Fieldfisher

Media & Entertainment

Dr Martin Diesbach is a Partner in the Fieldfisher offices in Berlin and Munich and advises clients in the media industry on all legal issues along the entire value chain of audiovisual content.

His advice extends in particular to the areas of film and television – from development, financing and production to the exploitation of audiovisual content. He is an expert in rights clearance for films, particularly in the area of personality rights, and also advises on Press and Publicity Law.

In addition, he conducts contentious proceedings in the media industry, in particular with regard to copyright disputes, and he is one of the leading experts on all copyright issues relating to fair remuneration, "bestseller remuneration" and the associated disclosure claims and transparency obligations. He regularly negotiates joint remuneration agreements for the major players in the industry.

His clients include streaming platforms, television broadcasters, producers, distributors, major studios, smart TV providers, associations, banks and investors from Germany and abroad.

Recommendations:

Chambers Europe 2020-2023

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "TMT: Media"
  • "He rises to the top of the rankings following his involvement in prominent media law mandates. His expertise covers film productions, licensing and distribution agreements and remuneration schemes for freelancers, making him a top choice for holistic advice." (2023)
  • "He is an incredibly gifted lawyer; smart and pragmatic. He understands the business and the laws and he knows how to calibrate the questions that I ask." (2022)
  • "Martin is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the production industry. He really knows all of the ins and outs of the industry and is very good at identifying what the issues are and finding solutions. His judgement is incredible. He is someone I trust implicitly." (2021)

Chambers Europe: Germany 2018

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "TMT: Media"
  • "Renowned Martin Diesbach" (2018)

Handelsblatt in cooperation with Best Lawyers: Germany's best lawyers 2018-2023

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media and Copyright Law" (2018-2023)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media and Entertainment" (2020-2023)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Entertainment Law" (2019)
  • Lawyer of the Year in the "Media and Entertainment" category (2018, 2023)

JUVE Handbook: Commercial Law Firms 2018-2022/2024

• • Leading name in the category "Copyright" (2018-2023/2024)
  • Frequently recommended lawyer in the category "Contract and Copyright Law/Transactions and Financing" (2020-2022/2024)
  • Frequently recommended lawyer in the category "Technology and Media: Media" (2018/2019, 2019/2020)
  • Clients about him:
    • "very good, very detailed and up-to-date, helpful" (2023-2024)
    • "very good" (2022/2023)
    • "great advice in Media Law" (2021/2022)
  • Competitors about him:
    • "Very experienced in the industry and excellently networked" (2023-2024)
    • "Experienced in the industry, excellently networked" (2022/2023)
    • "very experienced" (2020/2021)
    • "very strong in traditional Media Law", "broadly positioned, particularly good for Entertainment" (2019/2020)
    • "Good negotiator, always very motivated and competent" (2018/2019)

The Legal 500: Germany 2018-2024

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media: Gaming" (2024)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media: Digital Content" (2023-2024)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media: Entertainment" (2018-2024)
  • Leading name in the category "Media: Entertainment" (2019-2024)
  • "Highly respected Martin Diesbach advises the world's largest companies on Media and Copyright Law, regulatory and licensing issues." (2021)
  • "The highly respected Martin Diesbach is considered an outstanding advisor in the field of film financing as well as in litigation in Media Law disputes." (2020)
  • "Renowned Martin Diesbach" (2018)

The Legal 500: EMEA 2022, 2024

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Media/Entertainment, Media/Digital Content, Media/Gaming"

Who's Who Legal: Germany 2018-2021

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Data" (2020, 2021)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Sports & Entertainment" (2018-2021)
  • Recommended lawyer in the category "Technology, Media & Telecommunications" (2018)
  • "Martin Diesbach ranks highly among peers thanks to his impressive handling of the production and financing of media and entertainment projects." (2020)
  • "Martin Diesbach is revered for his profound understanding of movie financing issues as well as his expertise in advising clients on digital business models." (2020)
  • "A pre-eminent practitioner in the entertainment law sector. He is internationally recognised as one of the principal experts in movie financing matters." (2018)
  • "A powerhouse in the field of media and entertainment law and is well respected for the first-rate counsel he delivers to clients on digital business models." (2018)

Who's Who Legal: Data 2018-2020

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Telecoms & Media" (2018-2020)
  • "Martin Diesbach is an 'outstanding lawyer' who excels in advising German and international media companies on the development, production and financing of projects." (2020)

WirtschaftsWoche in cooperation with Handelsblatt Research Institute; issue 46/2022

• • TOP Lawyer 2022 in the category "Copyright"

WirtschaftsWoche in cooperation with Handelsblatt Research Institute; issue 43/2020

• • Highly recommended lawyer in the category "Copyright"

Managing IP (2023)

• • Recommended lawyer in the category "Notable Practitioners" (2023)

Before joining Fieldfisher, he worked for a major international law firm and a specialised media law firm.

He advises his clients in German, English and French.

He studied in Passau, Toulouse (France) and Freiburg im Breisgau.

He is an Arbitrator of the Independent Film & Television Alliance and a member of the German Film Academy. He regularly gives lectures and workshops on film-specific and copyright issues. He was involved in the 2017 Copyright Reform as an expert in the Legal Committee of the German Bundestag.