Entertainment & Sports
Entertainment & Sports
Since 1997, Hylands has been at the forefront of legal services for the entertainment and media industry, while continuously extending its capabilities into sports, arts, AIGC, and other technology-driven sectors in step with market evolution and technological innovation. Anchored by a strong intellectual property practice, Hylands delivers sophisticated, end-to-end legal solutions spanning transactions, dispute resolution, integrated IP strategy and protection, tax planning, and criminal risk prevention and defense. The firm is particularly noted for its ability to handle high-value, complex, and cross-border matters.
With nearly three decades of deep industry engagement, Hylands has built a distinguished track record of advising leading market participants across these sectors. The firm is highly adept at navigating emerging business models and frontier technologies, including livestreaming e-commerce, virtual digital humans, AIGC, embodied intelligence, and wearable devices. Combining technical legal strength with sharp commercial insight, Hylands is able to identify the defining features, business logic, regulatory focus, and legal risks of rapidly evolving industries, helping clients seize opportunities while managing risk with confidence.
Hylands is also widely recognized for its substantial experience in advising public figures and related projects. In these highly sensitive and visible matters, the firm is valued for delivering clear, commercially informed advice that carefully balances business objectives with reputation protection and public impact.
Supported by a highly skilled and efficient team, and distinguished by the breadth of its practice capabilities, Hylands has been consistently recognized as a leading law firm in these areas by major legal directories and industry publications, including Chambers, LEGALBAND, The Legal 500, and China Business Law Journal.
“Hylands Law Firm continues to be a notable team for its IP expertise in the media, culture and entertainment sphere. The firm is experienced in various transactions, such as equity acquisitions, financings and investments, as well as dispute matters. The firm's client roster includes internet companies, media groups, film production companies and celebrities. The team boasts a strong litigation offering for clients in the entertainment industry, representing clients in IP infringement lawsuits.” – Chambers
Services
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- Entertainment and Media
- Hylands advises across the full entertainment and media ecosystem, including film and television, music, artist management, gaming, animation, short-form video, livestreaming, performing arts management, brand operations, advertising, and e-commerce. The firm provides comprehensive legal support throughout the content lifecycle, from development, financing, production, and distribution to derivative exploitation. It also offers robust capabilities in copyright confirmation and protection, infringement litigation, and content compliance review.
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- Sports
- Hylands serves clients across professional sports, mass sports, and esports, covering event operations, sports management, broadcasting rights and copyright development, sponsorship and commercial partnerships, athlete rights protection, venue construction and operation, and sports data and digitalization. Its services include the establishment and governance of sports organizations, event approval and compliance, sports IP licensing and commercialization, athlete signing and management arrangements, sector-focused investment and M&A, and sports arbitration.
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- Arts
- Hylands advises artists, collectors, galleries, auction houses, museums, and art foundations on a broad range of art-related matters, including art transactions, auctions, collections, cultural heritage, and digital art. The firm provides legal support in transaction structuring, IP confirmation and protection, tax planning and estate succession, export control and anti-money laundering compliance, and art investment and financing.
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- AIGC and Technology
- Hylands is well positioned to advise on cutting-edge legal issues arising in sectors such as artificial intelligence, AIGC, blockchain, digital collectibles, embodied intelligence, and wearable devices. Its services include algorithm compliance and filing, IP protection and infringement analysis in generative AI, training data compliance review and licensing, protection of rights relating to virtual digital humans, data security and personal information protection compliance, cross-border data transfers, financing and IPO support for technology companies, and technology contract review and licensing transactions.
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- Comprehensive IP Protection and Litigation
- Drawing on its longstanding strength in traditional intellectual property, Hylands provides strategic planning and full-spectrum legal services across copyright, trademarks, and patents. The firm’s capabilities include IP asset inventory and valuation, registration and rights confirmation, commercialization and licensing, infringement monitoring and enforcement, criminal protection of IP rights, anti-unfair competition and trade secret protection, IP structuring and due diligence in M&A, and representation in IP disputes across all relevant areas.
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- Transactions, Dispute Resolution, and Criminal Defense
- Hylands offers comprehensive transactional legal services, including market entry, investment structuring, equity financing, M&A and restructuring, legal due diligence, IPO support, and fund-related matters. In dispute resolution, the firm represents clients in civil and commercial litigation and arbitration involving intellectual property, investment and financing, corporate control, and contract disputes, including cross-border proceedings. Hylands also provides criminal compliance and criminal defense services across a wide spectrum of matters.