Model Management Law
California Model Management Law Attorney Sebastian Gibson, Named A Top Lawyer 13 Years in a Row, and Now With Over 45 Years of Experience
As a modeling attorney with over 45 years combined experience in California and in London, California Model Management Law Lawyer Sebastian Gibson has represented models from around the world, as well as throughout the United States from offices in Palm Desert and Newport Beach, California.
While much of our time is spent pouring over model management contracts provided to those of our clients who are models, we also advise models on a wide variety of other matters, including their work in other fields of entertainment, celebrity representation, misuse of images in advertising, publicity rights and privacy law.
As an international model management attorney, Sebastian Gibson has restricted his modeling representation to models as opposed to model management entities in order to ensure we have no divided loyalties and can represent models with their best interests at heart. While model management agencies request our assistance from time to time to draft their modeling contracts, we routinely turn down their requests, preferring to represent models and not their model management agencies.
California Model Management Attorney Sebastian Gibson has been named a Top Lawyer for the past 13 years in a row by the prestigious Palm Springs Life Magazine and has been rated “Superb” (their highest rating) by Avvo which rates attorneys all across the United States. With law degrees in both California and in Great Britain (magna cum laude degree in Wales), he has been called “Brilliant,” and “a Legend.”
Modeling and Model Management Agencies
There are many top modeling agencies in the U.S. and while some of them have offices in more than one city within the U.S. and in other major cities in Europe and elsewhere in the world, in the U.S. most of the top model management agencies are located in Los Angeles, New York and to a lesser extent in some other cities including Miami.
Internationally, models often are represented in London, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Munich, Copenhagen, and Hamburg.
While some modeling agencies call themselves model management agencies, others use titles simply with their name followed by “Models,” while others use their name and in international cities their name is followed by the name of the city in which they have a branch.
Other modeling agencies use a name followed by “Model Management,” “Artist Management” “Management,” or some combination of these words.
It is not uncommon for a top model today to be represented by 5, 6, or 7 or even as many as 14 agencies, or international branches of agencies in other cities.
Some of the top modeling and model management agencies include in no particular order, Elite, Ford, IMG, Storm, Viva, Next, Society, Wilhelmina, and Marilyn.
International Model Management Law
In France, models are both employees and independent contractors, although the two contracts they sign differ with respect to whether they apply to modeling as an employee or having control over the use of their image, as an independent contractor. Models are paid every month, even if the modeling agency isn’t paid by a client. While a model can work at age 16, the modeling agency must obtain a special license for minors and such models have strict working hours.
In France, because the country provides much more in the way of a safety net for its citizens, there’s a lot of tax. Models generally only net approximately 33% of their gross earnings. As in other countries like the U.S., the modeling agency takes 20% of the model’s earnings as their commission. The rest of the deductions which leave the model with only 33% or so of their earnings are for taxes. Some of the taxes are for unemployment and health insurance, but models also earn a pension.
Most high fashion models in the U.S. earn between $25 and $300 per hour, according to one research company. This equates to $52,000 to $624,000 per year, based on 40-hour work weeks. The average fashion model today earns something in the range between $64,000 and $125,000 depending on a number of factors, in the U.S.
U.S. models in international cities who are signed with one of the top modeling agencies in a city such as London reportedly earn considerably more as they are generally in high demand in order to be represented by one of the top model management and modeling agencies and to enjoy constant work in international fashion capital such as London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona.
Besides high taxes in countries such as France, models also have high expenses and often wait long periods of time before they are paid for their modeling jobs. However if their expenses are a typical expense or a necessary expense, and exclusively related to their modeling work, they may be deductible.
Why Having a Model Management Lawyer With Entertainment Experience is Important
From reviewing a model’s first modeling contract to assisting them to understand model management law and modeling law and what rights they have, a modeling lawyer not only with extensive modeling law experience but with the entertainment law experience of Sebastian Gibson can be invaluable to the career of a model.
Representation by Numerous Modeling Agencies
As a model becomes in demand internationally, it is not uncommon to be represented by five, six, seven or as many as fourteen model agencies or branches of one or two of the agencies representing the model.
Many of the top modeling agencies have branches in London and Paris, but some modeling agencies such as IMG and Elite have branches in virtually all of the fashion capitals of the world.
Model Management Law
A number of states and countries today are passing legislation to protect the safety of models, especially when it comes to minors and health issues when models are pressured to be so thin as to cause their physical and mental health to suffer.
Recently, California legislators introduced legislation to create health standards and workplace protections for professional models. Among countries to take action, France has already passed a law that imposes harsh fines on modeling agencies who pressure models to be excessively thin as a condition of their employment.
Models routinely face intense pressure to keep their weight down to such an extent that it can jeopardize their health. Starvation-related complications have reportedly caused the deaths of models and untold other damage to their physical and mental health.
Beneath the glamour of modeling is the fact that models at times literally starve themselves living on celery to stay thin or because they’re afraid to tell their families they aren’t making the money they thought they would after all their modeling expenses and delays in being paid for their modeling work or after being paid in clothes instead of money.
The legislation in California seeks to protect models by requiring all modeling agencies to be licensed by the state Labor Commission, and not simply those holding themselves out as talent agencies. The law would also require that the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopt standards for models to address issues such as workplace safety, eating disorders, and sexual exploitation.
In addition, the California bill requires modeling agencies in the state to treat models must as employees, not independent contractors, a classification which would require modeling agencies to provide models with workers compensation, state disability, and state unemployment so they can benefit from all the workplace protections other employees are afforded in California and which are currently not afforded to models in California and in most other states in the U.S.
Some model management agencies portray themselves a simply providing advice and counseling to models rather than admitting they are talent agencies which perform the task of obtaining employment for their models. They will present themselves, as they do in New York, as model management companies and claim in their contracts that they don’t actively seek employment of their models.
Other modeling agencies in California will admit that they are the model’s “sole and exclusive agent with respect to procuring modeling jobs employment for the model” but then turn around and state just a few paragraphs later in their contract that they “do not employ model” and “will not provide model with coverage for Workers’ Compensation, State Disability, State Unemployment or any other insurance.”
In California, the prevailing majority of modeling agencies present themselves as a talent agency, and governed in California by the Talent Agencies Act, but within their modeling contracts they still categorically state that the model is an independent contractor.
Somewhat similarly with respect to having two contracts, if a model joins a large modeling agency in the U.S. with offices in Los Angeles and New York, they may be asked to sign a talent agency agreement with the Los Angeles office and a model management agreement with the New York office.
Modeling Contracts Provided to Models from Model Management Agencies with Offices in Los Angeles and New York
It is no longer unusual for a model to be provided with two modeling agencies from the same modeling entity, one from their Los Angeles office, a talent agency contract, and a second one from their New York office, a personal management agreement which only speaks of providing the model with such things as career development, management, guidance, and counseling.
If the modeling agreement from the New York office of the modeling entity describes the agreement as a personal management agreement and not simply as a model management agreement, the New York agreement may attempt to obtain a higher additional commission for merchandising and licensing. It will also likely specifically state that the New York office is not a Talent Agency.
California Model Management Lawyer Sebastian Gibson
Having practiced law from offices in Palm Desert in the Palm Springs area and Newport Beach, in Orange County, California as well as in London, England, California Model Management Lawyer Sebastian Gibson is the right choice for all matters relating to modeling law in California, and the representation of models not only in the U.S. but internationally as well. We represent models, publishers, writers, film and TV producers, actors, musicians, artists, social media influencers and celebrities in all the aspects of the entertainment industry around the world.
Having obtained law degrees both in California and in Great Britain, and with years of experience practicing international entertainment law and specifically modeling law, California Model Management Lawyer Sebastian Gibson is the model management attorney to turn to for models throughout the world as they encounter legal issues with their modeling agency, expand their career to acting or other fields in entertainment, or when they are offered their first modeling agency contract.
With over 45 years of experience in the practice of law in California and in London, with experience practicing law as well with top firms in other parts of the world and living for years not just in England but in Wales and Greece, Entertainment Attorney Sebastian Gibson is the international lawyer you want on your side as a model. With law degrees in both the U.S. and in Great Britain, and recognition as a top attorney, the modeling lawyer to turn to for all your legal needs is California Modeling Lawyer Sebastian Gibson.
With experience representing celebrities, Model Management Attorney Sebastian Gibson is often called to appear on television to give his views as a celebrity lawyer. Prior to Shepard Smith’s resignation from Fox News, Sebastian Gibson was invited to appear on Shepard Smith’s show on Fox News as a celebrity lawyer and more recently was invited to appear on ITV National News in London to discuss the Prince Harry and Meghan lawsuit filed in Los Angeles for invasion of privacy for photos taken of their son by paparazzi.
From models to fashion and jewelry designers to celebrities, the entertainment and modeling lawyer you can count on to stand by your side and protect your interests in California Model Management Lawyer Sebastian Gibson.
Sebastian Gibson has been named a Top Lawyer by the prestigious Palm Springs Life Magazine for the 13th year in a row.
