Eric Kessler is a seasoned entertainment attorney and senior business affairs executive with over a decade of experience negotiating complex deals across film, television, digital media, and branded entertainment. His background bridges creative dealmaking and corporate strategy—spanning traditional studios, new-media ventures, and emerging creator-led businesses.
Eric began his legal career at WarnerMedia, supporting development and production across TNT, TBS, and HBO Max. He later joined Imagine Entertainment, where he ultimately served as Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs and Corporate Counsel.
At Imagine, Eric led negotiations across scripted and unscripted television, features, and brand-backed content—including high-profile projects such as Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), Gringo Hunters (Netflix), and Tiny Chef (Nickelodeon), as well as campaigns with Coca-Cola, Adobe, Apple, and Amazon.
In addition to his production and talent deal work, Eric played a key role in Imagine’s corporate and M&A transactions, helping structure and negotiate strategic investments and partnerships with JAX Media, Jigsaw Productions, Tiny Chef, Apple (First-Look Deal), and Amazon Studios (First-Look Deal). His work contributed to Imagine’s broader expansion into multi-platform content and IP ownership.
Currently, Eric serves as Senior Vice President and Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Lion Forge Entertainment, overseeing legal strategy, corporate partnerships, international IP exploitation, and deal structuring for a diverse slate of animated and live-action content.
Through his independent practice, Eric now brings this studio and corporate experience directly to creative clients and companies, offering Fractional General Counsel, Operations, Strategy, and Business & Legal Affairs consulting built on trust, transparency, and pragmatic deal execution.
WHAT I DO
The focus is simple: I help creative and growth-stage businesses operate with clarity, structure, and confidence.
Outsourced legal leadership for studios, agencies, and creative companies that need experienced counsel without adding headcount.
Services include:
Corporate formation and governance
Contract negotiation and drafting
Intellectual property strategy and protection
Employment and compliance matters
Risk management and dispute avoidance
Creative businesses run on systems. I help design and optimize them.
Services include:
Operational structure and vendor frameworks
Deal pipeline management
Scaling processes and workflow systems
Cross-functional leadership and oversight
Bridging legal, creative, and corporate strategy.
Services include:
Production and distribution deals
Licensing and co-production structures
First-look and overall agreements
Joint ventures and strategic partnerships
M&A advisory and corporate transactions