Service contracts & liability protection
Guidance on taxes, legal compliance & growth

Monetization

Deals • Sponsorships • Platforms
Making money from your talent is more complex than ever. Whether it’s ad revenue, streaming revenue, royalties, brand partnerships, collaborations, or platform payments, I help you turn your creative work into a sustainable income stream—without signing away the rights that matter most. I review contracts, identify red flags, and make sure your income channels don’t come with traps.

Monetization Services Cover:

Brand sponsorship & influencer deals
Revenue share and profit participation agreements
Platform monetization strategy and compliance (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
Subscription and membership platform terms (Patreon, OnlyFans, Substack)
Merch, ads & membership monetization
Affiliate & partnership agreements

Rights & Reputation

Image • Name • Platform Deals
Your name, voice, image, and likeness are your personal brand and a valuable asset. I help protect your identity and reputation when signing deals, appearing on platforms, or being featured in media. I help protect your brand, control how your content is used, and safeguard your reputation from misuses and overreach. If you’ve been offered a deal—or find yourself going viral—I’ll help you navigate it wisely.

Rights Support Includes:

Name/image/likeness protection
Talent and guest appearance & content agreements
Media platform agreements and terms of service analysis
Crisis legal response planning
Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
Take-down requests and DMCA compliance
Misuse or unauthorized re-edit prevention

Legal Strategy

Long-Term Planning • Content Licensing • Ownership
Beyond the documents, I offer ongoing counsel that helps you make informed decisions about your deals, your collaborators, and your long-term vision. From building a podcast empire to licensing your music or book rights—I offer strategic legal support that grows with your career. Let’s put long-term protection in place so your future deals are clean, clear, and in your favor.

Strategic Guidance Includes:

Project-based legal consultation
Rights retention & content control
Serving as your legal “gatekeeper” helping you evaluate, hire or replace team members
Creator career planning and deal review
Risk assessment for public-facing statements, brand expansions, and press
Deal review and consultation for viral or unexpected media exposure

CLIENT SPECIFIC LEGAL SERVICES

FILM & TELEVISION TALENT

Whether you’re an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, composers, music supervisors, voice actor, or stunt performer, film and television talent work in an ecosystem full of fast-moving deals and long-tail rights issues. I help you paper every stage of your involvement—from pitch to screen to syndication.

Common Agreements:

Option & purchase agreements (scripts, books)
Writer agreements & collaboration contracts
Director and producer deals
Talent performance agreements
Work-for-hire and rights assignment agreements
Development and pitch deck NDAs
Residual and backend participation clauses
Distribution agreements (indie/streaming)
Rights reversion clauses and turnaround protections

MUSICAL TALENT

Whether you’re a recording artist (solo artist, band, rapper), songwriter, composer, music producer, session musician, performing artist, DJ or electronic artist, I’ve got your six. From recording and songwriting to licensing and live shows, I help musicians protect their sound, secure their credit, and monetize their work—without giving up the rights that matter.

Common Agreements:

Recording and label agreements
Publishing and co-writing contracts
Split sheets and producer agreements
Licensing (sync, mechanical, streaming)
Live performance and touring contracts
Management and representation agreements
Merchandising and branding deals
Band agreements
Distribution and aggregator terms
Copyright registration and transfer agreements
Collaboration and feature artist contracts

ATHLETES & SPORTS ENTERTAINERS

All modern athletes—professional athletes, a semi-pro athletes, an extreme sports performers, combat athletes, esports competitors, NIL college athletes, retired athletes—are more than competitors, they're brands. I help protect your image, secure your deals, and manage your media and endorsement rights.

Common Agreements:

Sponsorship and brand endorsement contracts
NIL licensing deals (college athletes)
Podcast and media appearance agreements
Merchandising and co-branded product deals
Trainer and nutritionist agreements
Public speaking and cameo contracts
Social media monetization terms
Agency and representation agreements
Rights licensing for documentaries or books
Waivers and image releases for filming or livestreams
Film, television, radio, podcast appearance agreements

INFLUENCERS, CONTENT CREATORS & DIGITAL TALENT

Whether you're building a YouTube empire, launching a podcast, or growing an Instagram or TikTok audience, I help you structure your business, secure your content, and monetize professionally and effectively.

Common Agreements:

Brand sponsorship and influencer contracts
Collaboration and guest appearance releases
Platform monetization agreements (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, etc.)
Podcast co-host and production agreements
FTC compliance and disclosure terms
Merchandising and print-on-demand contracts
Subscriber-based service terms (Patreon, Substack, etc.)
Content licensing and syndication deals
Business entity selection, formation and organization
Digital rights and licensing agreements

COMEDIANS & LIVE PERFORMERS

From comedy specials to merch sales to joke theft, comedians face unique legal challenges. I help performers paper their shows, secure their IP, and control their brand on and off stage.

Common Agreements:

Touring and venue contracts
Recording and distribution deals (specials, albums)
Manager and rep agreements
Podcast and co-host agreements
Ghostwriting or joke collaboration contracts
Merchandising and print rights
IP protection for stage persona or recurring material
Booking and event appearance releases
Platform terms for monetized content
Confidentiality agreements (NDAs)

MEDIA PERSONALITIES & PUBLIC FIGURES

Whether you’re a host, news anchor, commentator, contributor, analyst, correspondent, unexpected viral breakout, or an ordinary person unexpected cast into the public spotlight, I help you manage your brand, control your appearances, and protect your name, voice, image, and likeness, across every medium.

Common Agreements:

Contributor and appearance agreements (TV, podcasts, panels)
Speaking engagement contracts
Guest release and image licensing
Book publishing and ghostwriting deals
Representation agreements with media brokers
Podcast host and MC contracts
Endorsement and brand licensing agreements
Confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses
Cross-platform distribution rights
Viral or public incident media strategy support

Tom Ancona

RockYourCompany.com

Founder

Darrell has been our go to guy for all of our corporate contract and employee compliance needs. His knowledge in contracts, IP in California law is unprecedented. We continue to rely on his response and expertise to keep us safe from a legal standpoint.

successfull Deals

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