Alex A. Akhavan

Alex Akhavan is an associate in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in the firm's Century City office.

Areas of Practice

Over the course of Alex’s career, he has nurtured a passion for international business and the entertainment industry.  Today, he represents producers, studios, media companies and networks in connection with entertainment productions throughout the United States and around the world (including in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Nigeria, South Korea, New Zealand, U.A.E., the U.K., Spain, Italy and France).

Alex leads Sheppard’s Disney Television Animation and Amazon Studios’ unscripted teams, and he also serves as the point of contact for the firm’s pro bono client, the Los Angeles Opera.

He regularly negotiates a variety of development and production agreements on behalf of Disney, Amazon, and Univision in connection with their live action, animated, scripted and unscripted film and television projects. He has also advised Gaumont International Television (El Presidente) on clearance and production matters and served as production counsel to Campanario Entertainment for Selena: The Series on Netflix.

Alex received his law degree from the UCLA School of Law where he was a board member of the UCLA Law Review and specialized in Entertainment, Media and Intellectual Property law.  He received his B.A. from Tufts University where he double majored in international relations and philosophy.  He is a member of Sheppard Mullin’s French and Latin America teams.

A history buff, Alex produces and hosts a podcast about constitutional law called “May It Please the Court,” which tells stories about the Supreme Court of the United States in a narrative episodic format.

When not working, Alex can be found cooking up a storm, playing fetch with his dog, and watching documentaries (usually at the same time).

Experience

Representative Matters

• Negotiated Overall Agreements on behalf of Disney Television Animation with high-level talent, including Kevin Deters, Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton, Sabrina Cotugno, Natasha Kline, Craig Gerber, Bruce Smith, and Ralph Farquhar.
• Negotiated talent agreements on behalf of Amazon Studios with Judge Judith Scheindlin (Judy Justice) and Jay Baruchel (LOL: Canada).
• Counsel to Univision in connection with various entertainment projects in development and production.
• Advised Amazon Studios in its acquisition of certain rights regarding Asghar Farhadi’s film, A Hero, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.
• Represented Disney Television Animation in negotiations relating to the development and production of Monsters at Work, Big City Greens, Amphibia, The Owl House, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, The Ghost and Molly McGee, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and many other animated projects.
• Represented Amazon Studios and IMDbTV in connection with development and production agreements for a variety of unscripted projects, including Judy Justice, Shatner in Space, Making the Cut, Savage X Fenty Fashion Show, Luxe Listings Sydney, Top Class, and LOL: Canada.
• Managed and negotiated all Visual Effects Agreements in connection with Amazon’s production of The Lord of the Rings.
• Production counsel to Campanario Entertainment in connection with Selena: The Series on Netflix.
• Advised Amazon Studios on chain-of-title matters in connection with its recent acquisition of MGM.
• Counsel to Gaumont International Television regarding various clearance and production matters in connection with “El Presidente”.
• Counsel to the Los Angeles Opera.

Honors

Ones to Watch - Entertainment and Sports, Best Lawyers, 2021-2023

Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Up Next, 2023

Articles

Entertainment Law Blog Posts

• "The Future of Watching Sports," April 12, 2021

Digital Media