Agencies & Media Companies

Client agreements define the scope of services, payment terms, deliverables, and liability limitations for every engagement. When a client disputes the scope, refuses to pay, or claims the work did not meet expectations, the contract becomes the entire foundation of the dispute. Weak retainer agreements and poorly drafted service contracts are among the most common sources of legal exposure for agencies.

We draft and review retainer agreements, master service agreements, and statement of work templates that clearly define scope, payment terms, deliverables, and liability limitations. Every agreement is reviewed with an eye toward how it performs not just at signing, but when a client pushes back, disputes scope, or refuses to pay.

• Scope of work disputes and deliverable disagreements
• Client payment refusals and retainer disputes
• Limitation of liability gaps that expose the agency
• Missing termination and dispute resolution provisions

Who owns the creative work produced during an agency engagement? Without clear ownership language in the client agreement, this question becomes a dispute. Agencies that develop proprietary methodologies, creative frameworks, and production systems need to protect those assets contractually, and make sure client agreements do not inadvertently transfer ownership of the systems and processes the agency depends on.

We help agencies draft client agreements that clearly define what the client receives and what the agency retains, putting ownership language, licensing terms, and confidentiality provisions in place before an engagement begins. This is especially important for agencies that build repeatable systems and apply similar creative work across multiple clients.

• Client agreements that inadvertently transfer ownership of agency methods
• Creative framework and methodology ownership disputes after engagement ends
• Missing confidentiality and NDA provisions
• Licensing ambiguity across multiple client engagements

Agencies and media companies rely heavily on freelancers, contractors, and talent to deliver work to clients. Without clear contractor agreements that define scope, payment, ownership of work, and confidentiality obligations, agencies face exposure from contractors who claim employee status, dispute payment, or misuse client information after an engagement ends.

We draft contractor and talent agreements that clearly define scope, payment, ownership of deliverables, confidentiality obligations, and classification status. Managing contractor relationships through strong agreements protects the agency from misclassification claims, payment disputes, and ownership conflicts that arise when a contractor relationship ends.

• Contractor misclassification and employee status claims
• Freelancer payment and deliverable disputes
• Ownership conflicts over work product after engagement ends
• Confidentiality violations by former talent

When a key account manager, creative director, or producer leaves an agency, they often take client relationships, proprietary workflows, and institutional knowledge with them. Without enforceable non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, protecting the agency's client base and competitive position after a departure is extremely difficult.

We draft employment agreements and non-compete clauses for key staff, and pursue enforcement when those agreements are violated. Protecting client relationships and proprietary systems starts with having the right documentation in place before a key employee or account manager walks out the door and takes clients with them.

• Account managers departing with client relationships
• Non-compete and non-solicitation enforcement
• Proprietary workflow theft by former employees
• Missing or unenforceable restrictive covenant agreements

Agencies are frequently co-founded by partners whose relationships deteriorate over time. Disputes over profit distributions, client ownership, management decisions, and equity are common, and without clear governing documents and experienced legal counsel, these disputes can consume the business and damage client relationships in the process.

We help agencies structure ownership arrangements, draft partnership and operating agreements, and resolve ownership disputes when they arise. Getting the governance structure right from the beginning, including profit-sharing, client ownership, decision-making authority, and exit provisions. Prevents the most common and most damaging disputes in the industry.

• Co-founder profit distribution and equity disputes
• Client ownership conflicts between departing partners
• Management authority and decision-making conflicts
• Missing or ambiguous operating agreement provisions

Media companies and agencies that produce, publish, or distribute content face exposure when that content crosses a legal line, including defamation claims, right of publicity violations, and copyright infringement. Understanding the legal boundaries of content production and distribution is essential for any business that creates and publishes content at scale.

We help agencies and media companies understand their content liability exposure and put the agreements and review processes in place to reduce it, and defend against defamation, right of publicity, and copyright infringement claims when they arise. Content liability is often an afterthought until a claim appears; we help agencies make it a practice.

• Defamation claims arising from published content
• Right of publicity violations in advertising and media
• Copyright infringement claims from third-party content
• Missing content review and approval processes

Agencies need legal counsel who understands the client relationship model, the contract dynamics of creative work, and the employment realities of a business built on talent and relationships. Pomeranz Law provides practical, business-focused legal counsel that understands how agencies operate and delivers what the business actually needs.

• We understand the client agreement structures and ownership dynamics unique to agencies
• We draft contractor and talent agreements that protect the agency from classification and payment disputes
• We pursue non-compete and non-solicitation enforcement when departing employees take clients
• Transparent, practical counsel without the overhead of a large firm