Ivy Kagan Bierman

Ivy Kagan Bierman’s practice includes the representation of entertainment and related companies in labor, production, distribution, technology and other business matters. She handles both transactional and litigation matters for clients.

Ivy is one of a select few entertainment industry labor lawyers looked to for representation in guild and union matters by film and television production companies, digital companies and networks, cable networks, public broadcasting companies, distribution companies, film finance companies, national advertisers and advertising agencies. She regularly counsels entertainment and advertising companies with respect to SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA, AFM, IATSE and Teamsters agreements. She also negotiates separate agreements and waivers with the guilds and unions for entertainment and advertising clients. She was one of the first to negotiate interactive, multimedia and secondary digital channel agreements with SAG-AFTRA, the WGA and the DGA. 

Ivy strategizes with film and television production, distribution and finance companies regarding WGA, SAG-AFTRA and DGA negotiations and potential strikes. She advises national advertisers and advertising agencies with respect to the SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract negotiations and potential strikes. She also protects film, television and public broadcasting companies during guild and union organizing campaigns and advises them with respect to their obligations and rights during picketing and strikes. 

Ivy currently advises clients with respect to the guilds’ and unions’ evolving positions regarding reality television, brand integration, and development and exhibition of digital content.

Ivy also regularly provides sexual harassment, discrimination and non-fraternization training tailored to entertainment industry companies with “edgy” programming content. She handles investigations of sexual harassment claims and violations of non-fraternization policies in connection with high-profile television series and works closely with television network attorneys to resolve such claims.  She is currently serving as a member of the Legal, Legislative and Policy Committee on Sexual Harassment and Gender Parity for Time’s Up and is outside counsel on Sexual Harassment and Gender Parity for The Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace.

Ivy’s litigation practice is also focused on the entertainment industry. She has represented several television production companies and payroll companies in a series of entertainment industry-wide wage and hour class action lawsuits which were settled favorably for the firm’s clients. Ivy also defends entertainment companies against wage and hour claims before the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. She also represents entertainment companies in investigations by the Labor Commissioner’s Bureau of Field Enforcement and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and defend them against citations arising out of such investigations. Ivy also defends clients against guild and union grievances and arbitration claims and unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board.  

Ivy is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami Law School where she teaches a short course titled Union Organizing and Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry.