Marcie Cleary

Marcie Cleary is a partner in the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit, representing clients in the film, television, digital, and book publishing industries.

Ms. Cleary structures and negotiates entertainment transactions for individual and corporate clients in the film, television, digital, and book publishing industries. Her clients include actors, news correspondents, writers, directors, producers, authors, podcasters and influencers.

Ms. Cleary has significant experience representing comedians in connection with deals for stand-up specials, television and digital series, motion pictures, and recorded albums. Ms. Cleary also has become one of the podcast industry’s go-to lawyers. She represents a number of successful podcast creators, hosts, on-air talent, and producers, as well as underlying rights holders.

Before joining Frankfurt Kurnit, Ms. Cleary was a corporate associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP where her experience included advising William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) on its strategic partnership with, and sale of a minority interest to, Silver Lake, and advising Apollo Global Management on its acquisition of CKX, Inc., an owner of rights to the American Idol franchise and the Elvis Presley Estate.

Ms. Cleary is recognized by The Hollywood Reporter in its 2021 Power Lawyers list of the Top 20 Entertainment Lawyers in New York. She is recognized by Variety in its 2021-2022 Dealmakers Impact Report and in Variety’s 2023-2020 Legal Impact Report. She was previously recognized in the Up Next List of Variety’s 2018 Legal Impact Report. She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the 2023-2024 editions of “Ones to Watch” for Entertainment and Sports Law. Chambers USA includes her in the 2023 edition for Entertainment & Media: Advisory. She also was recognized in the 2022 and 2023 editions of The Legal 500 for her expertise in media & entertainment law. Business Insider includes her in their list of the thirteen leading attorneys who work with digital creators and influencers. She has also been recognized in Super Lawyers magazine as a “Rising Star” in the Entertainment & Sports field. 

Ms. Cleary is a member of the New York University Lawyer Alumni Mentoring Program Advisory Board, the Harlem School of the Arts Associate Board, and the Board of Comedy Gives Back. Ms. Cleary is also a lecturer at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. She is admitted to practice in New York.

awards & recognition

The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers 2021: New York's Top 20 Entertainment Attorneys

Variety's Legal Impact Report (2020-2023)

Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch" (2021-2024) 

Chambers USA - Media & Entertainment: Advisory (2023)

The Legal 500 for Media and Entertainment (2022-2023)

Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report (2021-2022)

Super Lawyers New York Metro Rising Star (2020-2021)

Variety's "Up Next" List of the 2018 Legal Impact Report

Business Insider - Top 13 Leading Attorneys 

education

Yale Law School (J.D.)

  -Editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Technology

  -President of the Yale Entertainment and Sports Law Society

New York University (B.A., magna cum laude)

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Past Speaking Engagements

Diverse Representation: Creating a Thriving Career in TV and Film

Marcie Cleary is on the panel, “Creating a Thriving Career in TV and Film” during an event hosted by Diverse Representation.

October 25 2022

CalCPA’s 52nd Annual Entertainment Industry Conference

Marcie Cleary is a speaker during CalCPA’s 52nd Annual Entertainment Industry Conference. Read more.

June 21 2022

USC Digital Entertainment Class

Marcie Cleary speaks to the University of Southern California’s Digital Entertainment Class during their class session on, “The Legalities” (Deal Points, Rights, and Talent Agreements). 

March 31 2022

Northwestern Arts & Entertainment Law Week.

Marcie Cleary participates on a Virtual Film/TV Panel during Northwestern Arts & Entertainment Law Week.

January 27 2022

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film

Marcie Cleary speaks to UT Austin's Development for Screenwriters class on her role as an entertainment attorney.

October 1 2021

Diverse Representation Portal Conversation

Marcie Cleary participates in a Portal Conversation sponsored by Diverse Representation on the roles of an entertainment attorney.

June 22 2021

Marcie Cleary and Yale Law

Marcie Cleary speaks to Yale Law School’s Visual Law Project and the Yale Entertainment and Sports Law Association on careers in entertainment law.

April 16 2021

Clubhouse Series: How Clubhouse is Changing the Podcast Game

Join Hannah Taylor (@hannahetaylor) and Marcie Cleary (@marciecleary) on the Clubhouse app for a discussion on how Clubhouse is changing the podcast game. To participate, join Hannah’s room, The Laws of Advertising, on March 18 at 2pm EST. 

March 18 2021

Unlock Her Potential: The Art of Negotiation

Marcie Cleary presents “The Art of Negotiation” during a Build UP session with Unlock Her Potential founder, Sophia Chang.

December 12 2020

Athena Pre-Law Society: Entertainment Law Event

Marcie Cleary is a guest speaker during the Athena Pre-Law Society at Barnard College’s Zoom event introducing students to entertainment law.

November 16 2020

Women in Law Series

Marcie Cleary presents “Navigating the Path to Partnership” during a Women in Law Series presented by Teale & Co.

November 5 2020

Yale Law School - Lawyers as Leaders: The Art of Successful Advocacy and Leadership

Marcie Cleary speaks to Yale Law students on her leadership journey in private practice, including building out her practice in entertainment law during the Yale Law & Business Society’s Lawyers as Leaders program.

October 15 2020

COVID-19 & the Entertainment Business: Survival Tips for Creatives (Part II)

Lisa E. Davis and Marcie Cleary speak during the Diverse Representation webinar "COVID-19 & the Entertainment Business: Survival Tips for Creatives (Part II)" focusing on questions from creatives about the current production landscape. Register here.

April 29 2020

COVID-19 & The Entertainment Business: Survival Tips for Creatives

Lisa E. Davis and Marcie Cleary speak during the Diverse Representation webinar "COVID-19 & The Entertainment Business: Survival Tips for Creatives."

April 14 2020

People of Color in Entertainment

Marcie Cleary speaks on the business panel at the People of Color in Entertainment program in Los Angeles.

February 29 2020

National Bar Association’s 94th Annual Convention

Marcie Cleary presents “Representing the Culture Creators in the Digital Era” during a panel at the National Bar Association’s 94th Annual Convention at the Sheraton New York Times Square in New York City.

July 23 2019

The Business of Comedy: How to Get Representation

Marcie Cleary presents “The Business of Comedy: How to Get Representation” during a panel hosted by Stark White Entertainment in New York City.

July 9 2019

American Black Film Festival

Lisa E. Davis, Marcie Cleary and Sean Jefferson present “Making the Deal – Knowing What Matters” during a master class at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach.

June 15 2019

Richard Heller and Marcie Cleary at Pace University

Richard Heller and Marcie Cleary present to China Publishing Group executives as part of Pace University's Executive Education series. Richard and Marcie describe different deal structures used by US studios and distributors.

June 10 2019

Marcie Cleary at Yale Law School

Marcie Cleary presents “Creativity and the Law: Alternative Creative Careers and the Business and Legal Issues Entertainment Lawyers Tackle” at Yale Law School in New Haven, CT.

April 4 2019

Marcie Cleary is a Guest Lecturer at NYU Law’s “Lawyering” Class

Marcie Cleary has been invited to guest lecture at New York University Law's "Lawyering" class. 

February 20 2019

Marcie Cleary at the She Makes Me Laugh Festival

Marcie Cleary speaks on the panel “The Business of Comedy” at the She Makes Me Laugh Festival in New York City.

October 13 2018

New York Television Festival 2018

Richard Hofstetter and Marcie Cleary present Navigating Your First Deal, a legal Q&A session, at the New York Television Festival beginning at 2PM at the Helen Mills Theater

July 19 2018

New York University’s 29th Annual Academic Achievement Program Gala

Marcie Cleary is the keynote speaker at New York University’s 29th Annual Academic Achievement Program (AAP) Gala.

April 28 2018

The Future of Entertainment and Digital Media

Marcie Cleary speaks on a panel about the future of entertainment and digital media for the Entertainment and Sports Law Society at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

April 3 2018

CLE Presentation and Meeting of the Cardozo Alumni Fashion Law Practice Group

Marcie Cleary and Michael William’s present “Contracts on the Catwalk: Legal Issues In Today’s Fashion Shows” during the Cardozo Alumni Fashion Law Practice Group’s November event. 

November 14 2017

New York Television Festival 2017

Richard Hofstetter, Julie Murray and Marcie Cleary present a Legal Q&A Session at the New York Television Festival beginning at 10AM at the Helen Mills Theater.

October 24 2017

Fordham Law School Guest Speakers

Rachel Santori and Marcie Cleary guest lecture at Fordham Law School on March 12th for a class on intellectual property and entertainment issues.

March 12 2015

Black Achievement in Sports and Entertainment Law

Marcie Cleary participates in a panel hosted by Brooklyn Law School and St. John’s School of Law’s Black Law Students Association on Black Achievement in Sports and Entertainment Law featuring attorneys from CBS Sports, Bad Boy Entertainment, and Arent Fox.

February 25 2015

Fashion Law Panel

Marcie Cleary speaks on a Fashion Law Panel at Brooklyn Law School. Other speakers include counsel from Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors.

November 10 2014

NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development

Marcie Cleary speaks at the "Exploring Legal Careers" workshop held by the Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU.

October 21 2014

New York University

Marcie Cleary participates in NYU's "Spotlight on Legal Careers".

October 30 2013

news & press

40 Frankfurt Kurnit Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers New York Metro List for 2023

Super Lawyers magazine lists 40 Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in its 2023 NY-metro edition. Read more.

#FromTheFrontLines: These Entertainment Lawyers Break Down What Black Creatives Are Striking For

Essence spoke with Marcie Cleary on the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes over ongoing labor disputes with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. View Article

The Best Lawyers in America 2024

Best Lawyers in America recognizes 45 Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in the 2024 edition. Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit in The Legal 500 2023

The Legal 500 once again praises Frankfurt Kurnit practice groups and attorneys in the 2023 edition of their United States guide. Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit in Chambers USA 2023

For the 19th consecutive year, Chambers and Partners includes Frankfurt Kurnit practice groups & attorneys. The 2023 USA guide praises our Advertising, Entertainment, Intellectual Property, and Privacy & Data Security practices. In addition,15 of our attorneys are ranked individually. Read more.

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2023: Hollywood’s Top Entertainment Dealmakers and Litigators

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2023 includes Marcie Cleary, Victoria Cook, Melissa Georges, Julie Murray, and Dionne Gordon. Saphya Council is included as an “Up Next” honoree. View Article

‘Insecure’ And ‘Ginny And Georgia’ Writer Mike Gauyo Signs With M88

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to 'Insecure' and 'Ginny And Georgia' writer Mike Gauyo, who has just signed with M88. View Article

ESPN Andscape’s Kelly L. Carter Elevated to Entertainment Correspondent Across All ABC News Properties

Variety mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to Emmy-winning journalist, Kelly Carter, who signed a multi-year deal with ABC as an entertainment reporter for all shows at ABC and ABC News. View Article

Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report 2022: Tough Times Take Tough Negotiators

Variety includes Marcie Cleary and Andrew Hurwitz in their Dealmakers Impact Report for 2022. Read more.

Exploring Digital Revenue Streams from New Media

Marcie Cleary is a guest on the Media Clips Podcast discussing ways her clients are expanding new media, and exploring the revenue streams that accompany these new opportunities. Listen here.

‘Flatbush Misdemeanors’ Co-Creator & Star Kevin Iso Signs With Artists First

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to Kevin Iso. View Article

Hulu Nabs ‘Phony’ Comedy From ‘Marcel The Shell’s Nick Paley With Big Commitment; Drew Goddard To EP

Deadline mentions Victoria Cook and Marcie Cleary as counsel to writer Nick Paley. View Article

The Best Lawyers in America 2023

We are pleased to report that Best Lawyers — the oldest and one of the most respected peer reviewed lawyer recommendation services — continues to recommend Frankfurt Kurnit. Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit in The Legal 500 2022

The Legal 500 once again praises Frankfurt Kurnit practice groups and attorneys in the 2022 edition of their United States guide. Read more.

52nd Annual Entertainment Industry Conference

Patch mentions Marcie Cleary as a speaker during CalCPA’s 52nd Annual Entertainment Industry Conference. View Article

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2022: Top Attorneys Winning Cases and Making Deals

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2022 includes Marcie Cleary, Andrew Hurwitz, and Sasha Levites. Dorian Slater Thomas is included as an “Up Next” honoree. Read more.

Get It In Writing with Sasha H. Levites and Marcie Cleary

Marcie Cleary and Sasha Levites are guests on Movies Inc: The Business of Film podcast. Read more.

‘Flatbush Misdemeanors’ Actor-Writer Kerry Coddett Signs with WME

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to Kerry Coddett. View Article

Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report 2021: Top Negotiators Behind Mega Deals

Variety includes Marcie Cleary, Victoria Cook, Hayden Goldblatt and Andrew Hurwitz in their Dealmaker’s Impact Report for 2021. View Article

THR Power Lawyers 2021: New York’s Top 20 Entertainment Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter includes Marcie Cleary and Lisa E. Davis in its Power Lawyers list of the top 20 entertainment attorneys in New York for 2021. View Article

Thirty-five Frankfurt Kurnit Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers New York Metro List for 2021

The list includes: Christopher R. Chase, Victoria Cook, Lisa E. Davis, Caren Decter, Catherine M.C. Farrelly, Michael P. Frankfurt, Hayden Goldblatt, Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, John B. Harris, Richard B. Heller, Richard Hofstetter, Nicole Hyland, Candice Kersh, Rick Kurnit, Brian E. Maas, Richard Maltz, Jeffrey Marks, Kimberly Maynard, Mark Merriman, Ronald C. Minkoff, Brian G. Murphy, Edward H. Rosenthal, Terri Seligman, Thomas D. Selz, Barbara E. Shiers, Wendy Stryker, Linda Wank, S. Jean Ward, Craig Whitney and Maura Wogan. Marcie Cleary, Christina Jenkins, Sasha Levites, Tyler Maulsby, and Adam Osterweil are listed as “Rising Stars.” Read more.

UTA Signs Actor, Writer & Producer X Mayo

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to X Mayo. View Article

When TikTok, YouTube and Twitch Creators Get into Trouble, These Lawyers Come to the Rescue

The Business of Business interviews Marcie Cleary on the legal matters that arise when representing social media content creators. View Article

The Best Lawyers in America 2022

We are pleased to report that Best Lawyers — the oldest and one of the most respected peer reviewed lawyer recommendation services — continues to recommend Frankfurt Kurnit. Read more.

UTA Signs ‘Legend Of The Underground’ Filmmaker Nneka Onuorah

Deadline mentions Victoria Cook and Marcie Cleary as counsel to Nneka Onuorah. View Article

The 13 Leading Attorneys and Law Firms that Work with Digital Creators and Influencers

Business Insider includes Marcie Cleary and Frankfurt Kurnit in their list of the leading attorneys and law firms that represent digital creators across YouTube, Instagram, and other social-media platforms. (Behind paywall) View Article

What I’m Bingeing On: Marcie Cleary, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Sports Business Journal interviews Marcie Cleary for their “What I’m Bingeing On” feature. View Article

Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up the Firm Ranks

Law360 mentions Tiffany Caterina, Marcie Cleary, Daniel Goldberg, Sasha Levites, Tyler Maulsby, Julie Murray and Adam Osterweil’s promotion to partner. View Article

Variety’s 2021 Legal Impact Report

Variety’s 2021 Legal Impact Report includes Marcie Cleary for her representation of creators in film, TV and digital. Larissa Calva Ruiz, Hayden Goldblatt, Sean Jefferson and Alan Sacks are recognized for their work in entertainment finance. View Article

Female Directors Triumph in Oscar Nominations, but Why is ‘Judas’ the Only Black-Led Film in the Best Picture Race?

USA Today quotes Marcie Cleary on The Academy saying the more diverse the voting body, the more inclusive the nominations. View Article

Streaming Services Are Highlighting Black Stories. But There’s Still Lots of Room for Improvement in Elevating Black Voices

Morning Consult quotes Marcie Cleary on the amount of content created by Black individuals on streaming services. View Article

Diverse Representation: The Ten to Watch in 2021

Diverse Representation includes Marcie Cleary as one of their ten to watch in 2021. View Article

DiverseCITY Times

The NYC Bar Association's DiverseCITY Times spotlights Marcie Cleary. View Article

CAA Signs ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’ Writer-Performer Jeff Wright

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to writer and performer Jeff Wright who recently signed with CAA. View Article

Showtime Goes Straight to Series With Brooklyn Comedy

The Hollywood Reporter mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to stand-up comedians Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman whose series “Flatbush Misdemeanors” was picked up by Showtime. View Article

Thirty-five Frankfurt Kurnit Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers New York Metro List for 2020

The list includes: Christopher R. Chase, Victoria Cook, Lisa E. Davis, Catherine M.C. Farrelly, Michael P. Frankfurt, Hayden Goldblatt, Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, John B. Harris, Richard B. Heller, Richard Hofstetter, Nicole Hyland, Candice Kersh, Rick Kurnit, Brian E. Maas, Richard Maltz, Jeffrey Marks, Kimberly Maynard, Mark Merriman, Ronald C. Minkoff, Brian G. Murphy, Edward H. Rosenthal, Terri Seligman, Thomas D. Selz, Barbara E. Shiers, Wendy Stryker, Linda Wank, S. Jean Ward, Craig Whitney and Maura Wogan. Marcie Cleary, Christina Jenkins, Sasha Levites, Tyler Maulsby, Adam Osterweil and Rachel Santori are listed as “Rising Stars.” Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit Elects Seven New Partners

Frankfurt Kurnit has elected as partners Tiffany R. Caterina, Marcie Cleary, Daniel M. Goldberg, Sasha H. Levites, Tyler Maulsby, Julie Murray, and Adam J. Osterweil. The promotions take effect January 1, 2021. Read more.

The Best Lawyers in America 2021

We are pleased to report that Best Lawyers — the oldest and one of the most respected peer reviewed lawyer recommendation services —  continues to recommend Frankfurt Kurnit. Read more.

Variety’s 2020 Legal Impact Report

Variety’s 2020 Legal Impact Report includes Marcie Cleary, Lisa E. Davis, and Deborah Wolfe for their work in the podcast space. The list includes legal professionals who made the biggest deals for entertainment industry clients in the past year. View Article

Production During the Pandemic

Shoot Online features Lisa E. Davis and Marcie Cleary's blog post “The Show Must Go On: Production During the Pandemic." View Article

The Show Must Go On: Production During the Pandemic

From pitch meetings to development and production, COVID-19 has changed the way creatives and their representatives do business. Read more.

Super Lawyers - New York Metro Top Women for 2020

The New York Times distributed the Super Lawyers list of the New York Metro Area's Top Women for 2020. Fourteen Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys made the list: Wendy Stryker (Employment Law), Victoria Cook, Lisa Davis & Jean Ward (Entertainment Law), Barbara Shiers (Estate Planning & Probate), Catherine Farrelly (Intellectual Property), Kim Maynard & Maura Wogan (Intellectual Property Litigation) Candice Kersh & Terri Seligman (Media and Advertising). Marcie Cleary & Sasha Levites (Entertainment Law), and Rachel Santori (Intellectual Property Law) are listed as "Rising Stars."

‘Thelma & Louise’ Star Geena Davis Turns Rebel On The Run Once More In ‘Cowgirl’s Last Ride’ From Resonate Entertainment

Deadline mentions Marcie Cleary as counsel to Kris Hunt who wrote the upcoming film “Cowgirl’s Last Ride” starring Geena Davis. View Article

American Black Film Festival Features Events in South Beach

Local10.com mentions Lisa E. Davis, Marcie Cleary and Sean Jefferson’s master class “Making the Deal – Knowing What Matters” in its coverage of American Black Film festival in Miami. View Article

2018 Variety Legal Impact Report

Variety features Marcie Cleary in the “Up Next” section of the 2018 Legal Impact Report. She is recognized as a rising lawyer in the entertainment industry. View Article