Karen M. Robson

A Savvy Hollywood Dealmaker

Karen is a member of the firm’s Media + Entertainment, Banking + Finance, Intellectual Property, Corporate, and Digital Media Groups.

A seasoned professional, Karen plays both the traditional entertainment lawyer role and acts as an advisor and counsellor on corporate, finance and investment  deals largely in the media space. She has represented  financiers, banks, equity, investors, hedge funds, studios, networks and production and distribution companies. She also advises individual content creators, including writers, directors, and producers with a particular interest in representing female creators. She has worked extensively in many aspects of media including motion pictures, television and streaming, merchandising, podcasts, adaption of underlying properties in live theater, book publishing, music, art transactions, advertising deals, live events, family and children's entertainment, animation, and reality and unscripted entertainment. She has represented both buyers and sellers of libraries of intellectual property rights (and royalty rights)  in multiple arenas including film, TV, music publishing, master sound recordings and literary publishing rights and investors in various businesses  such as talent agencies, management companies, SVOD platforms,  and production and distribution companies. She has provided advice to start up media companies and creators of funds for finance of the development and production and distribution for slates of films, programs, and other intellectual property rights. She has worked also with the Family Law and Trust and Estates departments at the firm in structuring ownership, sales, and financing of such rights.

A native of Australia, Karen is a self-described “multicultural aficionado” who closely follows the entertainment industry’s emerging markets around the globe and the business, financial and technical innovations that are shaping its future, including AI. She has an extensive network in the global media business having represented many international companies in the US including a major Australian television network and media company, a major Japanese hardware and content distributor and investor, and many high-net-worth individuals from around the world investing in US media entities, including from the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, U.A.E., Argentina and Sweden.

Before embarking on a legal career, she had a brief career as an actress in Australia, including a major role in the Peter Weir cult favorite “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” She also worked as a producer and in direct distribution of feature films and documentaries. Karen’s insider perspective and entrepreneurial outlook enhance her ability to negotiate cutting-edge joint venture, production and distribution agreements, financings, and acquisitions. Karen enjoys bringing together the skills and expertise of the talented lawyers in the NY, LA, and Miami offices of Pryor Cashman to serve each client’s various legal needs.