Michael D. Prywes - Lawyer Profile

I am a licensed attorney in the state of New York. My background includes experience in the entertainment industry, particularly in film, video, and digital media. As a former President of 2 Life! Films, I was involved in producing the comedy feature "Returning Mickey Stern," which featured renowned actors such as Joe Bologna, Tom Bosley, Connie Stevens, and Renee Taylor. This film was distributed in theaters across the United States and internationally, and is currently available on DVD with a PG-13 rating. Additionally, I founded the now-closed CastOurMovie website, which was among the pioneers of crowdsourced voting platforms before the concept became popularized by shows like "American Idol" and "Last Comic Standing." The site garnered attention from notable publications such as Time Magazine, Industry Standard, and U.S. News and World Report. In the realm of media and digital law, I have worked with prominent companies like New Video Group, which distributes content for A&E/History, Scholastic, and MLB, as well as with ASCAP. I have been involved in drafting agreements and negotiations with key players in the media and technology sectors, including Amazon, Apple, and Netflix.

Prior to my legal career, I pursued studies in Performance Studies and Creative Writing for the Media at Northwestern University, where I was selected as one of only 12 students for the Creative Writing for the Media Program. As an undergraduate, I attended the Long Island High School for the Arts, focusing on visual arts. One of my notable works, a 4'x5' acrylic canvas titled "20th Century Icon," was featured in the Sabbeth Art Gallery and received recognition in a juried competition. During my time at Northwestern, I served as a theater critic and Art Editor for Helicon, the university's oldest journal of the humanities. In 1996, I was honored with the Elie Wiesel National Award for Jewish Arts and Culture for my role in establishing the thriving Jewish Theatre Ensemble. I have shared my knowledge as a lecturer at institutions such as St. John's University and Queens College, and have been a guest speaker at prestigious schools like UCLA and NYU. I obtained my Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Hofstra's School of Law, where I was a recipient of a Merit Scholarship. Following my graduation, I was recruited by a former professor who regarded me as the most exceptional student he had encountered in his 12 years of teaching.