Our Entertainment & Media (E&M) team counsels producers, promoters and financiers of film, television, music and sports projects and events, as well as numerous other service providers within the industry that make them possible.
Our team has first-hand knowledge of the new film incentives legislation approved in 2011, having been actively involved in its drafting. The new incentives law is designed to make Puerto Rico's current media production incentives among the most attractive in the world, strengthening the Island's strategic advantage as a powerful entertainment venue, as well as promote the development of state-of-the-art media infrastructure, including high-capacity studios.
We have strong relationships with the government agencies overseeing the incentives program. Also, we have experience in developing the local financing and corporate structures necessary to benefit from these incentives, which go beyond film and are available for television projects, music videos, national and international commercials, documentaries, video games, recorded live performances and original sound track recordings. We have been substantially involved in the development of infrastructure projects, such as purpose-built, high-capacity studio facilities.
We also counsel producers of major sports and other entertainment events held in Puerto Rico and the manager of the largest multipurpose indoor arena on the Island, the Puerto Rico Coliseum. This facility can accommodate up to 18,500 spectators and has hosted more than 500 events in its five years of existence, with a gross ticket revenue of over $128 million, attracting artists like the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Shakira, Ricky Martin, Black Eyed Peas and Celine Dion, helping establish Puerto Rico as one of the highest-ranking entertainment venues of the western hemisphere.
Team members also advise film studios and music labels on antitrust, distribution and intellectual property matters, including copyright disputes. Our team is sophisticated and interdisciplinary, comprised of attorneys from our corporate, tax, labor, government affairs, intellectual property and litigation groups, which complement each other to assist our clients achieve their objectives.
