WAM Entertainment Law is pleased to announce that the firm’s founder, CEO & Managing Partner Alexa M. Whiteside has been named a 2026 North Carolina Rising Stars honoree by Super Lawyers in Media & Entertainment.
Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have demonstrated notable professional achievement and peer recognition. The Rising Stars distinction is awarded through a multiphase selection process that includes peer nominations, independent research, and professional evaluation, with only a small percentage of attorneys in each state selected annually.
A Practice Focused on Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership in Entertainment Law
Alexa founded WAM Entertainment Law in April of last year to provide sophisticated legal counsel to creatives, entrepreneurs, and content-driven businesses operating in film, television, publishing, and digital media. Prior to launching the firm, Alexa had served as production and legal counsel for over 150 film, television, and digital media productions, as well as the vice president of business affairs for a major production and distribution company. Since launching the firm, she has continued to advise on a range of production, intellectual property, and transactional matters, supporting clients through development, financing, production, and distribution phases.
Her legal practice spans across media and entertainment law, business formation, contract negotiation, intellectual property protection, and strategic advisory services for creative, media, and entrepreneurial clients with particular focus on production legal services, rights and clearances, distribution, and transactional structuring for content-driven and creative-driven businesses. By combining industry experience with legal precision, Alexa advises clients navigating the evolving landscape of film, television, publishing, digital media, and related sectors. Her practice is designed to align legal structure with creative and commercial growth.
Earlier in January of this year, Alexa was also inducted in North Carolina as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a national honor society of attorneys and judges. Fellows are nominated by their peers and selected based on professional achievement, integrity, and dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and the rule of law and represent just 1% of licensed attorneys in each jurisdiction.
Alexa’s commitment to service extends beyond client work. In 2025, she served as co-chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee and provided more than 75 hours of pro bono legal services, working with such legal aid service providers as North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Wills for Heroes program, New York Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and California Lawyers for the Arts. She also donated her time as an active industry educator and speaker, speaking with such organizations as the Alliance of Women Directors, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, the Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Alliance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and others.
North Carolina Film and Television Industry Growth
This recognition comes amid continued expansion in North Carolina’s film and television industry. Recent reporting reflects that North Carolina film and television productions generated more than $185 million in direct in-state spending in 2025, marking one of the strongest years under the state’s current incentive program. Production activity across features, series, commercials, and independent projects continues to contribute meaningfully to the state’s economy and workforce.
As regional production increases, so does the need for experienced counsel who understands both transactional structuring and the practical realities of production. The growth of the industry underscores the importance of sophisticated legal support for creators and businesses operating within it.
ABOUT WAM ENTERTAINMENT LAW
WAM Entertainment Law serves clients in California, New York, and North Carolina. The firm provides legal counsel to creatives, entrepreneurs, and content-driven companies seeking to protect, structure, and scale their work in a competitive marketplace.
To learn more about Alexa’s practice and the firm, visit our About Us section.
Read the 2026 publication of North Carolina Super Lawyers HERE and find Alexa on pages 36 and 39.