Background for Gamal Hennessy, Esq.

Attorney Registration Number:

2917649

Bar Membership:

New York State Member in Good Standing

Education:

Graduated New York Law School, Class of 1996

Professional History

I am an experienced commercial contracts attorney with expertise in publishing and IP licensing. During my career, I’ve represented major corporate clients including Mad Cave Studios, Amazon, Marvel, and GlobalComix, as well as independent creative professionals and start-up companies.

Central Park Media gave me my first real taste of entertainment contracts. As general counsel of a startup publishing company, I acted as the sole owner of all drafting and negotiating of international IP licenses, work-for-hire agreements, and statements of work associated with anime and manga production. Our catalog included everything from the painfully tragic Grave of the Fireflies to the infamous Legend of the Overfiend and everything in between.

In 2002, Marvel brought me in to handle their new international publishing department. My main function was helping Marvel break into the Japanese market, but I also initiated, negotiated, drafted, and managed compliance for international licenses associated with Marvel entertainment IP. This work covered consumer goods, film, interactive media, and publishing in Europe, South America, and the Middle East. In addition, I drafted many of the exclusive talent deals Marvel began to set up around the time Ultimates began to gain traction. I left Marvel soon after the Ultimates, X-men, and Spider-Man deals were established in Japan.

After Marvel, I launched my own practice to serve independent IP creators and freelance artists with their business development, contracts, and licensing issues. I’ve given lectures with the American Bar Association, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and New York Law School. My clients also include technology startups including GlobalComix and Zoop.

In 2020, I published a book called The Business of Independent Comic Book Publishing as a comprehensive guide on the business and legal aspects of the independent comic book industry. I am currently working on the follow-up book, The Business of Freelance Comic Book Publishing, which is scheduled for publication in the Fall of 2023. Finally, I started an online community of comic book creators called Comics Connection working to create viable business models for their intellectual property.

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