Heather Florence

• Intellectual property management.
• Book publishing and new media transactions: rights licensing, software and Website development, distribution arrangements, acquisitions, and editorial agreements.
• Preparation of standard form templates.
• Literary representation agreements and relationships.
• Copyright and trademark management, protection and claim avoidance.
• Manuscript vetting for copyright, defamation, privacy and other legal concerns.
• New business development in publishing and new media.
• Dispute resolution and litigation management.
• Negotiation, contract, legal-awareness and permissions training for editors and publishers.
• Government affairs representation in new technology, intellectual property, First Amendment and commercial law.

I have over 30 years of legal and business experience. Educated at Harvard College and Columbia Law School, I was associated with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a partner at Lankenau, Kovner & Bickford, General Counsel at Bantam Doubleday Dell, and special consultant to the Association of American Publishers. I chaired the AAP Freedom to Read Committee and served on its Copyright Committee; I have taught at NYU Law School and the Practicing Law Institute; I chaired the ACLU Communications Media Committee, helped found the Media Coalition and National Coalition Against Censorship, and served on the Advisory Board of the Media Law Reporter. I am a member of the New York bar.

My clients are principally established educational, professional, trade publishers, university presses and literary agencies and societies. In addition to corporate clients, I also represent individual authors on contract and copyright issues and for pre-publication review of manuscripts. I am not a literary agent for the placement of books or other works. Before taking on new clients, I ensure there is no conflict of interest.

For additional information on Heather Florence consulting services, including fees, recent and current clients, and references, please email.