Leif Cervantes de Reinstein

Leif Cervantes de Reinstein is a partner in the firm’s prestigious Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group, which was recently ranked in the top tier by both Chambers USA and the Legal 500 U.S. He resides in the Century City (Los Angeles) office, and serves as a firm diversity & inclusion leader.

Areas of Practice

Leif is an award-winning entertainment lawyer for all business transactions related to content creation. He has practiced media law for over 25 years. As a Spanish speaker having lived all over the world, Leif counsels his global clientele on film & TV finance, co-production & licensing agreements, first look, overall and multi-picture arrangements, and programming distribution & licensing deals, and ancillary rights exploitation agreements. He is particularly expert in and passionate about scripted television and streaming, and indie film finance. Leif also makes groundbreaking deals for both award winning docu-content and blockbuster reality shows. Mr. Cervantes de Reinstein previously worked as an M&A attorney at a global Wall Street firm, a talent lawyer, and the head of a business/legal unit in-house at European-owned Fremantle. Thus, having sat at all sides of the table, he is known for his well-informed 360° advice. Leif adds value to in-house teams with his prowess in high stakes negotiations, operational and risk management advice, access to his industry relationships, and marketplace strategy.

Mr. Cervantes de Reinstein represents major studios, streamers and networks, plus the lion’s share of mini-major studios and independent production companies in the entertainment industry. He also advises many of the most successful U.K., E.U. and Asian companies producing for the American market. Additionally, as advertisers seek new avenues for attracting consumers and amplifying their brands, Leif frequently acts as a conduit between Hollywood and the Fortune 500 advertising world, including for The Hershey Company, Dow Jones, Peloton and The Trade Desk.

In collaboration with Sheppard Mullin’s renowned corporate media practice, as further described in the “Experience” section, Leif also acts as co-counsel on media-related mergers and acquisitions; handles media and intellectual property-based investment agreements and joint ventures; and negotiates unique co-financing and equity arrangements. He is also adept at complex chain-of-title matters and rights deals for high-level intellectual property

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, holistic counsel at all stages of the content pipeline - from commercial strategy and company capitalization; through to intellectual property acquisition, creative development and on-screen fruition; and finally with monetization strategies towards his clients’ long-term 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