All About Rick.

Richard Morse is a seasoned entertainment attorney with over 30 years of experience in the

entertainment, arts, sports, and new media industries, with a primary focus on film. His career

spans comprehensive business and legal affairs expertise, serving as General Counsel and head

of legal and business affairs for numerous entertainment entities, including production

companies, film finance firms, international distributors, investment banks, and new media

developers. "Rick" as he is known, also customarily takes on roles as production counsel and

executive producer, contributing to the success of around 35 films.

Rick operates a solo practice from Newport Beach, California, where he primarily serves as

production counsel and executive producer for independent films. Recent projects include The

Gunslingers with Nicolas Cage, Dead Man’s Hand with Cole Hauser, The System with Terrence

Howard and Jeremy Piven, and Every Last One of Them with Richard Dreyfuss. He also

provides production and specialty finance services for feature films, most recently Tin Soldiers

with Robert De Niro, Jamie Foxx and Scott Eastwood, also credited as co-executive producer,

along with several documentaries, notably the award-winning Carol Doda, Topless at the

Condor, where he served as both executive producer and production counsel.

Before establishing his private practice, Rick held the position of Senior Vice President of

Business and Legal Affairs at Radar Pictures, the successor to Interscope Communications,

known for acclaimed productions such as The Last Samurai, Mr. Holland's Opus, Riddick,

and Amityville Horror. He managed contracts from development through delivery and provided

in-house legal counsel on films including Beirut, starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund

Pike, Kickboxer: Vengeance with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Under the Bed by The Blair

Witch Project director Dan Myrick. Additionally, he contributed to the reboots of Jumanji during

his tenure.

Rick’s experience includes extensive work in entertainment finance, partnering with Blue Rider

Finance on bridge, tax credit, and specialty financing. He has served as production counsel and

executive producer on films such as Wild Oats, starring Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange, and

previously held roles as General Counsel for Bauer Martinez Studios, where he was production

counsel for The Steam Experiment with Val Kilmer, and for Grand Illusions, where he worked

with multiple Oscar winning producer/director Jonathan Sanger on 100 Feet.

His earlier career includes notable roles as VP of Business and Legal Affairs for iMedia

International, where he developed cutting-edge digital media in partnership with Signatures

Network inclusive of many of the top recording stars and several studios, and also handled high-

profile entertainment and sports litigation, including cases for all rights to Beverly Hills

90210, Melrose Place, and exclusive NBA animation rights. Additionally, Rick was Head of

Entertainment Law for legendary trial attorney Melvin Belli where they launched his Beverly

Hills office. Rick’s music clients included such recording stars as Rick James and more recently

T-Pain, with the first contract he was given to break down in his first entertainment law firm

being one for the Rolling Stones. His early clients included Hollywood legends such as Milton

Berle and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Rick holds a BA in Psychology with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and a

JD from UC Hastings College of Law, where he was honored by appointment to the

Communications and Entertainment Law Review. Together with his faculty advisor/mentor

Roscoe Barrow, the US Presidential Special Counsel for Communications, Rick drafted advisory

opinions for the White House, while studying under two Supreme Court Justices, a United States

Secretary of State and a United Nations Ambassador. He studied entertainment law under Neil

Bornstein, attorney for the Beatles. Rick taught Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses at

UC Davis and the University of Houston and was a frequent commentator for The Hollywood

Reporter as an entertainment litigator. His speaking engagements include presentations for the

American Trial Lawyers Association, USC’s graduating class in Communications, and various

television and radio programs.

On the personal side, in his youth, Rick was a sponsored skateboard team rider competing

successfully in the First International Skateboard Competition and other events against the

Dogtown and Z Board crew and the Hobie team riders. He spent three years living in Squaw

Valley, Lake Tahoe, enjoying cliff jumping and other out of bounds extreme skiing endeavors

and spent two years surfing big waves while living in Hawaii. Now he enjoys frequent time there

under the waves shooting stills and videos of turtles and other undersea life with his GoPro,

while residing in Dana Point with his wife, Janis.