Top Film Deal Lawyer Jumps Firms on Eve of Sundance (Exclusive)

Andrew Hurwitz, a top indie film deal attorney, has joined Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC, leaving Schreck Rose Dapello Adams & Hurwitz LLP, where he was a name partner. 

Hurwitz began work at Frankfurt Kurnit on Tuesday; the move comes just days before the start of the Sundance Film Festival, which begins Jan. 19. 

“For me it made sense because I have a strong entertainment practice that has needed a full service firm to support it and that’s what Frankfurt is,” Hurwitz told THR in an interview. “They have the oldest entertainment practice in New York with strong media, litigation and corporate practices.”

Both Frankfurt Kurnit and Schreck Rose are among a handful of New York-based law firms that have entertainment specialities; Hurwitz joined Schreck Rose in 2007. He said that all of his clients have made the move with him to Frankfurt Kurnit.

Also joining the Frankfut Kurnit firm is Alan Sacks as counsel in the firm’s entertainment group.

Hurwitz has been a film festival circuit mainstay for nearly his entire career. Last year, he repped two big Sundance sales, Homework (retitled The Art of Getting By) and The Bengali Detective, both acquired by Fox Searchlight. 

He put together How I Met Your Mother star and director Josh Radnor‘s forthcoming dramedy Liberal Arts, which is debuting at Sundance this year in the festival’s Premieres section.

Hurwitz also reps Tom McCarthy, another actor-turned-director, who helmed this year’s Searchlight comedy Win Win, which premiered at Sundance last year.

This year, the attorney will have another active festival: Between Frankfurt Kurnit’s existing entertainment clients and those that Hurwitz has brought to the firm, he is involved in the financing, production or sale of nine films that will screen at Sundance.

Those projects include LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up And Play The Hits and narrative films This Must Be the Place, Hello, I Must Be Going and Smashed. 

Hurtwitz was named to THR‘s 2011 Power Lawyers list. 

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller