Donovan Augustus Rodriques

I am managing attorney at Rodriques Law, PLLC, a New York City law firm with focus on business, media, sports and entertainment law.

I concentrate my practice in the area of film and television development, financing, production and distribution. I represent producers, talent, entertainment companies and entrepreneurs, including a number of startups and emerging companies in media, sports and entertainment technologies.

I serve as production counsel to film, TV and media producers and production companies, and help them raise capital for every stage of development, production and distribution. I counsel clients on finance and distribution transactions, rights acquisitions, private equity, development agreements, talent agreements, production agreements, insurance, guild and union matters, copyright and trademark protection, as well as business formation, business development and corporate compliance. I help clients with negotiating service deals and traditional acquisition deals, including traditional theatrical release. I also counsel clients in developing new ways to capture, synthesize and act on big data in ways that move the sales needle.

Being an entrepreneur and filmmaker, I have a keen interest in seeking independent film and television development and financing for features, scripted series and mini-series and creative distribution channels for up and coming artists, filmmakers or producers. I help clients package talent and simultaneously, I’m talking to financiers, funding bodies, distributors and sales agents, strategizing and course-correcting along the way. I have a keen understanding of the physical, technical, creative and fiscal processes that go into a production and possess the industry and investment contacts that ensure a production gets finished on time. It is in this area, that my expertise with law and business merge, which makes me most effective to my clients.

I counsel clients in adapting existing intellectual property like books, films, documentaries and video games into feature film and series ideas, including television and web series. I represent clients in the protection, negotiation, acquisition, and licensing of trademarks, copyrights and publicity rights.