Lynn Oberlander provides counsel to companies that employ journalists, editors, authors, filmmakers, and other creative professionals in legal challenges to the broadcast, distribution, and publication of their work. Having served media companies in-house for almost 25 years, Lynn has broad experience in all content-related matters, ranging from investigative journalism to celebrity coverage to access. Lynn regularly advises on prepublication and copyright issues and she also has deep experience in the corporate and contractual issues that arise in the media industry—including those concerning intellectual property, talent, podcasting, sponsorship, and distribution.
Lynn provides general counsel services; pre-broadcast and pre-publication review; pre-production services; fair use review and analysis; newsgathering and newsroom policies; counsel on Freedom of Information Act requests and access; copyright and content litigation; and contract and licensing review, drafting, and negotiation of all types. She has particular experience with journalism that involves issues of national security as well as other types of investigative reporting.
Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Lynn spent five years as general counsel of leading digital media companies Gizmodo Media Group and First Look Media Works (publisher of The Intercept and the documentary project Field of Vision) and nearly eight years as general counsel of The New Yorker. She has also held senior in-house roles at Univision, Forbes, and NBC. Lynn has taught Media Law and Media Ethics to graduate students in the Media Management and Media Studies programs at the New School since 1998.
