Overview

Barbara M. Rubin is a veteran entertainment attorney who puts her extensive in-house studio business and legal affairs experience to work for writers, producers, actors, directors and small production companies in both reality and scripted television and film. She was dubbed a “top industry negotiator” by Emmy Magazine, was named a “Top Dealmaker” by Broadcasting & Cable magazine and is included on both the Best Lawyers in America and Southern California Super Lawyers list. Variety has recognized Barbara in its “Legal Impact Report” for each of the past four years and has quoted her numerous times as an expert in her field. She is hailed for her work as an educator, including her role as assistant visiting professor and executive director of the Entertainment Law Practicum at Loyola Law School, which she co-founded.

Prior to joining the Firm, Barbara was a co-founding partner of the entertainment law firm Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon. She has served as the head of Business and Legal Affairs for Spelling Television (reporting directly to Aaron Spelling), A&E Television Networks (West Coast) and Rysher Entertainment. Barbara came up through the business and legal affairs departments of CBS Television and Theatrical Films as well as Disney Television.

Twice elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and twice appointed to its Executive Committee, Barbara is an active member of the entertainment community. She has served on the planning committee for the USC Institute on Entertainment Law and Business for over 20 years, and was elected to the Motion Picture and Television Fund’s Professional Advisory Council. Barbara previously served on both the Emmy License Fee Negotiation Committee and the Primetime Emmy Awards Committee as well as The Academy’s Annual Retreat Planning Committee.

In addition to her faculty position at Loyola Law School, Barbara has taught “Negotiating the Writer’s Deal” at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is often called upon to guest lecture or moderate panels at entertainment law events presented by UCLA, the University of Southern California, ATAS, the Association of Talent Agents, California State University, Northridge, Women In Film, the California Bar Association, the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), eWomenNetwork and the Writers Guild of America.

Barbara is the author of two cover articles for Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine: “The Secrets of the Business Affairs Executive” (co-authored with Kyle Stewart) and “Negotiating with Media Giants.” While attending night law school at Loyola, she remained a social studies teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. She is married to Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Pierre Sauvage, and they have two grown children.

Insights

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, "Glaser Weil's 19th Amendment Event," August 2020

Thought Leadership

Co-author, “The Secrets of the Business Affairs Executive,” by Barbara M. Rubin and Kyle Stewart, Los Angeles Lawyer

Author, “Negotiating with Media Giants,” Los Angeles Lawyer

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Recognition

Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2023

Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Most Influential Women Lawyers," 2019

Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2021

Variety’s “Legal Impact Report," 2015-2021

Broadcasting & Cable magazine's "Top Dealmaker," 2016

Southern California Super Lawyers, multiple years

Related links

Leadership and Community

Member, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Board of Governors

Member, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Executive Committee

Member, Motion Picture and Television Funds’ Professional Advisory Council

Member, USC Institute on Entertainment Law and Business, Planning Committee

Former member, Emmy License Fee Negotiation Committee

Former member, Primetime Emmy Awards Committee

Education

Loyola Law School, J.D.

California State University, Northridge, M.A., Economic Education

California State University, Northridge, B.A., History

Admissions

  • California

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