Production Counsel & Entertainment Law Practice
The law office of Production Counsel Keith E. Cooper, Esq. is a modern entertainment law practice offering what he likes to call "concierge legal" at prices you can afford. What that means is an emphasis on personalized legal service with "house calls" to you when needed or desired. Mr. Cooper handles all types of transactional legal matters related to motion picture production from setting up businesses to crafting agreements, but no litigation of any kind.
In today's entertainment legal environment, with most transactions handled via telephone, e-mail, and fax, many functions that once required a staff of paralegals, assistants and messengers can easily be handled electronically. By operating as a virtual law practice, we forego the high overhead of office space and full-time support staff, passing the savings on to our clients. Of course, Mr. Cooper is happy to arrange in-person meetings on request, at the client's office or a mutually-convenient location.
Mr. Cooper believes that a boutique entertainment law practice focused on excellent client service in motion picture law provides a desirable alternative to large law firms where only large companies can truly find a home. He works with his clients to provide an environment where they can not only realize their creative vision, but also protect their rights. In addition to a full range of production counsel services, he provides business guidance, registration and guidance for copyrights, trademarks, and Internet rights. Legal services are handled by a full time attorney, customized to the client's needs, with ancilliary services engaged when needed.
Attorney Keith E. Cooper, Esq.
Keith E. Cooper, Esq. created ProductionCounsel.com to provide information to his entertainment industry clients and prospective clients. Keith E. Cooper is an entertainment attorney based in Los Angeles. Mr. Cooper's practice includes television & motion picture law, copyright law, trademark law, Internet law, corporate law, and business entity formation. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School, one of the nation’s top law schools. Mr. Cooper is licensed to practice in all courts of the State of California, the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (although he no longer handles litigation matters).
While a law student, Mr. Cooper was awarded First Prize in the ASCAP Nathan Burkan Writing Competition in Copyright Law for an article he wrote on the federal Architectural Copyright Act. Mr. Cooper has been a certified mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Courts, California Lawyers for the Arts, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (where he served on the Board of Directors). In addition, he has been an editorial board member of Los Angeles Lawyer magazine, has been a judge for the National Entertainment Law Moot Court, and a panelist for the Kodak/American Pavilion L.A. Intensive for young filmmakers. He is a sought-after speaker on entertainment law issues to entertainment industry organizations. Recently, Mr. Cooper authored and was the featured lecturer in Cekent Concepts' video/book DVD seminar series, "What Every Filmmaker Needs to Know About the Law."
Before opening his own practice, Mr. Cooper worked in the Intellectual Property department of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and at Barab, Kline & Coate, LLP, a former boutique entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills, where he represented many of the major independent motion picture production companies, including Millennium Films, Nu Image, Franchise Films, Phoenician Films, Ministry of Film, GeneraXion Entertainment, Filmtown Entertainment, AMCO Entertainment, Moonstone Entertainment, Fries Entertainment, and many others.
As an attorney, he has drawn on his theater, film, and music education and experience to advise clients on more than 50 films and television programs distributed by such companies as Paramount Pictures, Miramax, HBO, Showtime, Twentieth Century Fox, The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, MTV, and others, including . . .
‘BOBBY’ - Golden Globe Best Picture nominee and Academy Award nominee for Best Original Song (directed by Emilio Estevez; with Anthony Hopkins, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Christian Slater, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, and Martin Sheen)
‘BETTER LUCK TOMORROW’ (directed by Justin Lin)
‘PROZAC NATION’ (with Cristina Ricci, Anne Heche, Jason Biggs, and Jessica Lange)
‘HOW TO KILL YOUR NEIGHBOR’S DOG’ (with Kenneth Branagh, Robin Wright Penn, and Lynn Redgrave)
‘GUINEVERE’ (with Stephen Rea, Jean Smart, and Sarah Polley)
‘NOBODY’S BABY’ (with Skeet Ulrich and Gary Oldman)
‘FOREVER LULU’ (with Melanie Griffith, Patrick Swayze, and Penelope Ann Miller)
[click on any film name to read more about it on IMDB]
For a sampling of Keith E. Cooper’s completed films, visit the Internet Movie Database.
Before he became an attorney, Mr. Cooper worked in virtually every creative job in the entertainment business, from writing to lighting; from hair and makeup to cinematography; from sound mixing to acting, singing, and dancing; from arranging music to directing and producing. In addition to his work in entertainment, Mr. Cooper has worked as production manager for the design division of the nation’s largest merchandising company, and worked as a financial officer at a major New York bank.
Mr. Cooper graduated from the prestigious University of Missouri School of Journalism and worked as a radio, television, and print journalist early in his career. While at the University of Missouri, he also earned a separate undergraduate degree in technical theater and acting in the College of Arts and Sciences, won several awards, and was inducted into the Purple Mask Dramatics Honorary Society. He was also contest coordinator for UMC’s nationwide Short Playwriting Contest, and produced productions of the winning plays.
Later, as station manager of WBAU-FM in New York, Mr. Cooper drew on his journalism background to create one of the first all-information stations. After earning a Master’s degree in Theater (with a Directing emphasis) from Adelphi University, Mr. Cooper worked in the New York theater for several years as an actor, dancer, singer, and director, studied composition at The Juilliard School and filmmaking at New York University.
After finishing film school, Mr. Cooper ran the New York office of a major independent motion picture production company, later setting up his own production company. As a motion picture production executive, Keith Cooper worked on a number of theatrical feature films starring such actors as Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Jeremy Irons, Anthony Hopkins, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Walken, and James Spader. Films completed during his tenure include . . .
‘A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL’ (written by Alan Ayckbourn, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Irons)‘HOMEBOY’ (starring Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken, with a score by Eric Clapton)
‘THE BLOB’ (starring Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith, directed by Chuck Russell)
‘JACK’S BACK’ (starring James Spader and Cynthia Gibb)
‘SONS’ (starring William Forsythe, D.B. Sweeney, Jennifer Beals and the legendary director Sam Fuller)