Introduction
Christina Chang provides clients with business-minded legal advice on building, protecting, and monetizing brands and businesses. Christina handles entertainment and broad-based corporate transactions for clients in entertainment, technology, fashion, advertising, healthcare, art, and data privacy. With a background in licensing and intellectual property (“IP”) valuation, Christina helps clients create and protect assets that reach wider audiences across new mediums. She helps identify the right strategic partners, creatively structures deals, and handles all business and legal issues that arise from conception through distribution and exit.
My focus
Talent-Brand Collaborations, Endorsements, Joint Ventures
I serve as a trusted advisor for management companies as well as new media and celebrity talent, models, artists, authors, and entrepreneurs, and work with their managers, agents, publicists, business managers, and other representatives to ensure all aspects of their professional careers and personal affairs are protected. Without limitation, I negotiate global entertainment agreements, including management and representation agreements; multi-channel network agreements; podcast network agreements; talent endorsement deals; advertising agreements; merchandise licenses; and literary, film, and TV agreements, and advise on IP, corporate, regulatory, union/guild, tax, employment, and data privacy issues that may arise therewith. Similarly, I provide corporate support to creatively structure celebrity joint ventures and partnerships where talent receives tax beneficial compensation and equity.
Licensing, Advertising, and Compliance
I negotiate and draft licensing agreements on behalf of licensors and licensees in various industries and all product categories and verticals, including apparel, accessories, footwear, automotive, food and beverage, cannabis, and NFTs. I ensure that collaborations between brands and talent are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations, including the Federal Trade Commission’s strict endorsement and advertising guidelines, Food and Drug Administration’s labeling requirements, and the various social media platforms’ changing terms of use. Similarly, I review and identify legal concerns in marketing materials, scripts, and advertising copy, offering resourceful solutions to minimize legal risk without delaying or thwarting the campaign. I also structure nationally compliant advertising campaigns, sweepstakes, contests, promotions, and commercial co-ventures, inclusive of drafting and updating official rules and privacy policies.
IP Protection, Enforcement, and Clearance
I work with clients to develop a comprehensive brand strategy and corresponding IP portfolio. I provide cost-effective strategies to protect their IP assets, including facilitating takedowns and reinstating wrongfully removed content from all major social media platforms, including YouTube, Amazon, Instagram, Meta, and X; recapturing affected domain and user names; negotiating settlements of infringing content, and resulting collaborations; and deploying litigation and other tools to enforce contracts and keep the marketplace clear for continued brand expansion. I also identify and negotiate collaborations with relevant rights holders for clients’ desired uses of third-party IP.
Looking ahead
An ever-expanding global entertainment, media, and sports footprint with:
- Innovative media and network partnerships in sports and entertainment, inclusive of new ways to stream and attend games as well as reach international fans.
- Increased disruption by emerging AI technologies and capabilities in all industries along with attempted ways to control such in furtherance of protecting celebrities and consumers, including regulation from the government and digital platforms and use of other IP rights to stop deepfakes and limit the storage, use, and commercialization of personal information. Since AI innovations will continue to outpace new legal developments, celebrities and consumers will need to find ways to creatively leverage existing legal rights and protections, including their publicity rights and copyrights.
- Continued hype around and corresponding regulatory crack down on existing and emerging cryptocurrencies such as a Bitcoin and Ethereum, and how such can be valued, promoted, traded, and used on the open market.
/Insights
- “Stream to Mainstream: Hollywood's New Rules of Engagement,” VidCon US 2023, Anaheim, CA, June 22, 2023
- “Responding to Cyber Smear and Infringement Campaigns,” Nixon Peabody CLE program, March 2022
- “Entertainment Year in Review: Transactional Panel,” Beverly Hills Bar Association: Entertainment Legal Update, Webinar, February 7, 2022
- “Key Aspects of Social Media Marketing in Health Care,” West LegalEdcenter, Webinar, October 15, 2021
- “The New Celebrity: Navigating the Changing Advertising Landscape on Social Media,” Nixon Peabody MCLE Marathon, Los Angeles, January 17, 2019
In the news
- Bloomberg Law
TikTok creators turn to lawyers to navigate looming US app ban
Jan 16, 2025This article covers how attorneys are advising creators in response to last week’s US TikTok app ban. Entertainment team leader and partner Ellie Heisler and partner Christina Chang, both of the Los Angeles office and Corporate practice, are quoted in the coverage discussing how creators are rethinking their digital strategies and brand partnerships, and how they are staying ahead of these changes by protecting influencer clients in existing marketing agreements.
- Bloomberg Law
Social media stars lock down IP rights to cash in on virality
Oct 9, 2024This article covers the broad trend of intentional content creators building up their portfolios and establishing IP rights. Entertainment team leader Ellie Heisler and partner Christina Chang, both of the Los Angeles office and Corporate practice, are quoted in the coverage discussing how creators understand ownership and how IP can be leveraged to protect their brands more than they did a decade ago.
- Los Angeles Times
Beauty & fashion visionaries
Sep 14, 2024Entertainment team leader Ellie Heisler and partner Christina Chang, both of the Los Angeles office and Corporate practice, are featured in this article for being named to the publication’s “Beauty & Fashion Visionaries” list, recognizing professional services providers who are redefining the fashion, beauty, and consumer goods industries for the modern age.
- Variety
Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2024: Meet Hollywood’s top entertainment attorneys
April 17, 2024This report recognizing entertainment’s top dealmakers and litigators features NP’s Entertainment team, including partner and team leader Ellie Heisler, and partners Carron Mitchell, Christina Chang, and Farrah Usmani, all of the Los Angeles office and Corporate practice. The article highlights NP’s women-led team and entrepreneurial approach, and quotes Ellie on industry shifts in reaction to last year’s strikes. Los Angeles Corporate associate April Hua, a member of the firm’s Entertainment team, is also featured in the report as part of the publication’s 2024 “Up Next” group.
- Variety
Variety’s Dealmakers of 2023: Hollywood’s dealmakers kept industry on course in a turbulent year
Dec 14, 2023This article announcing the publication’s “Dealmakers of 2023” recognizes members of the NP Entertainment team—the only all-woman group to be featured this year—for their high-impact work in the music and entertainment industries. The article highlights Los Angeles Corporate partner and Entertainment team lead Ellie Heisler, along with Corporate partner Carron Mitchell and Corporate partners-elect Christina Chang and Farrah Usmani, all of the Los Angeles office. The article quotes Ellie on adapting to challenges in the industry, including recent strikes and the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Digital creator Kristy Scott signs with Range Media Partners
Sep 15, 2023This article mentions NP for representing lifestyle content creator Kristy Scott. Kristy is represented by partner and Entertainment team leader Ellie Heisler and counsel and Entertainment team member Christina Chang, both of the Corporate practice and Los Angeles office.
- Variety
Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2023
April 19, 2023This article recognizing the entertainment industry’s top dealmakers and litigators features NP’s Entertainment team, including partner and team leader Ellie Heisler, partner Carron Mitchell, and counsel Christina Chang and Farrah Usmani, all of the Los Angeles office and Corporate practice. The article highlights each attorney for recent work with notable music and entertainment industry clients, and quotes Ellie on developing a strong work ethic as a woman and first-generation American.
- Los Angeles Times
Insights on the entertainment & sports industry in 2023
March 6, 2023Los Angeles Corporate counsel Christina Chang, a member of NP’s Entertainment team, is featured in this roundtable discussion on various trends and issues within the entertainment and sports industries.
- Los Angeles Business Journal
Leaders of Influence: 2023 Minority Attorneys
Jan 23, 2023This article recognizes Corporate counsel and Entertainment team member Christina Chang and Project Finance & Public Finance associate David Song, both of Los Angeles, as two of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys” for 2023. The publication notes that this list features standout minority attorneys considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the Los Angeles region.
- The Toy Book
Social media star Addison Rae debuts toy line as Chief Fun Officer of Bonkers Toys
This article announcing the launch of social media star Addison Rae’s new toy line through a partnership with Bonkers Toys mentions NP as the law firm representing her. The NP team includes Corporate partner and Entertainment team leader Ellie Heisler and Corporate counsel Christina Chang, both of the Los Angeles office.July 12, 2022 - Business Insider
The 13 leading attorneys and law firms that work with digital creators and influencers
This article on the top attorneys and law firms representing digital influencers features Los Angeles Corporate partner Ellie Heisler, including how she got her start in the space and how her practice has grown. Los Angeles Corporate associate Christina Chang is mentioned for being Ellie’s “ right hand”.May 12, 2021
Admitted to practice
California
Education
Southwestern Law School, J.D.
University of California, San Diego, B.A.
Professional activities
- Sports Law Association
- Beverly Hills Bar Association
Recognition
- Selected, through a peer-review survey, for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2024 in the field of Entertainment and Sports Law and Intellectual Property Law; listed in Best Lawyers since 2023
- Selected as one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Leaders of Influence — Minority Attorneys” (2023)
- Recognized in Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report since 2022
- Recognized as a 2022 Rising Star for “Los Angeles Super Lawyers”
Insights And Happenings
View AllProfessionals in the Practice Area
View AllEllie L. Heisler
Partner / Team leader, Entertainment / Co-lead, Esports & Gaming- Los Angeles
- Office:+1 213.629.6097
- eheisler@nixonpeabody.com
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