Hollywood Unscripted: Demystifying Dealmaking in the US Entertainment Industry
When: Monday, April 7, 2025, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Room 3.1, Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London, 67-69 Lincolns Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JB
As the games industry and the “traditional entertainment” industry continue to draw inspiration from one another, dealmaking between players from both industries is increasing in frequency and significance. However, the “traditional entertainment” industry can be a mysterious and sometimes difficult space to navigate, particularly for those in the games industry.
What termination rights and remedies are realistic when engaging celebrity talent? Must I produce under SAG-AFTRA? And who is a PR Agent and why are they included in my deal? This seminar cuts through the mystery to provide actionable, hands-on guidance for navigating key legal considerations and negotiating agreements within the traditional entertainment industry, particularly focusing on hiring celebrities to perform services for developers and publishers (VO, in-game characters, DLC, marketing services, etc.). This seminar will cover traditional entertainment deal-making customs, common pitfalls, and strategies for games companies to find success in Hollywood.
Dorian Slater Thomas practices in the firm’s Interactive Entertainment Group and Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Group, where he handles a wide range of transactional work for prominent agencies, brands, platforms, developers, publishers and individual creative talent.
Best Lawyers in America recognized him in the 2024-2025 “Ones to Watch” editions for Entertainment and Sports Law and Intellectual Property Law. The National Law Journal’s 2022 Trailblazers list included him for Sports/Gaming/Entertainment Law and Variety included him as an “Up Next” honoree in its 2022 Legal Impact Report. The Legal 500 listed him as a “Rising Star” in Advertising & Marketing for 2021.
Mr. Thomas has experience advising some of the world’s best-known gaming and technology companies, including developers and publishers, in the interactive entertainment industry. He has negotiated and drafted development/publishing agreements, licensing agreements, software (SasS) agreements, and operational agreements across various digital media platforms.
Mr. Thomas also negotiates and drafts advertising and marketing services agreements, whether in the interactive entertainment industry or otherwise. He regularly handles creative services agreements, talent, spokesperson, endorsement and influencer agreements, sponsorship and promotion agreements, branded entertainment agreements, agency and management agreements, production agreements, license agreements and releases.
Mr. Thomas also advises clients on a variety of development, advertising, marketing and intellectual property law matters — including copy and content review, network clearance, social media guidelines, copyright issues, and right of publicity issues. In addition, he has experience with privacy and data security matters, including negotiating and drafting privacy and data security practices and policies.
Mr. Thomas is an active member of the Frankfurt Kurnit Diversity Committee and co-chair of the Frankfurt LGBTQ+ Affinity Group. He is a consistent supporter of Lambda Legal and related causes advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. Mr. Thomas is a seasoned traveler of Central and South America both in a professional and personal capacity, including attending and speaking at numerous events and conferences in LATAM related to his practice. He is admitted to practice in California and New York.
Mr. Thomas is a graduate of Tulane University Law School (J.D., 2013), and the University of Colorado at Boulder (B.A., 2008).