1776 - 2026 🇺🇸 ☆ 250 Years Strong ☆ Honoring the American Story
Legal Offered by the Law Office of Charlie F Schmitt
Welcome to First Harbor Advisors Business Law Service
Charles F. Schmitt is an entertainment and media law attorney. With roots in media sales and concert promotion, experience as an executive at three major sports leagues, and entrepreneurial pursuits in the entertainment industry, he brings a unique and diverse perspective to his practice.
Honors
- 2016 - Present -- Board Of Directors, SeaCoast Academy
- 1995 -- Promo Magazine Annual Marketing All-Star Team
- 1986 -- Outstanding Young Men in America
- 1979 -- Who's Who Among High School Students In America
Academic Qualifications
- JD with Honors (Valedictorian), Florida Coastal School of Law, 2004
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cornell University, 1984
- BA Political Science, Colgate University, 1983
Legal Practice Areas
BUSINESS LAW
Entertainment Law
Entertainment Law
Business can be complicated in today's world, whether you are a sole proprietor or a multi-million dollar venture. From the inception of a business idea through its creation, financing, and growth, it's important to structure your entity. Business may not always be kind,nt to have counsel to guide you through difficult times so it's impor
Business can be complicated in today's world, whether you are a sole proprietor or a multi-million dollar venture. From the inception of a business idea through its creation, financing, and growth, it's important to structure your entity. Business may not always be kind,nt to have counsel to guide you through difficult times so it's important as well. Let's not forget an exit strategy, either. It's never too early or too late to consult your business attorney. We hope we might serve that role for you.
- Corporate Formation, structure, and governance
- contract drafting and review
- commercial dispute resolution and litigation
- business purchase and sale
- employment law
- product licensing and distribution agreements
Entertainment Law
Entertainment Law
Entertainment Law
We are often asked, "What does it take to become an entertainment lawyer?" The short answer is experience as an attorney AND an intimate knowledge of the entertainment business, from its customs and practices to its language and lingo. At its heart, entertainment law is really a combination of intellectual property and contract practice,
We are often asked, "What does it take to become an entertainment lawyer?" The short answer is experience as an attorney AND an intimate knowledge of the entertainment business, from its customs and practices to its language and lingo. At its heart, entertainment law is really a combination of intellectual property and contract practice, but to be truly effective on behalf of your client, you must understand the ins and outs of the industry. Decades of experience in both the business and law of entertainment afford us that unique perspective.
- Touring and performance contracts
- Recording agreements and label relations
- Publishing rights
- Performance rights
- Band formation and governance
- Digital music distribution
- Television and film syndication
- Production financing agreements
- Talent agreements
Media Law
Entertainment Law
Sports Law
The evolution of the Internet, digital production and transmission, and e-commerce have revolutionized the media industry. Content is king, your market is worldwide, and a successful media company is but a click away. But to know and protect your rights, it's important to understand the rights of others. We've literally lived and practice
The evolution of the Internet, digital production and transmission, and e-commerce have revolutionized the media industry. Content is king, your market is worldwide, and a successful media company is but a click away. But to know and protect your rights, it's important to understand the rights of others. We've literally lived and practiced through this evolution—both in law and business. Bring that expertise to your media endeavors.
- Copyright and intellectual property
- Internet and digital content law
- Media and publisher liability
- Talent agreements
- Syndication contracts
- performance society rights
Sports Law
Entertainment Law
Sports Law
Sports Law refers to all laws and regulations designed to govern professional and amateur sports. Athletes, coaches, trainers, and managers in the field of sports often refer to sports law regarding both amateur and professional sports. These laws make sure sports competitions are fair, athletes don’t train too many hours in a week, and p
Sports Law refers to all laws and regulations designed to govern professional and amateur sports. Athletes, coaches, trainers, and managers in the field of sports often refer to sports law regarding both amateur and professional sports. These laws make sure sports competitions are fair, athletes don’t train too many hours in a week, and professionals get paid in full for their work. One of the main goals of sports law is to protect all the parties involved, including athletes, leagues, clubs, and more.
- Property Representation
- Endorsement contracts
- Employment contracts
- Licensing
- Contract Review
- Trademark Law
- Personal Property/sports memorabilia
Learn More About Charlie Schmitt
... A UNIQUE AND DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE ON THE LAW
Charlie Schmitt began his entrepreneurial endeavors as a radio salesperson while in graduate school at Cornell University. After calling on a regional concert promoter in upstate New York, Schmitt became one of the promoter’s partners, producing a variety of concerts that featured artists such as Tony Bennett, Three Dog Night, Mickey Gilley, Helen Reddy, Glen Campbell, the Oak Ridge Boys, and the Beach Boys.
The excitement of New York City soon led Schmitt to more conventional business pursuits in New York’s publishing industry. Hired as a telemarketing sales representative by Ziff-Davis in January 1985, he was promoted within six months to Sales Manager of the PC Buyer’s Guide, one of Ziff’s youngest sales managers at age 24.
Schmitt advanced through the publishing and marketing industry in a variety of roles, including serving as a consultant to political candidates and members of Congress. During this period, he also published more than fifty columns as a political columnist for the New York City Tribune.
In 1992, Schmitt joined the National Football League as Publishing Manager at NFL Properties, where he was responsible for developing and growing a new business-to-business publication, NFL Prime Time, as well as bulk sales of the Super Bowl Game Program.
He was later recruited by the National Hockey League to serve as its Publishing Director. There, he engineered a digital joint venture with IBM that created NHL ICE, LLC, the first internet-based co-venture in professional sports , and was named its first Chief Executive Officer in 1996. As Executive Producer of NHL.com, Schmitt pioneered the production of integrated audio and video highlight programs on the internet, including live-streaming highlight shows from the Stanley Cup Finals and the NHL All-Star Game.
Schmitt was recruited by the PGA Tour which also had a sponsorship relationship with IBM to serve as General Manager and Executive Producer of PGATour.com. In that role, he formed a joint venture with CBS SportsLine for the production of PGATOUR.com, with a focus on streamed programming, including live reports from The Players Championship.
As the new decade began, Schmitt left the corporate world to found Rockforever.com, LLC and “The Voices of Classic Rock.” One of the world’s first digital record labels, Rockforever offered a platform through which notable classic rock artists could update and re-record their best work for digital release. Rather than simply signing artists to the label, each became a partner in the limited liability company, an artist-owned digital label.
From Rockforever, Schmitt produced its artists as a live performance package, “The Voices of Classic Rock.” The ensemble ultimately performed more than 100 concerts on four continents. The “Voices” were consistent chart-toppers on MP3.com and released multiple CDs, including Live at the Hard Rock Hotel (Hard Rock and Springbound Music) and Voices for America (CMG Records). The group made two live appearances on the nationally syndicated radio program Rockline, appeared live on the USA Network, and produced the Voices Rock Kaanapali Concert and companion television special for VH1 Classic and CMG.
Rockforever artists included Mike Reno of Loverboy, John Cafferty of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Alex Ligertwood (formerly of Santana), Jimi Jamison of Survivor, Leslie West of Mountain, Peter Rivera of Rare Earth, Spencer Davis of the Spencer Davis Group, David Jenkins of Pablo Cruise, Glenn Hughes (formerly of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath), and Joe Lynn Turner (formerly of Deep Purple and Rainbow), among others.
After a successful career in business, in January 2002, Charlie Schmitt returned to academia, enrolling as a first-year law student at Florida Coastal School of Law. He graduated in two and a half years as class valedictorian. Upon graduation, he joined the Law Offices of Fred Tromberg, whose principal, Fred Tromberg, was an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal and later Chairman of the Florida Bar’s Civil Trial Board Certification Committee. For nearly six years, Schmitt was mentored by Mr. Tromberg in both the art and science of the legal profession, including civil trial practice.
In October 2010, Charlie Schmitt opened the Law Offices of Charles F. Schmitt, PLLC, where his practice focuses on business, media, entertainment, and sports law.
