WAM Entertainment Law is a Chamber’s Spotlight-recognized entertainment law firm specializing in tailored transactional legal services for filmmakers, producers, distributors, media companies, and content creators across film, television, literary publishing, and digital media. Founded by entertainment attorney Alexa Whiteside and based in North Carolina, the firm maintains an active multi-state practice serving clients in California, New York, North Carolina, and throughout the entertainment industry. The firm provides comprehensive legal support throughout the content and intellectual property lifecycle, including development and production financing, corporate formation and equity structuring, clearance and rights opinions, fair use analysis, talent and crew agreements, distribution and licensing, catalogue management, and copyright and trademark prosecution.
We believe entertainment legal services should be rooted in understanding storytelling, not just transaction management. Storytellers, filmmakers, producers, independent artists, executives, and the teams that support them need legal counsel that grasps the unique challenges of bringing diverse stories to audiences, from securing financing for your production to managing rights across distribution channels. That’s why WAM Entertainment Law, a North Carolina entertainment law firm also licensed in California and New York, takes a collaborative, artist-first approach to entertainment law practice. We work as partners in your creative journey, ensuring that legal strategy protects and enhances your vision rather than constraining it. Whether you’re building a production company, clearing rights for complex projects, or scaling your media portfolio, our goal is to provide strategic entertainment legal guidance that lets you focus on what you do best: creating.
A filmmaker turned attorney, Ms. Whiteside brings nearly two decades of direct entertainment industry experience, both on and off the set, and is licensed to practice in California, New York, and North Carolina. With over 150 production credits and roles spanning independent producer, casting associate, vice president of business affairs for a major media company, and entertainment attorney, she has represented and served as general counsel for filmmakers, producers, distributors, authors, and content creators across platforms and mediums and a wide range of budget levels from micro-budgets to multi-million dollar productions.
Our Services
Production Legal & Distribution Legal Services
Comprehensive or à la carte transactional production and distribution legal services for your production from development through distribution and delivery to your partners, modified to your individual project’s needs and budget.
Rights, Trademarks, Clearances, and Fair Use
Transactional rights and clearances legal services ranging from copyright & trademark registration and clearance paperwork drafting and negotiation to fair use and personal rights opinion letters and script/film/episodic clearance reports and related rights & clearance guidance.
Literary Publishing Legal Services
Comprehensive or à la carte transactional legal services for the sale and acquisition of your literary work as well as a la carte drafting, negotiation, and finalization of paperwork related to subsequent and derivative works (such as film adaptations, etc.).
General Representation for Entertainment Professionals
General counsel and business and legal affairs assistance for individuals and companies in film, television, literary publishing, and other entertainment fields.
A world of possibilities
Interested in starting your legal journey? The first step in potential legal representation is an initial consultation call so that we can understand your legal needs and collect initial information on your project or entertainment legal needs to perform a conflicts check and ensure attorney availability.
