Business and Legal Affairs

Kai May’s expertise stems from 15 years of experience in the film industry as a managing director/CEO of film production companies. His area of practice, therefore, covers not only the legal but also the business aspects of film and TV productions and other media and entertainment products. He advises national and international clients on the full life cycle of audiovisual content (film, TV, OTT) from rights acquisition through the stages of development, financing, structuring, and (co-) production, until exploitation and distribution, including the evaluation of film libraries and the improvement of revenue streams. He is also a lecturer at Film University Babelsberg. Kai is Lawyer and Partner at Unverzagt Rechtsanwaltwälte.

Maria-Christine has been managing all legal and business aspects of audio-visual content (film, TV, format), ranging from development (including rights acquisition) to financial structuring, (co-)production, and the distribution of over 400 hours of media content. She has been the interface to talent, producers, broadcasters, major studios, streamers, etc.

In her previous role as the Head of Legal and Business Affairs Content Sales International at ORF Enterprise, she was responsible for ORF and third-party content distribution contracts, applying her acquired knowledge from working at copyright law firms in Munich and Vienna and her postgraduate studies. Maria-Christine is currently Head of Legal at Terra Mater Studios.

Stéphanie Berland is a French qualified lawyer with 20 years of experience in entertainment, media and communication law, intellectual property and technology law, and data protection in both counselling and litigation. Stéphanie is a Partner at DWF in Paris. She graduated from HEC Paris Grande Ecole Program (2000) and holds a master’s degree in business law & tax from Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1).

Charlotte advises clients in the film and TV sector on international, EU and national copyright and regulatory matters. Following her law degree from the University of Copenhagen, she interned with the European Commission, practiced EU competition law in Brussels, and headed the International Video Federation. She maintains a strong personal interest in filmmaking, including as a member of the European Film Academy. She regularly lectures on copyright, AI, and film-making relevant topics, including at the National Film School of Denmark and the International Screen Institute in Vienna.

Stephan entered the film industry in 1989. Key roles included Financial Controller at Constantin Film in Munich, before joining Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company in London in 1994 and becoming a founding shareholder of its sister firm, Hanway Films, in 1998. He served as COO of both companies until 2012. He has been acting as an independent consultant/associate producer since, working with filmmakers such as Wim Wenders (e.g. “Anselm”) or Rupert Everett (“The Happy Prince”), as well as on high-end animation features. He’s currently working on the upcoming “Call Me Queen” by Emily Atef.

Graduated with a master degree in contract law at Leiden University and studied IP law, competition law, copyright law and media law in Berlin.
She did a stint with RTL – Europe’s second-largest TV, radio, and production company. Within her current role at Fintage, she has over 15 years’ experience in negotiating Collection Account Management agreements for film and television projects, dealing with a variety of legal issues, from KYC-related topics to the specifics of dealing with the US guilds. Furthermore, she is maintaining relationships with clients, including film funds such as Eurimages and the BFI and the US guilds.

Christos specialises in all aspects of the production, financing, and distribution of film and TV, with a particular focus on complex, multi-party structured arrangements and studio/streamer deals. His diverse list of clients includes award-winning producers, innovative financiers, and industry-leading sales agents. The legal directories Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 rank Christos as a leader in his field. Clients describe him as “an excellent lawyer” who is “very well connected in the industry”.

Mark Byrne has been Group Head of Business Affairs at Element Pictures since 2012. Current films include the Academy Award-winning Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures/Film4), written by Tony McNamara and starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, which won the Golden Lion in Venice and Best Picture Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and four Academy Awards, including Best Actress. Prior to joining Element Pictures, Mark spent 6 years with the Irish Film Board as Head of Legal Affairs. Mark is also a member of BAFTA and the European Film Academy.

Paolo Galli is a partner of the IP & Technology Practice Group of Baker McKenzie Italy. Paolo is adjunct professor at the University of Pavia, where he takes regular courses on IP and Competition law. He has a PHD in IP and private law and he is the author of many publications on IP and media-related matters, on both national and international reviews. Paolo main interests focus in the areas of media, AI, intellectual property, including copyright and related rights and competition law. He regularly advises leading industry and primary international media companies and is involved on an almost daily basis in his clients’ relationships with major Italian and foreign rights holders and local regulatory authorities. Paolo is the author of many publications on copyright and IP related topics.