FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE

We're counsel for this Netflix documentary series.

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE

We are counsel for KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, the acclaimed documentary by Rachel Lears, which was purchased by Netflix at Sundance for a record $10 million.

THE MOST HATED MAN ON THE INTERNET

We were production counsel for this legally difficult, hugely popular Netflix series by Raw TV.

A24

We are honored to be legal and business affairs counsel to A24, winner of dozens of Oscars, and the producers behind EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, MOONLIGHT, LADY BIRD, THE WHALE, and much more.

ORIGIN

As counsel to The Ford Foundation, we handled negotiations and drafting for the funding of this film by Ava DuVernay, which is inspired by the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson.

LIGHTBOX ENTERTAINMENT

We are US and UK counsel for this LA-and-London based production company founded by multiple Oscar and Emmy Award winning Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn, and funded by Channel 4.

Break Point 2

LEAVING NEVERLAND

We are counsel for this explosive two-part film about Michael Jackson, by Dan Reed for HBO Documentary Films.

Gotr

Borat

Production and claims counsel for the multi-Oscar nominated comedy, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."

UNTOUCHABLE

We are US production counsel for the BBC/Lightbox film, UNTOUCHABLE, about the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein, premiering at Sundance 2019.

UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA

We are production counsel for this Primetime Emmy-Award-wining hit CNN series that follows comedian and political provocateur W. Kamau Bell as he explores communities and challenges across America.

Project X

THE MAURITANIAN

Executive Produced by Russell Smith and Zak Kilberg for our joint venture, Convergent Media. With Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Benedict Cumberbach, and Shailene Woodley.

Storm Area 51

THE HATCHET WIELDING HITCHHIKER

We're counsel for this sensational Netflix documentary that has taken the internet by storm.

Dirty Wars

We served as production counsel for this award-winning, widely acclaimed investigative documentary about U.S. covert operations across the globe.

Mayor

Channel 4

U.S. counsel to Channel 4, Britain's second largest broadcast network and one of the world's most challenging and creative producers of television programs and films.

The Princess

FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS DISTRIBUTION

We are among the US counsel for FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS DISTRIBUTION, affiliated with the largest television broadcaster in Europe, and the public service arm of the Government of the French Republic.

Poop Cruise

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Production counsel for the late Malik Bendjelloul's sensational, Oscar-winning "Searching for Sugar Man," released by Sony Pictures Classics.

LAST CHANCE U

We're counsel for this award-winning, very popular Netflix series that goes behind the scenes at the top junior college football programs in the US.

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE

We are counsel for KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, the acclaimed documentary by Rachel Lears, which was purchased by Netflix at Sundance for a record $10 million.

Trainwreck: The Cult Of American Apparel

We are counsel for this fascinating Netflix documentary, produced by Raw TV.

THE LONGEST WAR

We are counsel to this definitive Showtime Documentary by the creators of HOMELAND and director Greg Barker, which unpacks the human stories and drama behind America's involvement in Afghanistan.

Ghosn

ASHLEY MADISON

We are production and business affairs counsel on this hit Netflix documentary series.

Sins Of Our Mother

Balloon Boy

Mmm

MONSTERS OF GOD

We are counsel for this major new HBO series from our clients A24 and the creators of TIGER KING and CHIMP CRAZY.

WHO IS AMERICA?

We are production and claims counsel for Showtime, Sacha Baron Cohen, and their hardhitting, controversial new series, WHO IS AMERICA?, a reincarnation of DA ALI G SHOW in the Trump era.

The Ford Foundation

WELCOME TO WREXHAM

We are counsel to this five-time Emmy Award Winning hit television series starring Ryan Reynolds.

Vogue 2

THE TINDER SWINDLER

We were production counsel for this Netflix true crime series.

Surviving Black Hawk Down

Fifa Uncovered 2

FREMANTLE MEDIA

We are among the outside counsel to one of the world's largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of outstanding entertainment brands.

Gold Rush

Sprint 2

Virunga

We are production counsel for this Oscar-Nominated 2014 documentary about the fight to save Virunga National Park, the last refuge of moutain gorillas.

UNTOUCHABLE: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN SCANDAL

We are counsel for the Hulu Documentary, UNTOUCHABLE: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN SCANDAL

THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS

We are production counsel to this most successful documentary film since Fahrenheit 9/11.

AMERICAN ANIMALS

We were production counsel for this "wildly entertaining" (Variety) scripted feature film that captivated the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

TRUMP: A SECOND CHANCE?

We are counsel to this embattled BBC documentary that is creating it's own headlines, as the network's top executives are under siege, despite no legal errors by the BBC of any kind.

Paramount Pictures

We are among the outside counsel for Paramount Pictures.

OCTOBER FILMS

We are US and UK counsel to October Films, one of the world's most respected and longest established factual television production companies. They have won over 100 international awards.

Bruno

Production and litigation counsel to Sacha Baron Cohen's award-winning film "Bruno."

THE BBC

We have been among the outside counsel for the BBC, where SmithDehn's Philip Wheeler was a senior in-house solicitor for 11 years.

Media Rights Capital

Among counsel to MRC, the industry’s largest independent film, TV and digital studio.

NOBODY SPEAK

We have been counsel for producers of this Netflix documentary about the Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker Media case and its outside funding, showing how big money can be used to silence the media.

Raw TV

US production counsel for Raw TV, a multi-award winning production company with a reputation for gripping narrative, visual innovation and journalistic vigour.

BAFTA

Handling contract drafting and negotiations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts

The Imposter

Production counsel for "The Imposter," an astonishingly true story about a French man who fools everyone into believing he is a missing Texas boy, including the boy's family.

SHOWTIME NETWORKS, INC.

We are among the outside counsel to Showtime Networks, Inc. At the moment, we are production and claims counsel for their hardhitting, controversial new Sacha Baron Cohen series, WHO IS AMERICA?.

SPACEY UNMASKED

We're counsel to this hard-hitting biographical documentary series on the distributed by Max and Channel Four.

HBO

Our attorneys have been among the production and claims counsel to Home Box Office, Inc.

ALL THREE MEDIA AMERICA

We're among the US and UK counsel for All3Media America, the LA-based, multi studio production hub for one of the world's leading creators of high-quality content.

1971: THE YEAR THAT MUSIC CHANGED EVERYTHING

Honored to be production counsel for this Apple+ series from the Oscar award-winning team who created the acclaimed documentary, AMY

ITV

US counsel to the largest and most popular commercial television network in the United Kingdom.

THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN

Winner of the L’Oeil d’or prize at Cannes and the Golden Globe Award for Documentary, this film reveals the real story behind WikiLeaks - a tense investigation into truth, power, and press freedom.

Make Or Break

CITIZENFOUR

We're among the counsel for this Oscar-winning (Best Feature Documentary) about Edward Snowden and national security in post 9/11 America.

Da Ali G Show

Production and litigation counsel to Sacha Baron Cohen's multiple-Emmy-nominated, path-breaking television series, "Da Ali G Show."

MOB WAR: PHILADELPHIA VS. THE MAFIA

We are counsel to this number one hit Netflix true crime series, produced by RAW TV.

Sony

Among counsel for Sony Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, producers and/or distributors of some of the most successful motion pictures and programs in the world.

Pi Moms

FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS

We are among the US counsel for FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS, the largest television broadcaster in Europe, and the public service arm of the Government of the French Republic.

Web of Lies

We are production counsel for this compelling Discovery series that reveals stories of deception and homicide triggered by online interactions.

CHIMP CRAZY

We are counsel to CHIMP CRAZY, the most watched HBO documentary series of the last four years.

NAVALNY

We're handling business affairs and production counsel work on this hard-hitting CNN/HBO documentary by Fishbowl Films.

AMAZON STUDIOS

We are among the litigation defense counsel for Amazon Studios

TINA

We're counsel for this definitive HBO biopic of Tina Turner, produced by our Academy Award winning client, Lightbox.

BRANDY HELLVILLE

We're counsel to this hugely popular Max series produced by Lightbox.

RADICAL MEDIA

We are counsel to film/TV production company Radical Media. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin and Shanghai, Radical is one of the premiere companies in the industry.

TIGER KING

We are outside counsel for the directors and producers of the most popular documentary series in history.

PASSION PICTURES

We are US and UK counsel to this multiple Oscar winning film and television company behind Searching for Sugar Man, The Imposter, and Project Nim, to name a few.

THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY

We are production counsel to this Oscar short-listed film, which the New York Times has ranked among the top ten films of 2019 in all categories.

STUTZ

We're counsel for Jonah Hill's remarkable documentary feature about his therapist and how the therapy transformed him.

PLAN B ENTERTAINMENT

Among the counsel for Brad Pitt's production company, acclaimed for SELMA, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, THE BIG SHORT, THE DEPARTED, and other important films.

PRIME MINISTER

SmithDehn's Chris Matson and Mike Cleaver, through our prodco Divergent Pictures, executive-produced PRIME MINISTER, in addition to working on legal and business affairs for this Sundance winner.

MURDER MOUNTAIN

We're counsel for this acclaimed and popular documentary series.

CHEER

We are among the production counsel for Season Two of this Triple-Primetime-Emmy-Award-winning series on Netflix.

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN

We are production counsel for this 2025 Netflix documentary from Sony Pictures Classics, which opened at the Venice Film Festival with a 10-minute standing ovation.

Unprecedented

PHILIP GLASS

One of our partners, Russell Smith, has provided legal advice and related services for Philip Glass, the world's most successful living music composer.

BUZZFEED

We are outside counsel to BuzzFeed.

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY FOX

We have been among the outside counsel to Twenty-First Century Fox.

100 FOOT WAVE

We're counsel for this HBO Original Series

THE FINAL YEAR

An insiders' account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their final year, as they set out to define their legacy, promote diplomacy - and react to the rise of Donald Trump.

ALI G: WHO IZ I?

Ali G iz back! We are production and claims counsel for this upcoming wide theatrical release from Sacha Baron Cohen and Amazon MGM Studios.

BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

We are production and claims counsel to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

All That Breathes

WHITNEY

We are production counsel for this definitive biopic of Whitney Houston, directed by Oscar-winner Kevin MacDonald and produced by double-Oscar winner Simon Chinn.

LISTEN TO ME MARLON

We are production counsel to this 2015 Sundance-selected, 2016 Oscar-Short-Listed, Marlon Brando biopic released by Universal Studios and Showtime.

FEDERER: 12 FINAL DAYS

We are counsel to this stirring feature documentary by Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia, on Amazon Prime.

American Nightmare 2

BECKHAM

We are counsel for this four-part documentary series that reached number one on Netflix in the US and the UK.

Our Great National Parks

We were counsel for Netflix on this documentary series narrated by President Obama and produced by his production company, Higher Ground Productions.

DON'T F**CK WITH CATS -- HUNTING AN INTERNET KILLER

We are counsel to this hit Netflix true crime series that follows internet sleuths who attempted to track down Luka Magnotta after he reportedly shared a graphic video killing cats.

Fear Thy Neighbor

Production counsel to this Investigation Discovery series about what happens when a homeowner unwittingly takes up residence next to psycho or when evil minds decide to lay down roots right next door.

SOPHIE: A MURDER IN WEST CORK

We are counsel for this controversial and compelling Netflix documentary series by our Academy Award winning client, Lightbox.

JURY DUTY

We're counsel to this insane and hilarious Amazon FreeVee series.

ENDEMOL SHINE GROUP

We are among the outside counsel for Endemol Shine Group, a global production powerhouse. Endemol Shine has 120 companies across all the world’s major markets.

CBS CORPORATION

We are among the outside counsel for the CBS television network.

SELMA

Honored to be representing the director and producers of this important, Academy-Award-winning film.

NATIONAL BIRD

We are honored to be production counsel for this scathing, "bird's eye" documentary, directed by Sonia Kennebeck and exec produced by Wim Wenders and Errol Morris, about the US military drone program.

Trainwreck Woodstock 99

TRAINWRECK: THE ASTROWORLD TRAGEDY

We're counsel for this Number 1 hit on Netflix, produced by Passion Pictures, about the 2021 Astroworld concert tragedy.

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STARZ

Owned by Lionsgate, our client Starz is a leading global media and entertainment distributor/producer, with over 5,000 TV episodes and feature films each year on its several channels.

SmithDehn LLP Expands Hollywood Film and TV Practice; Adds LA Entertainment Attorney Jeff Holmes

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In a significant expansion of SmithDehn LLP's entertainment law practice, involving for the first time a year-round, physical presence of our firm in Los Angeles, acclaimed LA media and entertainment attorney Jeff Holmes has joined us. The addition of Jeff complements our work for an already growing Hollywood clientele, which has included Twentieth Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Media Rights Capital, and HBO, as well as top-notch talent such as Sacha Baron Cohen, for whom we have been production and claims counsel in relation to "Ali G," "Borat," and "Bruno."

Jeff has vast experience in every aspect of legal work for television and film production companies and projects. As Executive Vice President of MGM Worldwide Television, Vice President for Business Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox, and COO and Executive Vice President of Skouras Pictures, and in the course of his later private practice, Jeff has become a leading expert in his field.


At MGM, where the Chairman of the Board publicly described Jeff as the company’s “superstar," Jeff reported directly to the President and was responsible for all legal aspects of the company's television division. In particular, Jeff negotiated and oversaw the administration of TV output and volume licensing agreements (including such deals as the renewal of the MGM/Showtime pay-TV output agreement in the United States — one of the largest deals in MGM’s history). Jeff also helped establish and supervise the administration of MGM's interests in basic and pay TV channels in Latin America (CineCanal, Telecine, and MGM Networks Latin America), Portugal (Telecine Portugal), Japan (Star Channel), Australia (Optus), Israel (TelAd), India (Zee), and Turkey (Digiturk). Jeff also negotiated co-production and acquisition agreements for films and TV series, supervised and resolved the day-to-day issues of MGM's TV and advertising sales offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Hong Kong, and handled issues involving MGM’s Technical Services, Rights Clearance, and Contract Administration departments.


At Twentieth Century Fox, Jeff created and implemented a program to acquire distribution rights to independent feature films, negotiated and drafted TV output agreements throughout the world, negotiated and drafted co-production and format agreements, administered acquisition of third party libraries (involving a wide variety of contract, collection, and agency issues), and supervised in-house counsel.


At Skouras Pictures, the distributor of acclaimed films such as "The Comfort of Strangers," “My Life As A Dog” and "Blood Simple," Jeff reported directly to the CEO, and managed all aspects of production, acquisition, distribution, financial planning, business affairs, and legal functions. Jeff also was a member of the Board of Directors, participated in taking the company public, and negotiated and implemented a wide variety of agreements, including pay, pay-per-view, syndication, and basic television agreements, international subdistribution licenses, an acquisition and distribution agreement with Paramount Pictures (under which about 30 first-run films were acquired and distributed), a series of joint venture acquisition and distribution agreements, financing agreements, and an asset purchase agreement for the sale of the company's film library. Jeff also oversaw motion picture production (including the negotiation of interparty agreements, talent negotiations, and budget review), and prepared and implemented significant overhead reductions, while liaising with outside counsel, auditors, producers, subdistributors, and lenders.


In his personal life, Jeff has many interests, especially involving world travel and adventure. He is a Director of the Adventurer's Club of Los Angeles, a group of explorers, travelers, journalists, authors and scientists who have gone, for example, to the rough country of Baja California, to the summit of Mount Ararat and the Matterhorn, to the Amazon jungles and over the Humac Mountains into Brazil from French Guiana, to Antarctica and the length of the Mackenzie River to the Artic, to rivers of the Nile and Congo, river runs of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and El Sumidero Canyon of Mexico, to the "Lost World in Venezuela," the jungles of New Guinea, the outback in Australia, on small craft to numerous islands of the Pacific, and to many other places.