Leif Cervantes de Reinstein

Leif Cervantes de Reinstein is a partner in the firm’s prestigious Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group, who frequently works in the Corporate Group on mergers & acquisitions, private equity deals, joint ventures and strategic alliances in the media sector. He resides in the Century City (Los Angeles) office.

Areas of Practice

Leif is an award-winning media lawyer for all commercial and corporate transactions in the entertainment ecosystem. He has practiced entertainment and M&A law for nearly 30 years. As a Spanish speaker having lived all over the world, Leif counsels his global clientele on sophisticated film & TV finance; co-production & licensing agreements; first look, overall and multi-picture arrangements; programming distribution & licensing deals, and ancillary rights exploitation agreements. He acts as an outside general counsel and head of operations for many of his clients by providing practical legal solutions, risk analysis, business strategy and marketplace advice.

Mr. Cervantes de Reinstein previously worked as an M&A attorney at a global Wall Street firm, and as such transacts on high-level corporate deals. He adeptly counsels on media-related mergers and acquisitions; handles sports, entertainment, celebrity-driven and intellectual property-based investment agreements and joint ventures; manages studio start-ups; and negotiates unique co-financing and equity arrangements for content, companies and unique business models and verticals.

Having also been a partner at a top Hollywood talent firm and an in-house executive heading a business unit for his client, U.K.-based/European-owned Fremantle, Mr. Cervantes de Reinstein holistically represents major studios, streamers, networks and high net worth individuals for their entertainment businesses. He also acts for the lion’s share of mini-major studios and independent production companies for all aspects of content advice. This includes complex chain-of-title matters and rights deals for high-level domestic and foreign intellectual property. Leif additionally advises many of the most successful U.K., E.U. and Asian companies producing for the American market. Further, as advertisers seek new avenues for attracting consumers and amplifying their brands, Leif acts as a conduit between Hollywood and the Fortune 500 advertising world, including for The Hershey Company, Dow Jones, Peloton and The Trade Desk.

Both an LA native and a European Union citizen, Leif is a Hollywood insider and multi-lingual authority on the media business worldwide. Mr. Cervantes de Reinstein provides pragmatic counsel at all stages of the content pipeline - from commercial strategy and company capitalization via M&A and/or investment activity; through to intellectual property acquisition, creative development and on-screen fruition; and finally with monetization and corporate strategies towards his clients’ long-term growth and success.

Leif is a member of the firm's Out at Sheppard LGBTQ Group.

Experience

Representative Matters:

• Representing high net worth individual in formation of media unit and curation of content portfolio, including co-financing with Artists’ Equity of a film version of the musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman” from Bill Condon starring Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna.
• Advised Playground Productions as an investor in Range Media Partners latest funding round. The investor group, which was led by Forest Road Asset Management LLC and accompanied by Playground’s investment, includes Liberty Global affiliates and an investment fund advised by Wildcat Capital Management, as well as Rick Hess.
• Counseled Peloton in co-promotion and co-branding arrangement with lululemon.
• Represented Lions Gate Entertainment in the acquisition of the film and television business of eOne.
• Negotiated groundbreaking deal between 101 Studios and Paramount Global for over 20 television and streaming series.
• Advising Legendary Pictures in intellectual property matters related to their Monsterverse franchise and other high-budget projects in both film and television.
• Counseling Dawn Olmstead in her joint venture with Charlize Theron.
• Represented 101 Studios in its formation and financing.
• Represented BET in overall agreement and joint venture to create BET Studios with Kenya Barris.
• Represented Sony Pictures Television in its acquisition of Industrial Media, one of the foremost independent nonfiction production companies whose portfolio includes “90 Day Fiancé,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol.”
• Representation of 101 Studios in connection with its launch of the “Shop the Scene” joint venture with television personality Jill Martin.
• Representation of 101 Studios connection with its joint venture with Authentic Brands Group to create Sports Illustrated Studios.
• Representation of Domain Capital in connection with its acquisition of TV showrunner’s revenue stream participations in various hit network shows.
• Outside counsel to Paramount Network, Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios for Taylor Sheridan universe shows.
• Recently led negotiations for clients’ licensing and/or co-productions of illustrious series like “My Life with the Walter Boys,” “Shogun,” “Monarch,” “Eric,” “The Rookie,” “The Great,” “Pachinko” and “The Morning Show.”
• Strategic adviser to Fremantle U.K. on scripted television and feature films, including major overall deals and Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood” and “Maria” feature films, as well the “The Wave,” a co-production with Fabula, and Sky co-production “Iris” from Neil Cross.
• Counseled prestigious U.K. production company, Sister, in co-production and licensing deals with Amazon and Netflix.
• Represented creators of “Tiger King” for one of the largest docu-series deals ever made, and their follow-up “Chimp Crazy” on MAX.
• Counsel to Lion Forge Animation in first look deal with Nickelodeon.
• Structured payroll services joint venture between Hollywood giant and professional outsourcing technology company.
• U.S. business affairs lead for Canadian, Korean, Spanish, Mexican, Greek, Italian, Scandinavian and other international production companies.

Honors

Entertainment Business Visionary, Los Angeles Times, 2024

Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Legal Impact Report, 2020-2021, 2023-2024

Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Dealmakers List, 2020, 2023

Recommended Lawyer for Media, Technology and Telecoms – Media and Entertainment: Transactional, Legal 500 US, 2020-2024

Top 100 Power Lawyer, Corporate Entertainment, The Hollywood Reporter, 2019

Southern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyer, 2015-2018

Articles

Entertainment Law Blog

• "The Rise of Straight-To-VOD and the Fate of Box Office Bonuses," March 10, 2021

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, Presentation to Paramount Global, Hot Topics in Hollywood: Solicitation Laws, Artificial Intelligence, Strike Updates and Branded Content, July 25, 2023
• Panelist, Sheppard Mullin Ad Law Symposium, From Barbie to Breathsavers: Brands Go To Hollywood, May 16, 2023
• Panelist, Rightsholders in the Evolving Film/TV Industry, Duke Law Sports and Entertainment Law Society Symposium, January 17, 2020
• Panelist, "Video/TV/Movies: Redefining Video Distribution: The Melting Pot of OTT, Cable and Linear Television," Digital Entertainment World Expo (DEW), February 4, 2019

Events

Memberships

Girls Inc. of Los Angeles (Charitable Organization Partner)

Coalition Against Slavery and Human Trafficking (C.A.S.T.) (Pro Bono Client)

San Diego Humane Society Animal Shelter (Pro Bono Client)

Christopher Street West Association and LA Pride (Pro Bono Client)

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (Pro Bono Client)

The Trevor Project (Former Lifeline Counselor)

Digital Media