RPL Partner Deena R. Merlen to Speak at CLE Program on Entertainment Law and Employment Law

RPL Partner Deena R. Merlen, who practices in both New York and Connecticut, will be speaking at a CLE program in Stamford, Connecticut titled: “When Hollywood Comes To Connecticut: Tax Benefits For Producers and the Potential Cost Of Unpaid Interns and Misclassified Freelancers.”

Other speakers include Ed Ruggiero, Tax Credit Administrator at the Connecticut Office of Film, Television & Digital Media, Kevin Segalla, the CEO/founder of the Connecticut Film Center and CFC Capital Holdings LLC, Danette Bottelson of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (“WWE”), and Mary A. Gambardella of Wiggin and Dana LLP in Stamford.

The Connecticut Film Center operates 252,000 square feet of production facilities in Connecticut.  Over the past seven years, the CT Film Center has been responsible for bringing approximately $800 million of motion picture and television production into Connecticut and housing over 50 productions including Revolutionary Road, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Old Dogs, Showtime’s The Big C, All My Children, One Life to Live, and People’s Court.   CFC Capital Holdings LLC, a leading supplier of tax incentive based financing throughout the United States, has over the past five years financed over $400 million in film and digital media tax credits, as well as green building, renewable energy, historic, low-income housing, and brownfield tax incentives. CFC’s real estate holdings include over 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, primarily catering to sports and entertainment, including the world headquarters for NBC Sports Network in Stamford, state-of-the-art indoor sports facility Chelsea Piers Connecticut, NHL Network, and WWE’s production center in Norwalk, Connecticut.

WWE, which is headquartered in Stamford, has programming broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages, reaching more than 650 million homes worldwide.  WWE also produces a diverse slate of feature films through WWE Studios, such as “The Call” with Halle Berry and David Otunga, and “Dead Man Down” with Colin Farrell and Wade Barrett.

This exciting breakfast program will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 am on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at the offices of the Fairfield County Bar Association, 970 Summer Street, Stamford, Connecticut. For further details, please contact Ms. Merlen at (212) 763-4160 or dmerlen@rpl-law.com.   To register, please click HERE.   (Note:  Information on financial assistance with the registration fee is available by contacting Ms. Merlen.)