LEE ADHEMAR G. FELDSHON
FOUNDER
Lee Adhemar G. Feldshon has practiced entertainment and corporate law since 1995, and is the founder of Feldshon Law PLLC. In addition to having represented a Tony-award winning actor in connection with the Tony-award winning Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as well as the New York Musical Theatre Festival since its 2004 founding, Lee represents producers, composers, bookwriters, lyricists, designers, directors, and other clients in the live theatrical industry. Other theatre projects include Stranger Sings! The Musical Parody, Islander-A New Musical, Tribes, Mozart-The New Musical, Dangerous-A New Musical, Who's Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started the Iraq War, Desperate Measures (2018 Drama Desk Awards for Original Music and Original Lyrics), Money Talks, Liberty: The Musical, Rooms, and others. He associate produced History of the Word. He is also co-producing Austen's Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice.
Lee has worked as production counsel of films, negotiated screenplay option and purchase agreements for and with various motion picture and television producers, and drafted and reviewed contracts and developed financing structures. Motion picture projects include Good Girls Gone, Fly Away (SXSW Official Selection; Arizona International Film Festival Best Feature Award and Special Jury Award for Best Performance), A Tale of the Wind (Jolene Blalock), Killing Zelda Sparks, Gork!, the short Goodbye New York (starring Geoffrey Arend); and feature documentaries such as Darkon: An American Fantasy (2006 SXSW "Audience Award") and Tying the Knot (premiere - TriBeCa Film Festival). He has assisted clients with television pilot option and purchase agreements, co-production agreements, and pitch materials for television projects, including representing producers and writers in negotiations with Fox and other producers for scripted and unscripted television projects. He has represented personal managers and theatrical booking agents, preparing and negotiating personal manager, booking, and venue agreements. He executive produced Fly Away and associate produced Darkon: An American Fantasy, Jonna's Body, Please Hold (Edmonton International Film Festival Official Selection), and Goodbye New York.
Lee has done legal work for music clients ranging from film and television composers to bands and other recording artists such as Ric Ocasek (of "The Cars"), Reveille, Splender, and ism. He also represents the record label STM Records and the music publisher Shiny New Toy Music, as well as songwriters, and did work for new media clients DVDTV.com (internet music and theatrical content), and eBroadwayPlays (a web-based financing company). In addition, he has handled trademark and copyright registrations for clients, and represents talent management companies.
Prior to launching his private practice with Feldshon Law PLLC, Lee was partners with David F. Schwartz at Feldshon & Schwartz, LLP for 10 years. Lee has served as Director of Legal Affairs and Business Development of the Radio City Entertainment division of Madison Square Garden, L.P. (Cablevision), where he negotiated contracts for a variety of high-profile productions and Rockettes performances, including The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the developmental workshop of The Radio City Carnivale Spectacular, and A Christmas Carol (at the Theater at Madison Square Garden). As an associate at the entertainment law firm of Levine Plotkin & Menin, he worked on agreements for Rent (Broadway and touring), The Wild Party (Broadway), De La Guarda (off-Broadway), Over the River and Through the Woods (Off Broadway), and other shows. Prior to his entertainment law career, he worked as a corporate associate at White & Case and Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen.
Lee's producing credits include: Caligula: An Ancient Glam Epic (musical, executive producer); History of the Word (musical, associate producer); Darkon: An American Fantasy (feature documentary, associate producer); and Goodbye New York (film short, associate producer).
Lee received a B.A. from Columbia College in 1991 (magna cum laude, Rhodes Scholar State Finalist) and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1994 (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Columbia Human Rights Law Review).
Bar Admissions: New York.
FELDSHON
LAW
PLLC
specializing in theatre, film/TV, music, and other entertainment-related areas
PRACTICE
AREAS
THEATRE
We represent writers, producers, and other creatives in the live theatrical industry (Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, Tours), and provide customary production counsel services for live theatrical productions. Our services include forming production entities, strategizing and preparing corporate and financing structures (including Regulation D private placement offerings, investor agreements, and federal and state securities filings), and preparing and/or negotiating agreements and other documents, such as: option, license, underlying rights, commission, collaboration, dramaturg, early money (front money), front-front money, equity finance, loan, fiscal sponsor, co-production (joint venture), co-producer, associate producer, executive producer, director, general manager, venue license, actor, designer, arranger / orchestrator / music preparer, musician, production manager, stage manager, crew / stagehand / wardrobe, costume build / rental, press agent, marketing, sponsorship, merchandising, music licensing, and cast album. We form a variety of legal entities for our clients, and counsel clients on how to best develop and exploit their properties.
COPYRIGHT, TRADEMARK AND MISCELLANEOUS
We register copyrights, trademarks, and service marks for our clients. We have prepared model agreements and negotiated agreements for and against talent management companies. We have also prepared and negotiated employment agreements, modeling and other loan-out agreements, and settlement and release agreements for clients.
FILM/TV/NEW MEDIA
We represent producers, writers, talent, and other creatives in the film, television, and new media industries, including working as production counsel on full-length feature, short subject, and documentary films. We form production companies, and prepare, review, and/or negotiate the following agreements and other documents: screenplay option and purchase, screenwriter, commission, life story, equity finance, loan, fiscal sponsor, co-production (joint venture), producer, executive producer, line producer, unit producer, talent and director attachment letter, director, casting director, actor, department head, post-production supervisor, editor, composer, domestic and foreign sales agency, SAG & IATSE Signatory, music license, video clip / photo / artwork license, crew deal memos, location, release, and other production package documents. We have assisted clients with television pilot option/purchase agreements, co-production agreements, and pitch materials. We have also worked for new media clients on licensing, content, and various other agreements.
MUSIC
We assist clients with cast album, publishing, song plugger, and other related agreements. We help clients register with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. We also register copyrights in musical compositions and recordings.
NEWS
AND
EVENTS
Speaker, Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU) Producing Boot Camp
January 23, 2022 - Lee will be speaking at the TRU Producing Boot Camp on the topic "Commercial and Not-for-Profit Asks: Defining the Differences." He will define terms, then focus on: the not-for-profit side: the legal paperwork and structure that is necessary in order to ask for donations; the responsibilities to donors; and the ways in which not-for-profits and commercial companies can work together.
Panelist, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) Producing Class
January 24, 2018 - Lee will speak on a panel for a Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU) producing class about what entertainment attorneys do, and will field questions from the attendees.
TheatreSavvy Seminar:
Legal Overview of Raising Money for Live Theatrical Productions
April 11, 2018 - Lee will give a seminar for 16 attendees on how to legally raise money fo theatrical productions.
Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU) Producer Boot Camp Weekend Intensive for Showcase Producing
April 28-29, 2018 - Lee will give a presentation on raising money for showcase and other live theatrical productions on April 28th. Visit truonline.org for ticketing and more information.
63rd Annual Drama Desk Awards
June 3, 2018 - I am thrilled to announce that my clients, Peter Kellogg (book, lyrics) and David Friedman (music) won the Drama Desk awards for original lyrics and original music, respectively, for their musical "Desperate Measures," which opens at New World Stages on June 13, 2018.
TheatreSavvy Seminar:
Legal Overview of Raising Money for Live Theatrical Productions
June 13, 2018 - Lee will give a seminar for 16 attendees on how to legally raise money fo theatrical productions.
TheatreSavvy Seminar:
Legal Overview of Raising Money for Live Theatrical Productions
June 26, 2018 - Lee will give a seminar for 16 attendees on how to legally raise money fo theatrical productions.