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1711 Price Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 544-2050
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1711 Price Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Talk with an attorney
Schedule Consultation
Bowen Schmidt is the first entertainment law firm ever to receive this honor. "To determine the 2023 ELITE Firm of the Year winner, we seriously considered the factors that impact a successful business, an influential leader, and a true Firm of the Year," announced Crisp. "Each firm’s application was evaluated based on specific results they’ve generated, commitment to their goals, and more – and Bowen Schmidt Entertainment Attorneys knocked it out of the park." "This award is a testament to our team’s dedication to empowering the creative spirit through legal excellence," said Charles "Bo" Bowen, the firm’s managing partner. "We are honored to be recognized among such distinguished peers and remain committed to setting the bar for advocacy in the entertainment industry."
Bowen Schmidt Entertainment Attorneys were awarded Firm of the Year at the 2023 Crisp Annual Game Changers Summit in acknowledgment of their exceptional client advocacy, pioneering of new industry standards to protect creative rights, and leadership in the field of entertainment law.
AI’s ability to generate video lags significantly behind its audio and text capacities, said Ryan Schmidt, a partner at Bowen Schmidt, so it will likely be a while before AI can produce anything as complex and realistic as “Joan Is Awful.” “But there’s every reason to think it can get there,” Schmidt said, and the law is already running behind. Under the National Labor Relations Act, companies are mandated to engage in negotiation with SAG-AFTRA prior to attempting to secure such rights in performers' contracts, as per the guild's March 23rd statement regarding simulated performances. In many cases, Schmidt said, preexisting contracts are being “reinterpreted and stretched probably beyond everybody’s original intention” because of their overly broad nature. “That’s really the basis for the things that we’re seeing with both WGA and SAG-AFTRA,” Schmidt said. “We’re at this Napster 2001 moment where the music industry was, where we can either create really clear, fair standards, or we can kind of let it go wild. … It’s one thing if somebody wants to [use AI] to make a silly TikTok video, but it’s another thing if a film studio wants to do it and displace thousands of crew members’ jobs.”
Charles Bowen, founder of the Savannah Film Alliance, urged the entertainment industry to find some way to fight back that does not involve exacting an economic toll. “The vast majority of people in the entertainment industry in Georgia are against what’s happening,” he said. “I would encourage anyone to stay here, donate to the ACLU or abortion rights groups — let’s do everything we can do to fight what’s going on.”
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - It has been a quiet couple of years for the Savannah Film Alliance - a network of local individuals and businesses with an interest in supporting movie and television projects in the Coastal Empire. But, like those projects, the organization is making a comeback. Joining us on Morning Break was Charles Bowen, the founder of the Savannah Film Alliance, which will hold its first in-person meeting in more than two years on Thursday.
Legal scholar? Skilled negotiator? Ruthless courtroom assassin? Innovator of the legal profession? You may think you know Charles Bowen, but you don’t know Bo. The same man who routinely disassembles courtroom opponents somehow manages to marry bulldog vibes, southern charm, and legal mastery, ensuring clients know they are in the most capable of hands. Enigmatically hirsute and sartorially pristine, Bowen’s distinguished veneer begs scratching to reveal a slightly warm and fuzzy side that can be glimpsed with the mere mention of his two daughters and family. It also exposes a mischievous side full of sarcastic bon mots and entertaining stories from his days as a thespian. But Bowen doesn’t go it alone. In Ryan Schmidt, he has found a peer that so mirrors his ethics, passion for the law, and penchant for swift resolutions and courtroom triumphs that they could be cut from the same cloth. Bowen and Schmidt. The wisdom of experience meets the voice of the future. Partners in justice. True legal outlawyers. Together, an unstoppable force.
Two men, brought together by fate, are fighting back against the perception that lawyers are boring, stuffy, and more concerned with billable hours than the needs of their clients. Get ready for an epic journey as these two counselors take their clients on a quest to protect them from those nefarious law firms that: Have more initials in their firm's name than a top secret government agency. Can't seem to get in touch with you, despite never missing a tee-time. Have not updated their office, wardrobe, or knowledge about the law since the Nixon administration. Charles “Bo” Bowen and Ryan Schmidt have built one of the country's most prestigious, innovative, and trusted law firms right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia.
In this episode of EXPOSED, we talk with attorney Charles “Bo” Bowen. Bo’s firm is located in Savannah Georgia but serves clients throughout the country on matters concerning entertainment, film and music. Bo discusses legal strategies and trends including the impact COVID has had on his consultations in 2020 and 2021.
The scene is New Orleans, 1895. Bernard Cohen Shields, one of the city’s most prominent corporate attorneys, gazes out of his office window over the gaslit streets of the French Quarter, silently taking in the beauty of the city. Shields has dedicated his life to New Orleans, from defending it in the military to serving on City Council to utilizing his law practice to support his fellow citizens and entrepreneurs. It is a city he feels honored and privileged to serve.
Charles “Bo” Bowen graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, worked for a general practice firm, then managed the Savannah office of an Atlanta-based firm, but after that firm merged with another he decided to launch his own firm to focus on business and commercial law, founding Bowen Schmidt in 2012. It turns out that this past year alone, Bowen has worked with more start-ups than he has in the preceding five years combined. He says he enjoys developing a relationship with companies from the beginning in order to build a mutually beneficial business relationship. I don't think it's a constant fight to practice business and corporate law. When the only goal is to make money, that's obvious, and that's off-putting and that's not what you wanna do to build a successful business of any kind.
The Helen V. Head Business Advocate Award went to Charles “Bo” Bowen of Bowen Schmidt. Annually, this award is presented to one area business at the Savannah Chamber of Commerce's Expo & Awards Banquet for their commitment to volunteering and supporting local businesses. Bowen has been practicing corporate law for more than twenty years. Bowen has been actively involved in helping Savannah's business community since opening Bowen Schmidt in 2012 as a full-service law firm. He has been involved with numerous advocacy programs, speaking to local high schools and business groups, and providing free resources to help business owners foster future leadership.
Charles “Bo” Bowen has been recognized for his service to Georgia's entertainment industry and legal profession through a resolution passed by the Georgia State Senate. Bowen was also recognized as an Outstanding Georgia Citizen by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Among the sponsors of this resolution was State Sen. Lester Jackson and State Rep. Ben Watson, who praised Bowen for his role in promoting Savannah's growing film and television industry. The resolution summarizes the business honors Bowen has received. A few of these awards include being named "Business Advocate of the Year" by the Savannah Morning News, winning the "Helen V. Head Business Leader of the Year Award" from the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, and receiving additional accolades from the legal profession. Secretary of State's recognition reads: As a Goodwill Ambassador from Georgia, may this Outstanding Citizen be afforded every courtesy in his travels to other states, to nations outside the United States of America, or wherever he may reside in the future. Thank you for your service to the State of Georgia.
Charles “Bo” Bowen received the Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ rating, the highest ranking based on confidential surveys sent to other lawyers. Its questionnaires are distributed to members of the bar and judiciary (lawyers and judges) in the United States and Canada, in areas of practice and/or industries similar to the lawyer being rated. In order to rate a lawyer, reviewers must have worked with or know the lawyer. Within one year, a peer can only submit one report on a specific lawyer. An ethical standards rating indicates adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics. Legal Knowledge, Analytical Capabilities, Judgment, Communication Ability, and Legal Experience make up the Legal Ability rating.
In two categories, Business Law and Corporate Law, Charles “Bo” Bowen of Bowen Schmidt has been selected by members of the State Bar of Georgia as one of Georgia Trend's 12th Annual Legal Elite. In either the Business Law or Corporate Law categories, he was the only Savannah attorney to be selected. Legal Elite listings were compiled by Georgia Trend magazine from thousands of attorneys who are members of the State Bar of Georgia via mail ballots and online submissions. Bowen specializes in commercial law, banking law, and manufacturing law, and he also offers comprehensive mediation services. In 1995, Bowen graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and opened a corporate law practice in Savannah. There is a collaborative effort between Bowen and a number of in-house legal practices to form Bowen Schmidt. As a Savannah attorney, Bowen will be celebrating his 20th year of practice next year.
He was lost in thought when South Magazine caught up with him as he stared out at the panoramic view of Savannah. He had just returned from Washington, D.C., where he gave a speech on the importance of maintaining personal integrity. The past month has been a whirlwind of activity for Charles “Bo” Bowen. He has represented clients in over 20 court hearings, negotiated with Hollywood producers in Los Angeles, and mediated an investment dispute in New York City. If asked if he can draft company resolutions, investment contracts, and partnership agreements in his sleep, Bo says, "In fairness, there's no other way to do it." It's that quick wit that has catapulted Bo to the top of his profession. Politician, author, and radio host Bob Cesca said he had hired lawyers all over the country, but had never encountered anyone like Bo. Bo's clients love him for his confidence, speed, and overall entertainment. It doesn't matter who his opponent is, Bo is always determined to right any wrongs. After discovering early in his career that being a lawyer isn't very fun, Bowen founded Bowen Schmidt with a modest ambition to change how law is practiced. By all accounts, he has succeeded.