Legal Question in Entertainment Law in California

Actor terminated contract with agency and manager through certified letter. Actor just got old commercial renewed. Does actor have to continue to pay ex-agency and ex-manager fees since under new contract with commercial?


Asked on 8/04/09, 6:52 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Gordon Firemark Law Offices of Gordon P. Firemark

Probably. Most management agreements provide for the manager to commission any renewals or re-negotiated agreements... BUT, the commission SHOULD be limited to the compensation contained in the old agreement. In other words, manager does NOT get to commission the increased pay actor receives under the renewal, unless the manager negotiated that increase.

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Answered on 8/05/09, 1:19 am
Keith E. Cooper Keith E. Cooper, Esq.

Without seeing your agency agreement, it's impossible to say with certainty, but you can read your agreement and see what it specifies. Under most agent and manager agreements, any work that you obtain while under contract with them is commissionable in perpetuity. That is, as long as you receive income from work you do under a contract you entered into while they represent you (whether they obtained it for you or not), they receive their percentage. If you get a new agent or manager, the new agent or manager should NOT receive commission on old contracts, however.

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Answered on 8/05/09, 1:11 pm


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