William L. Abrams received his law degree from Boston University. He earned a Masters of Law degree in Taxation from New York University and a Masters of Law degree in Corporate Law, also from New York University. Mr. Abrams graduated Magna Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Albany, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. He is admitted to the bars of the States of New York and California, and is also a Certified Public Accountant in the States of New York and California.
Mr. Abrams is the partner-in-charge of AGMB's entertainment law, sports law, business management, corporate and securities law, estate planning and tax law practices.
Mr. Abrams represents the local, national and international interests of the firm's entertainment and corporate clients in film, music, television, and multi-media projects. He represents individuals and entities in numerous aspects of feature film finance and production, television and video production, film and video distribution, and music production and distribution. Such creative clients include actors, writers, musicians, models, producers and professional athletes.
On the corporate side of the entertainment business, Mr. Abrams represents studios, film funds, entertainment finance companies, independent record companies, film and television production companies, individual producers, directors and executive producers, and multi-media companies in their business ventures.
Mr. Abrams also advises the firm's clients on matters of entity selection, financing and capitalization, taxation, drafting and negotiation of complex documents and other matters related to the entertainment industry. In addition to handling industry-specific matters, Mr. Abrams advises clients on copyright, trademark, licensing and other intellectual property related issues.
On behalf of his clients, Mr. Abrams handles many private corporate matters, including preparing and negotiating shareholder agreements as well as confidentiality, noncompetition, employment, product distribution, and purchase and sale agreements. He has also negotiated and drafted software licenses, service agreements, bills of sale and other documents affecting cross-border sales of receivables.
Mr. Abrams also works closely with individuals and corporate clients in relationship to estate and family planning. This includes analysis and consultation in relationship to usage of wills, trusts, family limited partnerships, family limited liability companies, gifting, charitable foundations and trusts, corporate transition planning and structuring, insurance trusts, life insurance, annuities, and self canceling installment notes. He works closely with individual families and corporations on the practical aspects, varied options and approaches towards family and estate planning.
Prior to establishing the predecessor to AGMB, Mr. Abrams was associated with the national law firm Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Sheinfeld, LLP, now known as Hogan and Hartson, LLP. While at Squadron, he represented many multinational corporations in all aspects of their business existence, including the structuring and implementation of highly sophisticated securities transactions and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Mr. Abrams represented the various performing arts unions in lobbying for federal income tax legislation. Mr. Abrams began his career at the accounting firm Price Waterhouse & Co.
Mr. Abrams is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York Bar Association, the California Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has published articles in The Journal of Accountancy and The New York Independent Film Monitor. He has appeared on national and local news programs commenting on a broad range of entertainment, tax and legal issues. Mr. Abrams has been quoted in publications such as Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Abrams is a member of the Board of Directors of several charities and not-for-profit organizations. In addition, Mr. Abrams teaches at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Mr. Abrams and his family reside in Merrick, New York and Los Angeles, California, enabling him to effectively represent clients on both the east and west coasts.
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