Representing top-tier companies in the entertainment, publishing and consumer electronics industries, Eric Bergner advises clients on strategies to monetize content across digital and traditional media platforms, including online, mobile, print and television. Eric is the leader of Manatt’s Digital and Technology Transactions business unit and has a practice that spans transactional work and issues relating to the protection of intellectual property on digital platforms, guiding clients through the development, production, licensing and distribution processes.

In addition to advising on all stages of digital content creation, Eric drafts agreements and counsels clients on legal issues involving software, technology and application development, and he has particularly deep experience with issues relating to computer systems implementation. His experience leading cutting-edge content distribution deals and major technology transactions uniquely qualifies Eric to advise and represent clients entering the metaverse and establishing their place in the Web3 ecosystem.

Eric also works with clients that produce live events, guiding them through drafting and negotiating agreements involving venue licensing, advertising and sponsorship sales, concession sales, and performances. He also counsels the television, motion picture and music industries on the sale and acquisition of formats, life stories, screenplays, music and other properties for use in audiovisual works. In this capacity, he negotiates and drafts talent and production contracts as well as domestic and international syndication and distribution deals.

For the advertising industry, Eric negotiates and drafts media buying and planning agreements, creative production agreements, custom and syndicated market research agreements, and barter agreements.

His experience with content distribution, advertising and technology makes Eric particularly adept in transactions relating to free ad-supported streaming television (FAST).

Eric leverages his application development and distribution experience in the video game industry as well. He has experience representing both developers and content and brand licensors in a variety of agreements, including a major U.S. sports league in several deals concerning the licensing of its intellectual property for video game use.

Eric also advises clients on the protection of their intellectual property assets and develops strategies to prevent the unauthorized use of their intellectual property, including by counseling clients with respect to domestic and international trademark prosecution.

Prior to joining Manatt, Eric was a partner at a New York-based law firm, where he chaired the intellectual property, entertainment and sports, internet/technology, promotions law, and advertising practices, and co-chaired the global outsourcing and procurement practice and the privacy and cybersecurity practice.