YOGA STUDIOS
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HAIR SALONS
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STARTUPS
Business Formation. Owner’s agreements. Initial Financing. Intellectual property protection and licensing.
FREELANCERS
Work-for-hire and employment agreement drafting and review. Copyright and trademark protection and search for creative work.
CREATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS
Employee and independent contractor issues. Commercial leases. Contract drafting and review. Brand Managers-Trademark and trade dress protection and infringement.
WEB DEVELOPERS
Domain name and cybersquatting issues. Defamation and privacy concerns. Trademark, copyright, and trade dress infringement and protection.
ADVERTISING AGENCIES
Disclosures and disclaimers. Sweepstakes and contests. Intellectual property infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition.
SCREENWRITERS
Nondisclosure agreements and submission releases. Writer’s service agreements. Joint authorship collaboration agreements and assignments. Rights acquisition and purchase agreements.
AUTHORS
Copyright application and infringement. Negotiation of grants of rights, royalties, and other publishing contract provisions. Legal advice and counsel. Need help with your book proposal? Check out Propose My Book!
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Business formation. Permissions, model releases, contracts, and licensing agreements. Copyright registration and infringement.
VISUAL ARTISTS
Legal advice for sculptors, painters, and other artists. Copyright registration. Licensing for reproduction and other rights. Contract drafting, review, and negotiation for sales of art.
FASHION DESIGNERS
Legal advice. Protection for elements of apparel, accessories, and footwear, trademarks, and trade dress.
ACTORS
Contract drafting, review and negotiation.
MODELS
Intellectual property rights. Dissolution and formation of relationships between models, agencies, and clients. Privacy rights.
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Business formation. Employee and independent contractor/work-for-hire agreements. Copyright and trademark protection and licensing.
SMALL PRESS PUBLISHERS
Publishing contracts and reprinter agreements. Employer and employee issues.
PRODUCERS
Cast and crew hiring and employment contracts and legal issues. Film licensing and distribution rights acquisition agreements. Music licensing.
ILLUSTRATORS
Contract drafting, review, and negotiation. Copyright registrations and trademark applications. Licensing of illustration rights.
INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS
Negotiating, drafting, and reviewing production and distribution contracts. Copyrights. Music licenses.
DESIGN STUDIOS
Intellectual property protection. Business organization or formation. Employee and freelancer issues. Print and digital design contract drafting, review, and negotiation.
DANCE COMPANIES
Business formation. Intellectual property protection. Publicity rights. Labor and employment issues.
VIDEO-GAME DESIGNERS
Negotiation and review of independent contractor agreements. Copyright and trademarks.
VOICE-OVER ARTISTS
Contract review and negotiations. Licensing issues.
COMEDIANS
Copyright infringement. Defamation claims and defenses. Contract review, drafting, and negotiation. Management agreements.
YOGA STUDIOS
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HAIR SALONS
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ART STUDIOS
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TATTOO PARLOR
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Creatives' Legal Program
The Creatives’ Legal Program is an innovative legal subscription service (the first of its’ kind in Oregon!) that helps creative businesses address and understand their legal needs proactively. Upon joining this Program, creatives can schedule a phone call anytime or send in documents for review at any time. In addition, all members get 15% off legal services not covered by their plan (and these benefits grow with time!).
About Nicole
I’m an Attorney in Portland, Oregon. I started doing creative business law after attending an aptitude training in which I learned my strongest aptitude was in music and creative areas. I then decided to practice Estate Planning when I realized that there were not enough lawyers in this area working with single individuals or individuals without children and creative business owners.
About three years ago, my cousin Christopher died unexpectedly. My entire family was devastated. Christopher was funny, smart, kind, and awesome. Plus, my family is very close knit. What made his death even more devastating was what happened afterwards. You see, Christopher was not only single, he also owned several businesses in creative areas- yoga, juggling, a coffee shop, etc. The hardest part of Christopher’s death was what his family had to sort through afterwards. Christopher DID NOT have any estate plan in place whatsoever. This meant that his brother had to work with attorneys while Christopher’s assets went through probate. Not only was this process expensive, it was also time-consuming and scary! It was scary because if there is no plan in place, someone’s assets can go to someone they would have never wanted them going to in the first place. In addition, Christopher literally had assets all over the place and no instructions for how they were to be handled. Not fun.
This whole situation taught me a very important lesson: Even if you think you don’t need a plan in place or that you don’t have an “estate”- you need something. Even if it’s just a will (although that won’t necessarily save you from probate). Seriously though, anything is better than a “do nothing” plan like Christopher’s. Nobody’s family should have to go through more hassle and spend so much time and money on settling an estate after that person dies simply because they never did anything.
That’s why I started my firm. Creative business owners and single people need someone on their side, to guide them through what may seem like an overwhelming process. That’s my purpose.
If you’re interested in my credentials, here they are:
Northwestern School of Law, J.D., 2014.
Scripps College, B.A. Psychology, 2008.
Oregon Bar Member (2015)
Member of: Oregon Women Lawyers, Oregon State Bar Estate Planning Section,
E-women’s Network, ABA.