Practice Areas

Hrbek Law.  Where Art and Business Meet. Our areas of expertise are arts, entertainment and business law. Most of our clients are independent artists and creative professionals working in the media industry. We prepare and review contracts that arise in the course of business, including customized contracts to use as standard form agreements with our clients' customers, as well as vendor and partner agreements. We take the time to learn how our clients' businesses work in practice, so that the agreements we prepare are tailor made to protect clients against anticipated liabilities, ensure full disclosure where appropriate, and make sure our clients get paid. 

We are accessible. We promptly return phone calls and respond to emails. We act as outside general counsel to our clients so that we are available to answer questions, and to provide quick advice in connection with your business needs as they arise. 

Hrbek Law maintains strong collaborative relationships with colleagues who have expertise in other related fields. This means that we are well equipped to respond to all of our clients' business needs, even when they fall outside of our own areas of practice.

When clients start a new business, or find that they are growing and need to ramp up and get better protection, we help them formalize their operations so that they can conduct themselves more professionally and present in a better light.  More often than not, professionals can be judged by the standard of their standard form contracts and other documents.  It is part of the brand, and properly drafted, subtly serves to communicate the company ethics to people with whom they are discussing potential business relationships.  It is also important to clarify the rights and obligations of partners from the outset.  In addition, help is often needed when partners or collaborators want to "break up."  Hrbek Law can help you manage this difficult negotiations and discussions with the minimum of drama.  Above all else we are practical, and we help you find workable solutions to conflicts before they become unmanageable.

Artists often collaborate with other artists, whether as co-writers or collaborators in a creative venture such as a film production company. Publication of graphic novels and comics, for example, often involve a number of participants and a significant level of collaboration. The rights and obligations of each of the parties need to be thoroughly discussed, agreed upon and documented as early as possible in the relationship, so that there are no misunderstandings later. Hrbek Law can help these artists work out the terms of their professional relationships, and can help work out fair terms of a separation if a collaboration breaks down.