Oct. 15, 2015
Interactive Entertainment Law Group
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with it giving rise to today's expansive video gaming culture, relatively few law
firms have dedicated their practice to the video gaming industry.
Interactive Entertainment Law Group distinguishes itself as a firm dedicated to the
video games industry specializing in intellectual property, privacy, corporate transactions
and trademarks disputes.
"Ten years ago, very few attorneys would take the risk of dedicating 100 percent of
their practice to the games industry," said Interactive Entertainment Law Group's
founding partner Patrick Sweeney. "But in today's market, there is a clear need for
just that kind of practice."
Since opening in 2013, Interactive Entertainment Law Group has worked with nearly
100 clients ranging from startups to publicly-traded companies, movie studios, publishers
and developers that include GameStop, Bandai Namco Entertainment, D3 Publisher Inc.,
Havok and Lions Gate Films Inc.
For Sweeney, understanding the industry means staying on top of the latest trends.
Sweeney has watched, and taken in part in, the rise of free-to-play, tablet and mobile
gaming such as in a recent case where the firm represented a startup mobile games
company. In that deal, Sweeney represented the startup, worked with their talent agent
to help them find a deal and negotiated the winning offer.
"Like any good advocate for their clients you pay attention to the trends, follow
where the business is going and where your clients are going," Sweeney said.
Interactive Entertainment Law Group is already looking onto what they see as the next
horizon in gaming - Virtual Reality. In another recent case, Interactive Entertainment
Law Group helped a virtual reality development studio negotiate the virtual reality
rights to the "Paranormal Activity" movie franchise to be adapted into a new horror
game.
"Virtual Reality is very promising and I think it can open a lot of opportunities,
streaming services are going to be an area to watch," Sweeney said.
With more than 15 years of experience as an attorney for the gaming industry, Sweeney
has aided in negotiations for development agreements leading to the release of more
than 250 games and has represented clients regarding game rights for more than 50
major motion pictures and television properties.
Sweeney also serves on the advisory board of Interactive Entertainment Professionals,
an online educational program for industry employees, and is the founding member of
the Video Game Bar Association, a non-profit networking association for lawyers in
the interactive entertainment and games space.
Interactive Entertainment Law Group's two other attorneys, Mona Ibrahim and David
Schnider, have more than 20 years combined experience in representing entertainment
companies. Sweeney said he has developed a small team of specialized attorneys who
are more immersed in the video games industry than "any big law firm out there."
"Our niche is in the individual experience, there is not a big law firm in the United
States that has the breadth of experience in the game industry that the three lawyers
here have," he said.
-RYAN VAN VELZER
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