Christian Valsamidis

Christian is a specialist IP and banking lawyer and leads the Entertainment Law team in France. He advises producers, distributors, institutional or financial organisations, as well as directors, authors and actors.

From his work in international film financing, Christian has become recognised as a specialist in international co-production, distribution, and sale and leaseback transactions in France. He speaks at entertainment industry conferences and gives lectures in Cinema Economy at the Institute of Political Studies of Paris and the Sorbonne University.

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Career

Since 2003

Partner, Taylor Wessing

Education

1998	D.E.S.S. de Droit de la communication audiovisuelle, University La Sorbonne, Paris
1998	D.E.A. d'Economie du Cinéma, University La Sorbonne, Paris

Additional languages

English

Expertise

Services and Groups Copyright & media law

Sectors Technology, media & communications

Experience

Establishment of a new film production and distribution studio

A group of nine film producers on structuring and setting up a new film production and distribution studio, to be financed via private investors. We took charge of the closing of several high-budget animated long feature films, including chain of title agreements, all distribution agreements, completion bond, banks loans, intercreditor agreement, specific audiovisual securities, and collection agreements. As part of the project, we also assisted a US private equity house on its investment in a French listed film production and distribution company, and also on bailing the French company out of insolvency proceedings (including the due diligence review of the films library and the advice in operational reorganization of the company before refunding).

Awards

Chambers Europe 2020	Leading individual - TMT: Media - France : Christian Valsamidis of Taylor Wessing LLP is well reputed for his expertise in the film industry. He assists production companies and private individuals with a range of transactional and contractual matters.
Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa 2019	Recommended lawyer - Intellectual property: copyright - France: Christian Valsamidis is currently leading a team to assist a music publisher with an infringement action against an animation studio on the grounds that the soundtrack to a popular series counterfeits one of the client's songs.
Managing Intellectual Property - IP Stars 2019	Copyright star
Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa 2017	Leading individual: Media & entertainment (France)
Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa 2017	Leading individual - Media and Entertainment - France
Trophées du Droit 2016	Media Law, Entertainment and copyright - Silver trophy