Evan Krauss

Evan Krauss is a leading entertainment attorney advising on many aspects of entertainment law, including, music, film, television, podcasting, branded entertainment, and other areas, with unique experience at the intersection of the music and film industries.

Evan is one of the rare attorneys practicing law equally across film, television, and music. Known for his dedication, sharp legal skills, and creative passion, his practice spans a wide spectrum of entertainment law from major and independent recording and music publishing agreements to film financing agreement, production counsel, distribution and groundbreaking documentary access agreements. He advises emerging and established musicians, actors, visual artists, writers, athletes, production companies, and other entities doing business in or with the entertainment industry on commercial agreements, intellectual property issues, employment matters, financial structures, and routinely negotiates the following agreements:

• Recording agreements
• Music Publishing agreements
• Master/synchronization licensing agreements
• Touring agreements
• Management agreements
• Sponsorship and branding agreements
• Life story rights
• Screenplay acquisition agreements
• Writer agreements
• Producer, director, and actor agreements
• All aspects of production counsel work for film and television, for both scripted and non-scripted content
• Film financing
• Tax Credit agreements
• Production services agreements
• Sales agency agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Participation and access agreements

Alongside his general entertainment law practice, Evan has carved a niche in the space where music law and film law overlap. Representing production companies, artists, financiers, and participants, he navigates legal and creative challenges to achieve his clients’ goals whether protecting an artist’s vision, a subject’s rights, or a producer’s budget. He has advised on multiple music biopics, including acclaimed projects exploring the life and work of Whitney Houston and Paul McCartney, and been instrumental in securing the rights to iconic music catalogs and negotiating agreements between multiple stakeholders, including musicians, estates, and studios, to bring these compelling true-life narratives to the screen.

Much like his love of scripted film, Evan also has a passion for documentary projects, both as an attorney and as a producer in his own right. He handles every aspect of documentary and feature production for his clients, including structuring film financing, securing complex IP rights, and negotiating the access and participation agreements that can make or break a documentary. In this capacity, he has advised both production companies and participants, including high-profile individuals and institutions, leveraging his knowledge of both sides of the deal to secure the best outcome for his client. As a producer, Evan has worked on projects such as “Apollo 11,” which premiered in Documentary Competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. This experience gives him unique perspective into his clients’ struggle to balance creative ambition with business demands, enabling him to navigate projects with strategic insight and sensitivity.

Evan stands among the most respected entertainment lawyers in the industry. Whether negotiating for an artist seeking creative flexibility or representing a production company in high-stakes documentary access deals, film financing matters, or complex distribution agreements, he preempts and navigates difficult situations to ensure relationships are preserved and opportunities realized. Evan’s work is not just about closing deals; it is about helping clients create value that resonates long after the deal is done.