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Meet John Cones: Mr. Cones is a 1974 graduate of the UT Austin School of Law with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. Licensed to practice law in the states of California and Texas, John Cones, maintains a private practice advising independent feature film, video and television producer clients regarding federal and state securities law compliance obligations in passive investor corporate, limited partnership and investment contract offerings and related entertainment law matters. He prepares the “camera ready” offering disclosure documents for such offerings, serves as a liaison to managing and selling broker/dealers and prepares or aids his clients in negotiating entertainment contracts, including feature film distribution agreements.

In his securities law practice, Mr. Cones has participated in the preparation of disclosure documents and the supervision of federal/state compliance for 130+ public or private limited partnership, investment contract or corporate stock offerings. In addition, he has worked with clients who sought active investor financing of their entertainment projects utilizing investor financing agreements and joint venture entities. Mr. Cones moved his law practice to California in 1987 specifically to work with independent film, television, video and theatrical producers in the manner described above.

Mr. Cones is the author of state and national association magazine articles and his law journal article “Feature Film Limited Partnerships” was published in the January 1992 edition of the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Journal. He is also the author of a book entitled Film Finance and Distribution–A Dictionary of Terms, a dictionary with more than 3,600 entries relating to film finance and distribution in which such terms are defined, discussed and explained. The terms in this monograph were extracted from this larger work. He also wrote the Entertainment Law & Finance article “Maximizing Producers’ Negative Pick- Up Profits” (June 1992).

He has lectured extensively (in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston and San Francisco) on “Investor Financing of Entertainment Projects” for the American Film Institute, the University of Southern California Cinema-Television Alumni Association, UCLA Extension, Loyola Marymount Continuing Education Division, Cinetex ’90 and other film industry organizations. Mr. Cones has also presented a one-day UCLA Extension sponsored seminar on “The Film Distribution Deal” and appeared as a guest speaker on film finance and distribution in the UCLA extension evening courses “Financing Feature Film Production” and “Contractual Aspects of Producing, Financing and Distributing Film”.

Meet Robert Wollfarth of Baker Donelson (Guest Lecturer): Robert “Rob” Wollfarth practices in the Baker Donelson’s New Orleans office representing private and publicly-held companies located across the country. As a member of the Firm’s M&A and Tax Groups, he concentrates his practice on assisting large and small companies with a wide variety of business transactions including, but not limited to, start-up, tax planning, acquisitions of tax and economic incentives, business combinations, acquisitions and sales, contractual relationships, financing of projects and operations, restructuring, buy-outs and dissolution. Mr. Wollfarth prides himself on providing his business clients with creative solutions rather than just answers to their questions. His focus is always on helping his clients attain their goals, rather than merely a legal result, and doing so in a cost-effective manner.

Wollfarth represented Fortune 100 film and television production company in connection with earning and selling tens of millions of dollars of Louisiana Motion Picture Investor Tax Credits.  He also advised numerous clients in connection with earning and obtaining the benefit of Federal and Louisiana tax and economic incentives including, but not limited to, Research and Development Tax Credits and Digital Interactive Media and Software Tax Credits.  Wollfarth represented film studio clients in connection with film finance transactions and assisted clients with obtaining equity financing through private placement transactions.

He is the author of Spotlight on Louisiana: An Overview of Louisiana’s Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit, and has lectured at numerous speaking engagements including UNO’s Entertainment Law Class’  Hiring a Lawyer in Connection with your Film Production and more.  Rob Wollfarth graduated with a J.D and an L.L.M from New York University School of Law. 

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