Whether you are an investor or a member of a corporation, when you hire a production company to provide production services for a motion picture, original television project or original online content, there are several things to think about before and after signing that production services agreement. Make sure the agreement is specific The agreement should specify [...]

Our latest Media Clips Blog Podcast gives an overview of blockchain and cryptocurrency investing in the Entertainment and Media industry. Click here to hear from GHJ partner Ilan Haimoff and Josh Lawler of Zuber Lawler and Del Duca LLP on key areas of opportunities and risks for investors and how entertainment companies can prepare themselves for the future.

Introduction Companies such as Nestlé and Kellogg are investing in low FODMAP products to deal with the demand from over 40 million North Americans and many more people worldwide living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). While the awareness of FODMAP diets and their benefits is limited in the United States, the awareness in Australia is widespread and encourages [...]

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) has made significant changes to the tax laws, including the enactment of sections 1400Z-1 and 1400Z-2, also known as the Opportunity Zones (OZ), in order to encourage investment into distressed and low-income communities throughout the United States. Under the OZ program, investors may generally defer tax on prior capital gains [...]

Background As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) enacted at the end of 2017, a new Internal Revenue Code Section 199A (“Section 199A”) was created to provide a 20-percent deduction for owners of pass-through entities (partnerships, S-Corporations and sole proprietors) for taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017. Although the goal of Section 199A is to pro [...]

Background On Dec. 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), modified certain provisions of the Income Tax Code. One of the most significant changes was the ability to expense 100 percent of the cost of certain eligible property in the year it is placed in service. Detailed information on the changes to bonus depreciation under the TCJA is available on our prior [...]

On July 26, 2018, GHJ’ (GHJ’s) Motion Picture and Television Participations Services team hosted the second edition of its 2018-2019 Happy Hour series, with the goal of connecting Entertainment Industry professionals with one another in a casual setting. During this event, Ben Sheppard, GHJ principal, held a Q&A session with Tom Ara, partner at Greenberg Traurig, wh [...]

Starting from its genesis on Jan. 3, 2009, the taxation of Bitcoin transactions, as well as other cryptocurrencies (further referred to as “Altcoins”) that emerged using Bitcoin’s open source code, has been the subject of conversation for many novice investors and crypto enthusiasts alike. However, it was not until the sudden increase to the total market capitalizatio [...]

This was originally published in the Los Angeles Business Journal on July 30, 2018. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple said that,“Inclusion of diversity inspires innovation. The best companies in the land will be the most diverse.” Apple has long been the standard bearer for innovation. It is rare for the topic of innovation to occur without mention of Apple’s history of d [...]

Sunrise at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park – by Yan Jiang April 2018 I am fortunate to work with a Firm that encourages you to purse your passions. GHJ believes that when we allow ourselves to devote time and #BeMore to our personal passions, we in turn can better serve our clients. When I put time into my passion of photography, I feel better eq [...]