
Managing Partner at Equity Legal Partners
San Francisco Bay Area

Managing Partner at Equity Legal Partners
San Francisco Bay Area
Robert Preskill works toward completion of transactions by professionals and companies in traditional entertainment and publishing, new media, video game dev., Web2.0 and software companies. Transactions frequently involve licensing and related deal models. Preskill also represents franchises including restaurant, hospitality, and event companies. Hel works with certain industry experts such in literary, entertainment, music licensing to facilitate transactions, and often manages licensed properties or catalogs of properties (books, music, film).
Preskill is licensed to practice in California and Illinois.
DETAILS
*Structures and negotiates deals for traditional (film, book, music) and non-traditional (gaming, animation, tech) entertainment/media companies.
*Counsels authors and artists seeking broader rights opportunities for publishing and production companies.
*Addresses protection of IP and drafting and filing requirements of licensing- or franchise- based businesses.
OVERVIEW
2000. Co-founded a West Coast based literary agency and sold several books (by award winning authors, best sellers and others) to major publishing houses.
2002. Formed a California law practice, described above.
August 2005-2007. Expanded law practice into the Chicago-based market.
March 2007. Merged practice into a Silicon Valley-based corporate, securities boutique firm.
August 2008. Expanded practice into San Francisco.
ADDITIONAL
2003. Served on the board of Small Press Distribution, a 35-year non-profit serving small presses.
2003- present. Active panel member for California Lawyers for the Arts.
2005- present Board member of Z Space Studio, a theater development and production organization.
web 2.0 representation, multiplatform entertainment licensing, data licensing, technology licensing, media licensing, literary rights transactions and disputes, entertainment contract drafting, music licensing, representation of talent and talent agencies, representation of music labels and producers, film deals, advertising agency representation, video game licensing, franchise law, multimedia agreements, corporate law, and trademark registration, copyright protection.
(Law Practice industry)
January 2009 — Present (7 months)
We are a transactional media and technology law practice and a division of Heller Immigration Law Group. We provide corporate, licensing, IP, and employment related services; leverage international opportunies; and can provide a contract General Counsel function for companies. We also provide traditional media and entertainment law services.
(Entertainment industry)
December 2002 — December 2008 (6 years 1 month)
Legal representative to artists and emerging companies in entertainment, media, technolgy, leisure and hospitality. Areas of practice include licensing, trademark, copyright, franchise, and media/entertainment. Of Counsel to The Corporate Law Group, and consultant to Veritas Literary Agency.
(Law Practice industry)
April 2007 — June 2008 (1 year 3 months)
(Publishing industry)
January 2000 — March 2007 (7 years 3 months)
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; MGH; Publishing industry)
1998 — 2000 (2 years)
Outside sales rep of books and software solutions in the category of business and economics. Exceeded goal and developed textbook adoptions over a 15 campus territory by meeting with professors and administrators to discuss their syllabus and classroom needs. Utilized editors, authors and managers and spoke to panels of professors in order to secure larger adoptions. Liased with book stores to ensure books were being ordered and received on time, and prominently placed and sold as ordered. Created packages involving software and other technology to avoid deterioration of projected sales from used books.
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; MGH; Publishing industry)
1996 — 1998 (2 years)
See below.
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; MGH; Publishing industry)
1995 — 1996 (1 year)
Led teams of editors, designers, vendors and authors. Managed the budget, timing, and editorial/production quality of 15 to 20 projects from manuscript to warehoused book.
(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
January 1994 — October 1994 (10 months)
The job which served as a transition between law school and whatever would come next turned out to be the cocktail party conversation of the year. I worked indirectly for Michele Obama, who was a courteous and driven leader. Public Allies was a product of Clinton Americorps funding, and that money was going to leadership programs for city-based youth. There was a lot of positive energy in that small office, and that must have started from the top.
Advisor to University of Southern California College of Law IP and Technology Law Clinic. Board of Directors, Z SPACE STUDIO / WORD FOR WORD, a San Francisco Based Theater, Formerly Board of Directors, Small Press Distribution (SPD), a 35 year old non-profit distributing independently published books. Formerly Associate Editor, Another Chicago Magazine. Panel Member, California Lawyers for the Arts. California Bar, Illinois Bar