Kurt R. Klaus, Esq., is the 2019 recipient of the G. Hamilton Loeb Award for Pro Bono Excellence in the Arts - Solo Practitioner Category.

The award recognizes those lawyers and law firms who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide exceptional pro bono legal service to the DC Metropolitan Creative Community.

Acknowledging that media is ever-changing - Kurt believes it is a privilege to work on media/entertainment matters that bring new challenges at a rapid pace - viewing these as means to learn, lead, and grow opportunities that help clients advance their endeavors at a timely pace.

A WALA volunteer attorney since 2009, Kurt is a seasoned media /entertainment business and legal affairs attorney with significant experience providing creative and practical guidance on legal and business strategies involving media/entertainment. Kurt, now a partner at Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, PLLC, functions as lead attorney on transactions involving many of the world’s leading entertainment companies, and structures, drafts, negotiates, and closes a wide variety of domestic and international contracts involving media content distribution across multiple modalities and original and acquired (licensed) entertainment properties- including for web-based series, television series, and music publishing. Practice areas also include SaaS licensing, copyrights, trademarks, corporations (profit and nonprofit), social media, technology, and merchandising.

Kurt has been legal counsel to top world brand corporate marketing departments, in-house legal departments, social media departments, deal leads of branded content, television networks, content syndication/licensing departments, independent producers, production companies, web designers, TV talent, musicians, music composers, recording studios, digital game developers, and media entrepreneurs on a wide variety of media, intellectual property, project financing, and corporate organization matters.

Prior to private practice, he was Director, Business and Legal Affairs at 21st Century FOX/National Geographic Channels for four and one-half years.

Outside of legal practice, Kurt was an executive in two mid-sized media production and distribution companies and functioned as a producer, assistant director, and production manager of television commercials and corporate films (140+ projects), earning 16 regional and national awards. Kurt also worked in the production departments of multiple LA-based studio feature films. In addition to a Juris Doctor, Kurt holds an M.S. in Communications (Advertising) and a B.S. in Recording Industry.

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