Mark Litwak
Mark Litwak is a veteran entertainment attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Mark Litwak & Associates based in Los Angeles, California. His practice includes work in the areas of copyright, trademark, contract, multimedia law, intellectual property and book publishing. As a Producer’s Representative, he assists filmmakers in arranging financing, marketing and distribution of their films. He also testifies as an expert witness in motion picture industry cases.
Litwak has packaged movie projects and served as executive producer on such feature films as “The Proposal,” “Out Of Line,” “Pressure,” and “Diamond Dog.” He has provided legal services or worked as a producer rep on more than 200 feature films. He is production counsel for numerous television and new media series including the Netflix series "Wet Hot American Summer," Yahoo Screen's "Other Space," and seven seasons of the Warner Brothers/Cartoon Network's Emmy Award winning “Childrens Hospital.”
Litwak is the author of six books: Reel Power, The Struggle for Influence and Success in the New Hollywood (William Morrow, 1986), Courtroom Crusaders (William Morrow, 1989), Dealmaking in the Film & Television Industry (Silman-James Press, 4th Edition 2016) (winner of the 1996 Kraszna-Krausz award for best book in the world on the film business), Contracts for the Film & Television Industry (Silman-James Press, 3rd Ed. 2012), Litwak's Multimedia Producer's Handbook (Silman-James Press, 1998), and Risky Business: Financing and Distributing Independent Film (Silman-James Press, 2004).
Litwak has been a lawyer since 1977 and worked in New York and California. He has an AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been designated a Southern California Super Lawyer numerous times by Thomson Reuters. He is an adjunct professor at the U.S.C. Gould School of Law where he teaches entertainment law.
- Entertainment & Sports Law
- Credit Cards Accepted
- California
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- Queens Coll
- Undergraduate Degree
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- Univ of San Diego School of Law
- Law Degree
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- California State Bar # 79111
- Member
- - Current
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- Dealmaking in the Film & Television Industry 4th Edition
- Silman James Press
- Risky Business: Financing and Distributing Independent Film
- Silman James Press
- Litwak's Multimedia Producer's Handbook
- Silman James Press
- Contracts for the Film & Television Industry,
- Silman James Press
- Courtroom Crusaders
- William Morrow, 1986
- Risky Business, Financing and distributing independent features, Risky Business, Financing and distributing independent features, New York, NY
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
- In this full-day seminar veteran entertainment attorney Mark Litwak will take you through the financial intricacies of successfully producing an independent film. Topics include financing via pre-sales, debt and equity investors, negotiating tactics, typical contract terms, cross-collateralization, creative accounting, and ethical concerns. Particular attention will be paid to how producers and filmmakers can protect themselves by investigating distributors; watering down warranties; adding contract provisions covering performance, termination, and alternative dispute resolution; getting errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, and using lab access letters and schedules of minimums. Other topics will include criteria for selecting a distributor; new media distribution; which contract terms are negotiable; compliance with state and federal laws regarding investors; retaining an attorney, producer reps and publicists; and confirming awards and enforcing judgments.
