“I sent the contract on a Tuesday and had a one-page list of what to push back on by Thursday. I signed a better deal than the one I was offered.”
Remy K.Songwriter
Entertainment and creator law, Santa Monica
Contracts read before you sign them
Arkwright Sakamoto is a three-lawyer firm for musicians, filmmakers, writers and online creators. Each job gets one fixed fee and a written scope, and we say what each one leaves out.
- Fee and scope in writingbefore any work starts
- Filing fees are separatepaid to the agency, not to us
- Santa Monica or videoclients anywhere
Fees
The fee, fixed before the work starts
Each job has one fixed fee and a written scope, quoted when you write to us.
Contract review
One contract of up to 20 pages, read by a lawyer and explained in plain English. A longer contract or a changed deal gets a new quote.
Summary of the clauses that matter
A call to walk through it
Marked-up edits you can send back
Company setup
An LLC for your band, studio or channel, with the paper that keeps the money straight.
Formation filing prepared
Operating agreement with split terms
Work-for-hire and collaborator templates
Copyright and trademark filings
We prepare and file the application, and search a name for conflicts first. The fee follows the number of works or classes.
Government filing and formation fees are paid to the agency. Anything outside a job's scope is quoted in writing before it starts.
What we do
Build it. Sign it. Protect it. Earn from it.
Every matter we take is one of four jobs, and each has its own page and its own fixed fee.
Build
Set up the company and the paper between collaborators before the first payment arrives.
How we buildLLCs for bands, studios and channels
Splits and work-for-hire
Producer and editor agreements
Sign
Read the deal properly. We tell you what is usual, what can move and what to walk away from.
How we reviewRecord, publishing and film deals
Management and agent terms
Channel and platform contracts
Protect
Register what you make, secure the name, and clear what you borrow.
How we protectCopyright registration
Trademarks for names and logos
Sample and footage clearances
Earn
Check the royalty math, write the sponsor terms and license your work on your own conditions.
How we earnRoyalty and publishing statements
Brand deals and sponsorships
Licensing and merchandise
Fixed fee or open meter
A fixed fee, not an open meter
What changes when the fee is set before the work, compared with the hourly arrangement many creators are offered first.
| Hourly billing | Arkwright Sakamoto | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | Hourly billingEstimated, then billed by the hour | Arkwright SakamotoStated before you book |
| Scope | Hourly billingGrows as questions come up | Arkwright SakamotoA written list of what is in and out |
| Contract review | Hourly billingA redline and an invoice | Arkwright SakamotoA plain-English summary and marked edits |
| Your earnings | Hourly billingSome arrangements take a cut | Arkwright SakamotoWe take no percentage of a deal |
| Quick questions | Hourly billingEach email can be billed | Arkwright SakamotoAnswered before you pay |
From people who sent a contract
“Knowing the price before the first call took the dread out of it. The setup was clear and nothing arrived on an invoice I did not expect.”
Freya O.Documentary editor
“A fixed review fee means I ask before I sign, not after. A sponsor wanted every episode forever; we fixed that in one email.”
Ilya T.Podcast host
Each client’s situation is different, and what happened for one does not predict what will happen for another.
Questions
Straight answers on fees and scope
What exactly does a contract review give me?
A written summary of the clauses that matter, a call to walk through them, and marked-up edits you can send back. It does not include negotiating with the other side; that is quoted separately before it starts.
Do you take a percentage of my deals?
No. You pay the fixed fee for the job and nothing is taken from what you earn.
The other side wants an answer tomorrow. Can you still help?
Tell us the deadline when you write. If we can read it in time we will say so and quote it; if we cannot, we will tell you that too, so you can ask for more time.
Do I need a company before I hire you?
No. Many clients start with a contract review and set up a company later, once money is arriving. We will say if a deal is better signed through a company.
Will you represent me against someone who hasn’t paid me?
We can write a demand letter. Lawsuits are outside the packages, and when one is needed we say so and help you find the right lawyer.
Send the contract before you sign it
Write what it is and when it is due. We reply with whether we can read it in time and what it will cost, in writing.
Please don’t attach confidential documents yet. Tell us what kind of contract it is, and we’ll arrange a private way to share it.