At Rayner Rowe we think we are a little different. We think like our clients. We understand their business. We know what it is like to build, buy, run and operate business because we have done it.

While we are very proud that our clients have won numerous awards including Oscars, Emmy’s, Tony’s, Grammy’s, BAFTA’s, Clio’s and the English Premier League, we are most proud of the role we play in helping all of our clients achieve their goals.

We are a transactional firm and focus on the sectors of media, entertainment, technology, US/UK business and advertising. Our clients include public and private companies and individuals. We provide high quality legal and business solutions in a concise, responsive and cost efficient manner. Our lawyers bring extensive multi-disciplinary experience gained working in “big firm” environments and apply that experience with Rayner Rowe. As a result, our clients receive “big firm” expertise on sophisticated transactions within a “smaller firm” environment and cost structure. 

Daniel Rayner is managing partner of Rayner Rowe LLP located in New York City, the firm he founded in 1999. He is admitted to the New York Bar and is also a Solicitor in England. Daniel’s practice focuses on transactional work with an emphasis on the media, entertainment, technology and advertising sectors. He is a member of the board of directors of The National Dance Institute and lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters.

Daniel is a graduate of The University of Leeds (B.A. 1982), College of Law Lancaster Gate (CPE, Order of Merit, 1983 and Solicitor’s Finals Examination 1984) and Brooklyn Law School (JD, 1994). He was associated with Kramer Levin and O’Sullivan Graev & Karabell (subsequently O’Melveny & Meyers) before founding the firm.

Daniel’s practice comprises representing corporations and entrepreneurs, primarily in the media, advertising, entertainment and technology sectors, and investors in connection with: mergers and acquisitions; development, financing and distribution of media properties and their sale and financing; executive employment agreements; and emerging growth companies and their financing.

Daniel counsels U.S and U.K public and private corporations at varying stages of growth, from start-up through mature public company in transactions that have ranged from seed financings to $1billion cross-border public takeover and buyout and M&A transactions. 

He represents senior executives in the media and advertising sectors in negotiating their employment and compensation arrangements.

Representative clients in the media and advertising sectors include: Smuggler; Co: Collective; Broadway Near You; Manchester United; Kinetic Content; Raw TV; Atlas Media Corp.; Shed Media; Ricochet; Fabrik (formerly Fuse) Entertainment; STV; DRG; Betty; Twenty Twenty; Northern & Shell and Mentorn.

Representative television series representations include: Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (NBC); Paranormal Witness (NBC); The Taste (ABC); You Deserve It! (ABC); Supernanny (ABC); Gold Rush (Discovery); Locked Up Abroad (National Geographic); Super Manny (ABC); Fat March (ABC); Footballers’ Wives (Touchstone/ABC); Challenge America with Erin Brokovich (ABC); Perez Hilton Superfan (ITV2); Basketball Wives (VH1); Kissinger (National Geographic); Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo); Bethenny Gets Married (Bravo); Thintervention (Bravo); World’s Strictest Parents (CMT and MTV); Freaky Eaters (TLC); Harvest (History); Juvie Parole (A&E), X-Prize (National Geographic), It’s Me or the Dog (Animal Planet).     

Recent client representations in corporate transactions in the media sector include:

-        Fabrik (formerly Fuse) Entertainment (The Killing and Burn Notice) and its principals Mikkel Bondesen and Henrik Bastin in relation to an investment by Pro Sieban Sat1’s Red Arrow Entertainment Group.    

-        Northern & Shell Plc. (Owner of Channel 5 and Express Newspapers) on its sale of OK! Magazine in the U.S and Canada. 

-        Broadway Near You LLC on its fundraising activities and its Stagecast rights acquisition strategy.

-        Kinetic Content LLC in relation to its investment from Red Arrow Entertainment Group. 

For more than 20 years Ralph G. De Palma III has provided legal services to clients in the entertainment industries. Ralph regularly handles all types of music industry agreements, film and television production agreements, talent agreements, licenses, financing arrangements, theater production, intellectual property acquisitions and dispositions, film, television and music distribution agreements and trademark prosecutions.

Representative clients have included: Aerosmith, Backstreet Boys, Carly Simon, Bill Wyman, Little Steven, Paula Abdul, BMG Music Publishing, Sony Music Entertainment, Cherry Lane Music, EMI Music Publishing, Russell Simmons, Musiq Soulchild, Ashford & Simpson, Syleena Johnson, Hot Tuna, Jim Steinman, and others.

Representative television shows and films include: The Taste, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, R&B Divas, King of Dirt, American Idol, Trailer Fabulous, The Sopranos, Cursed, The Cove, The Betrayal, Love The Hard Way, and countless pilots and presentations.

Ralph is also an Adjunct Professor of Entertainment Law at Brooklyn Law School, a frequent lecturer at the Practicing Law Institute, Fordham University Law School and the NYU Film School.

Ralph understands the business of entertainment. Prior to law school he worked in the film industry and as a musician. He began his legal career in Business Affairs at Sony Music, followed by more than a dozen years in the entertainment department of Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn in New York. Ralph provides comprehensive general counsel services to his clients.

Ralph has also prosecuted numerous trademark applications, office actions and appeals before the United States Patent &Trademark Office. He advises clients in connection with complex copyright, trademark and domain name disputes, litigation and copyright reversions.

Ralph graduated from New York University, School of Law, Brooklyn Law School and New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. He has a B.F.A. in Film and Television Production, a Juris Doctor degree, and LL.M degrees in both Corporation Law and Taxation.