Entertainment Law Firm Donaldson Callif Perez Promotes Katy Alimohammadi Crown to Partner (EXCLUSIVE)
Los Angeles-based entertainment law film Donaldson Callif Perez has promoted associate Katy Alimohammadi Crown to partner.
Crown specializes in representing filmmakers in all stages of their projects, including production legal services, rights clearance and distribution. She has established herself as a leading production and clearance attorney, serving as counsel on documentary series such as HBO’s “Music Box,” “The Last Dance,” “Tiger King” and “Random Acts of Flyness.” She has also worked as clearance counsel on scripted projects such as “Bombshell,” “The Front Runner,” “Zola” and “Leave No Trace,” as well as documentaries including “Operation Varsity Blues,” “Circus of Books,” “Shirkers” and the Oscar-nominated films “The Mole Agent” and “Crip Camp.”
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“Katy has been a strong voice at our firm from the first day she arrived. Her love for film and books influences all her work in support of the creative community,” said Michael Donaldson.
Crown has been with Donaldson Callif Perez since joining as a law clerk in 2014. She received her Doctor of Law (J.D.) from the UCLA School of Law. She has also served on the faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television’s Professional Programs, and has been an advisor for the Women’s Center for Creative Work labs.
Over the past 13 years, Donaldson Callif Perez has built a profile within the world of entertainment, and particularly in documentary. The firm advises clients in all aspects of development, production, clearance and distribution matters related to independent film and television productions.
“For the last eight years, Katy has been an instrumental part of our growth as a firm and the development of our firm culture,” said Chris Perez. “She is a tremendous advocate for her clients and has eagerly taken on some of the most impactful – and most challenging – projects in our office. She’s developed into a thought leader both within our firm and in the industry as a whole. I’m proud to stand next to her as partner.”
Some of Crown’s most recent projects include serving as clearance counsel on Jerry Seinfeld’s scripted project “Unfrosted”; “Fyre Fest” director Chris Smith’s Netflix project “Bad Vegan”; and handling production legal and clearance work for A24’s documentary division and clearance on their scripted projects. Her regular clients include Pineapple Street Studios’ podcasts, The Ringer and parent company Spotify, A24, Bron, Women In Film, and Film Independent.
“There’s a misconception that lawyers are always the people in the room saying ‘you can’t do that.’ I was drawn to DCP early in my career because of the firm’s focus on working with filmmakers, rather than against them,” said Crown. “It’s important to the firm that we bring our clients’ creative vision to life without sugarcoating the law or the risks associated with their specific work. It also helps that I get to advise clients whose work I greatly admire, and on the types of projects I would enjoy as a viewer or listener.”
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