Profile
Jake Phillips counsels entertainment and digital media companies, as well as high profile consumer brands, on intellectual property-related matters. His practice focuses on entertainment, media, intellectual property and technology transactions. He also provides strategic advice and counseling related to new media business models, negotiation strategy, legal exposure and risk avoidance to clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies with digital media and entertainment-related offerings to studios and established production companies to cutting-edge start-ups and tech companies. Jake’s experience also includes policy-related advice, advocacy and strategy, as well as entertainment, antitrust and general commercial litigation. Prior to practicing law, Jake was an actor, entrepreneur and advocate for equal opportunities in childhood education.
Capabilities
Experience
- Provided strategy, counseling, negotiation and drafting support to dozens of companies in the digital media space.
- Represented digital media companies ranging from Fortune 100 companies to innovative start-ups in licensing and negotiations with various rightsholders, including talent, record labels, music publishers, and rights collectives.
- Negotiated and drafted numerous music-related licenses and agreements for film, television and new media productions and related soundtrack album releases.
- Negotiated licensing deals and clearances to make performances from several top music awards shows available on an a la carte VOD basis on various digital platforms.
- Counseled and provided risk and cost-benefit analysis to companies facing potential liability for copyright infringement.
- Negotiated and drafted agreements involving international clearances for various digital music services.
- Represented video game companies in licensing and negotiations with various content rightsholders.
- Counseled several cutting-edge digital media companies regarding the rights implicated and legal risks involved with permitting and monetizing the uploading and sharing of user-generated content (“UGC”), as well as negotiating and drafting licenses, releases and covenants-not-to-sue related to UGC.
- Negotiated and drafted numerous talent-related agreements both on behalf of talent and on behalf of content creators.
- Represented film production company in pre-arbitration proceedings with Directors Guild over foreign residuals.°
- Represented major U.S. airline in high-stakes federal antitrust litigation.°
- Represented luxury hotel in federal litigation over non-competition agreement for management-related personal services contract.°
- Advised book publisher on antitrust implications regarding pricing and distribution of e-books.°
- Advised top-three talent agency regarding employment contract dispute.°
- Advised author in negotiations for major book publishing contract.°
- Advised top-10 college on First Amendment issues for prominent campus speaker.°
- Represented pro bono clients in two federal civil rights litigations involving widespread housing discrimination claims and the largest racially motivated arson in Maryland history.°
- Successfully represented Pakistani immigrant in two-day asylum hearing.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Phillips prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Consultant, NBC Universal, 2009-2010
Recognition & Leadership
- Team Member, a Law360 “Media & Entertainment Practice Group of the Year,” 2022
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Georgia Super Lawyers, "Rising Star," 2017-2020
- Founder, Zeitgeist Community Learning Center, 2003-2010
- President, Board of Directors
- Member, Screen Actors Guild, 1999-Present
Credentials
-
J.D., University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall)
- Berkeley-Harvard 3L Exchange Program
- Harvard Law School Dean’s Scholar Award in Copyright and Trademark Litigation
- Harvard Program on Negotiation
- Co-Chair, Sports and Entertainment Law Society
- Certificate, Law and Technology
- Associate Editor, Berkeley Technology Law Journal
- Prosser Prize in Property Law and Advocacy Award for Legal Research and Writing
- Berkeley-Harvard 3L Exchange Program
- M.P.A., Harvard University, 2010 (concurrent degree with J.D.)
- B.S., magna cum laude, Duke University
- Georgia
- California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California