A destination practice for media and entertainment work, Dentons is equipped to advise on the full life cycle of industry matters, from production and distribution issues, through to IP, corporate transactions and regulatory work. In Toronto, Ken Dhaliwal is highly regarded for his experience in representing major Canadian and international independent producers, broadcasters, studios and streaming platforms, among other industry participants, on corporate, finance, IP and tax law. In Vancouver, Juliet Smith supports a range of financial institutions, TV networks, Hollywood Studios and independent production companies on media and entertainment mandates. Other key contacts include senior specialists Jim Russell and David Steinberg; next-generation partner Jayme Alter; and up-and-coming counsel Bob Tarantino — all of whom operate from Toronto.

Goodmans LLP’s media and entertainment team sits within the corporate department and stands out for its comprehensive coverage of financing, production and foreign investment matters. Group head David Zitzerman is a leading light for media and entertainment law in Canada; he advises the full spectrum of industry stakeholders on regulatory and transactional work, including Canadian and international networks, independent producers, Hollywood studios and TV distributors, among others. Also recommended are Tara Parker, who has an ‘incredible grasp of the media and entertainment business’; Carolyn Stamegna, who focuses on international transactions within the media and entertainment industry; Jaclyn Seidman, whose broad experience encompasses rights acquisitions, production legal issues, clearance and copyright work; and associate Aaron Barrett, who provides dedicated practice support.

A go-to practice for copyright law, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP excels in representing music publishers, record labels and composers in royalty and copyright-related work. The Toronto-based media and entertainment group also contributes extensive experience in the film and television, book publishing and video game industries, among others. Department head Casey Chisick covers a wide array of media and entertainment-related matters but he is primarily recognized for his specialist expertise in music-related issues. Leonard Glickman — who counts a string of high-profile recording artists among his clients — is also highly regarded for music-related work. The team additionally draws on IP litigator Eric Mayzel and commercial and copyright partner Lindsay Dykstra.

Fasken’s premier communications offering is reflected in its media and entertainment practice, which has an emphasis on representing multinational telecoms, broadcasting and internet companies. The multidisciplinary department is co-led by communications co-chair Barbara Miller (Toronto); TMT co-head Jay Kerr-Wilson (Ottawa); and fellow TMT co-head Leslie Milton (Ottawa). The group also draws on Christian Leblanc (Montreal), who is noted for defamation and news media-related work.

Lawyers in Gowling WLG’s media and entertainment team are ‘smart, practical, responsive and strategic’. The group intersects with the firm’s IP and corporate practices to provide full-service support to clients across a mix of industry spheres, with strong recent showings in the music publishing, online gaming and book publishing segments. The department is driven out of Toronto by Susan Abramovitch, who handles contract drafting and negotiation, dispute resolution and regulatory work.