Media, Entertainment and First Amendment


Mandell Menkes has established one of Chicago’s premiere practices dedicated to counseling and representing media companies in content-related matters. Our attorneys have defended local and national newspapers, book publishers, radio and television stations, on-air talent and Internet based publishers in claims based on defamation, invasion of privacy, right of publicity, infliction of emotional distress and negligent employment claims. We have also litigated First Amendment claims of access to court proceedings on behalf of nationally recognized print media companies, prosecuted Freedom of Information Act requests and provided pre-publication review and guidance related to newsgathering issues to our media clients.

In the field of entertainment and the arts, Mandell Menkes lawyers have counseled and represented artists, musicians, musical arrangers, recording companies, theatrical ventures, sports figures, advertising agencies, greeting card manufacturers, and toy and computer game companies in a myriad of matters including entity formation, negotiating and drafting licensing agreements, counseling relating to copyright and trademark matters and litigating claims involving intellectual property, false advertising and unfair competition. Mandell Menkes lawyers frequently lecture and publish articles on topics relating to media, entertainment and First Amendment law and are members of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law and Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Media Law Resource Center and the Illinois Broadcasters Association.