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Venable’s elite Trademark Prosecution and Counseling Group recently announced the launch of its Wellbrand service, an innovative naming solution that leverages the firm’s trademark-law intelligence to accelerate the process of finding effective brand names. Currently available only to established clients of the Trademark practice, the Wellbrand service bridges the gap between marketing needs and legal…

Venable partner William Briggs was recently nominated by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve on the city’s Board of Police Commissioners. In this Q & A, Briggs discusses his journey from public high school to a prestigious law school, the legal accomplishments he’s most proud of, including his previous advocacy on behalf of disadvantaged children, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.

You were raised in a single-parent household in Los Angeles, where you attended a public high school. How did you get from there to one of the country’s top law schools?

I was lucky to have had some very good role models and teachers. One of whom was a biology teacher who I guess recognized that I had some potential and then helped me at an early age to get a job in a laboratory at UCLA. While there I worked for a doctor of Armenian descent who not only exposed me to a completely different culture, but also to a different way of thinking. Basically, he taught me that you don’t have to let the circumstances of your life inhibit your ambition. Like-minded friends of my mother told me the same thing, and my aunt, Dr. Dorothy Height, a civil rights activist, also strongly encouraged me to pursue an education. She had a connection with Bethune-Cookman College, a historically black college in Florida, so that’s where I ended up going.Continue Reading Entertainment Attorney William Briggs Discusses his Journey to a Successful Legal Career

On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the $2.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Act). At over five thousand pages, the Act is an amalgamation of numerous legislative measures, including further stimulus measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, as well as an omnibus spending bill. Below is a discussion of some of the tax provisions in the Act that may impact the entertainment industry.
Continue Reading Impactful Tax Changes for the Entertainment Industry

Keith Boykin, a New York Times best-selling author and one of TV’s leading commentators on politics, race, and sexual orientation, participated in Venable’s Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Program on December 3. Keith discussed his personal struggles in coming out as a gay man and his efforts to promote inclusivity and tolerance for gay men of color and other minority groups.

When Keith Boykin finally worked up the courage to tell his mother that he was gay, his declaration was met with a long silence. Once his mother replied, she told him, “Well, I love you no matter what,” but she asked that he not tell too many people, “especially not your grandmother. It will just kill her if she finds out.”Continue Reading A Discussion on the Intersection of Race and Sexual Orientation with Author and Commentator Keith Boykin

While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on commercial real property markets in much of the country, an ever-increasing demand for streaming content has caused existing studio space in Los Angeles and elsewhere to become even more valuable, and the demand for studio space continues to rise. In this Q & A, Venable partner Andrew Schmerzler discusses some of the long-term trends that have contributed to this increased demand, tech companies making a commitment to Los Angeles (leading to the rise of “Silicon Beach”), and how the pandemic is accelerating these trends.
Continue Reading The Rise in Demand for Studio Space in Los Angeles – Q & A with Andrew Schmerzler

A leading voice on politics, race, and sexual orientation, Keith Boykin – a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton – will bring his unique insight to Venable’s Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Program on December 3. The discussion will center on Keith’s personal struggles in coming out as a gay man; his efforts to promote inclusivity and tolerance for other gay men of color; and the importance of minority groups moving away from the idea of a “hierarchy of oppression.”
Continue Reading Join Us for a Discussion on the Intersection of Race and Sexual Orientation with New York Times Best-Selling Author and CNN Political Commentator Keith Boykin

On November 17, 2020,  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated William Briggs to serve on the city’s Board of Police Commissioners.

“Our city is leading the movement to reimagine public safety, revitalize our commitment to racial justice and support our courageous police officers who keep our city safe. And I’m confident that William Briggs will bring an extraordinary record of leadership and commitment to the fight for fairness, equity, and a safer Los Angeles,” said Mayor Garcetti.

Mr. Briggs is a leading trial lawyer and civil litigator with extensive experience providing counsel to some of the most recognizable names in the film, television, music, and sports industries. He has received numerous accolades for his work in the entertainment industry, including being named a Most Influential Minority Attorney and Top Litigator & Trial Lawyer by the Los Angeles Business Journal. He was also recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as a Power Lawyer and by Billboard as a Top Music Lawyer.
Continue Reading Venable Entertainment Attorney William Briggs Nominated to Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners

Although many businesses providing services in the field of performing arts are not eligible for the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, some entertainment businesses that do not fall in this category have taken the position that they do qualify.  Recent indicators from the IRS, however, suggest that taxpayers claiming the QBI deduction may be subject to increased audit risk in the near future.
Continue Reading Taxpayers Claiming QBI Deduction May Face Increased Audit Risk

As the coronavirus pandemic yells “Cut!” across the world, the entertainment industry will feel the economic impact, with theaters closing their doors, lower attendance at film festivals, delayed productions, and the like.  Business managers and entertainment businesses, however, may feel some relief as Treasury called in sick and postponed Tax Day for 91 days.  The news first broke via tweet on March 20, 2020, when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced on Twitter that Tax Day will be moved from April 15 to July 15.  A few hours later, the IRS fleshed out Mr. Mnuchin’s announcement by publishing Notice 2020-18, which provided more details regarding the taxes covered and the taxpayers affected by the new deadline.  The move is one of several recent measures taken by the federal government as it attempts to relieve the immense economic strain being put on Americans by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This announcement comes just two days after—and supersedes—Notice 2020-17, which postponed until July 15 the payment but not the filing of federal income taxes and imposed limits of $1 million for individuals and $10 million for corporations with respect to such postponement.  Notice 2020-18 restates and expands upon Notice 2020-17 by eliminating the distinction between payment and filing of taxes for purposes of the new deadline and by doing away with any pecuniary limits on the amount of tax that may be postponed.Continue Reading Treasury Gives U.S. Taxpayers Relief from COVID-19’s Economic Impact by Postponing Tax Day

As quickly as cameras flash at the Oscars, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) and left taxpayers holding the bag in some areas.  Unlike in the movies, taxpayers cannot do a reshoot if the first take is not perfect.  After almost two years, Congress may again pass additional legislation within a 48-hour period, which may resolve certain issues that have arisen in Hollywood since the TCJA.

On December 18, 2019, the House passed tax legislation as part of an omnibus package that included, among other things, extending Internal Revenue Code Section 181 (“Section 181”) retroactively from 2018 through 2020, which ultimately means that taxpayers may be able to elect Section 181 treatment for the 2019 and 2020 tax years.  The Senate is expected to pass this legislation on December 19, 2019.  Many taxpayers may wonder, “why do we need Section 181 if qualified U.S. film/TV productions (and live theatrical productions) already are eligible for bonus depreciation under the TCJA?”

For those who have already forgotten about Section 181, prior to the TCJA production companies were eligible to elect to deduct production expenses of certain qualified U.S. film/TV productions (and live theatrical productions) as and when incurred (subject to a $15m cap) in lieu of recovering such costs over a 10-year period.  While Congress did not renew Section 181 beyond December 31, 2017, the TCJA included such qualified productions as property eligible for bonus depreciation.Continue Reading IRC Section 181 is Back!