Leif Cervantes de Reinstein is a corporate partner in O’Melveny’s Century City office, and a member of the firm’s Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry Group.
For nearly 30 years, Leif has represented a vast array of major US, UK, EU, and Asian entertainment studios, production companies, and exhibitors on media-related corporate transactions, from M&A and IP-based investments to film and television finance, co-production, and licensing agreements. He also advises media and entertainment industry clients on risk analysis, business strategy, and marketplace knowledge.
Both an LA native and European Union citizen, Leif is a Hollywood insider and multi-lingual authority on the media business worldwide. He provides pragmatic counsel at all stages of the content pipeline—from commercial strategy and company capitalization via M&A and/or investment activity, to intellectual property acquisition, creative development, and on-screen fruition, and finally with monetization and corporate strategies towards his clients’ long-term growth and success.
Leif has been honored as an “Entertainment Business Visionary” by the Los Angeles Times and a “Power Lawyer” by The Hollywood Reporter. He has also been named to Variety’s prestigious “Legal Impact Report” and “Dealmakers List.” In addition, The Legal 500 US has recommended Leif in its “Media & Entertainment: Transactional” category for five consecutive years.
Get to Know Leif
Get to Know Leif
- Negotiated groundbreaking financing, brand license and producing agreements for mega-brand The Hershey Company for a feature film about their history
- Closed credit facility with Royal Bank of Canada on behalf of a mini-major studio whereby a syndicate of banks loaned against revenue streams
- Represented Mohari Hospitality in formation of media unit and curation of content portfolio, including co-financing with Artists’ Equity of a film version of the musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman” from Bill Condon starring Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna
- Represented Domain Capital Group for 30-film slate finance deal with Paramount Pictures
- Negotiated Baywatch series reboot for Fremantle at Fox
- Advised Playground Productions as an investor in Range Media Partners latest funding round. The investor group, which was led by Forest Road Asset Management LLC and accompanied by Playground’s investment, includes Liberty Global affiliates and an investment fund advised by Wildcat Capital Management, as well as Rick Hess
- Counseled Peloton in co-promotion and co-branding arrangement with lululemon
- Represented Lions Gate Entertainment in the acquisition of the film and television business of eOne
- Negotiated groundbreaking overall alliance between 101 Studios and Paramount Global for over 20 television and streaming series
- Advising Legendary Pictures in intellectual property matters related to their Monsterverse franchise and other high-budget projects in both film and television like “Magic: The Gathering”, “Street Fighter”, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s untitled film starring Tom Cruise
- Counseled Dawn Olmstead in her joint venture with Charlize Theron
- Represented BET in overall agreement and joint venture to create BET Studios with Kenya Barris
- Represented Sony Pictures Television in its acquisition of Industrial Media, one of the foremost independent nonfiction production companies whose portfolio includes “90 Day Fiancé,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol”
- Representation of 101 Studios for its joint venture with Authentic Brands Group to create Sports Illustrated Studios
- Outside counsel to Paramount Network, Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios for Taylor Sheridan universe shows
- Recently led negotiations for clients’ licensing and/or co-productions of illustrious series like “My Life with the Walter Boys,” “Shogun,” “Monarch,” “Eric,” “The Rookie,” “The Great,” “Pachinko” and “The Morning Show”
- Strategic adviser to Fremantle UK on scripted television and feature films, including major overall deals and Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood” and “Maria” feature films, as well the “The Wave,” a co-production with Fabula, and Sky co-production “Iris” from Neil Cross
- Counseled prestigious UK production company, Sister, in co-production and licensing deals with Amazon and Netflix
- Represented creators of “Tiger King” for one of the largest docu-series deals ever made, and their follow-up “Chimp Crazy” on MAX
- Counsel to Lion Forge Animation in first look deal with Nickelodeon
- Structured payroll services joint venture between Hollywood giant and professional outsourcing technology company
- US business affairs lead for Canadian, Korean, Spanish, Mexican, Greek, Italian, Scandinavian, and other international production companies
Languages
- Spanish
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- Duke University, J.D.: cum laude
- Duke University, B.A., East Asian Studies / South American Studies: summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Honors & Awards
- Named to the “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” list by Lawdragon (2025)
- Entertainment Business Visionary, Los Angeles Times (2024)
- Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Legal Impact Report (2020-2021, 2023-2024)
- Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Dealmakers List (2020, 2023, 2024)
- Recommended by the Legal 500 US for Media, Technology and Telecoms – Media and Entertainment: Transactional (2020-2024)
- Top 100 Power Lawyer, Corporate Entertainment, The Hollywood Reporter (2019)
- Southern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers (2015-2018)
Professional Activities
Member
- Christopher Street West Association and LA Pride
- Coalition Against Slavery and Human Trafficking
- Girls Inc. of Los Angeles
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
- San Diego Humane Society Animal Shelter
- The Trevor Project
Speaker
- Panelist, “Rightsholders in the Evolving Film/TV Industry,” Duke Law Sports and Entertainment Law Society Symposium (January 2020)
- Panelist, “Video/TV/Movies: Redefining Video Distribution: The Melting Pot of OTT, Cable and Linear Television,” Digital Entertainment World Expo (DEW) (February 2019)