Creating Enterprise Value: AI, Talent, Risk & Growth Strategies for Agency Leaders:
A Business Conference for Agency CFOs, CEOs, Presidents, Managing Principals & Owners
Date:
Thursday, November 19
Time:
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Address:
Frankfurt Kurnit
28 Liberty Street
35th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Program Overview:
This conference is designed to address strategic, financial, operational, and legal issues that can afect agency profitability, valuation, leadership succession, risk management, and long-term enterprise value. Through a combination of expert presentations and executive discussions, attendees will gain practical insights into the opportunities and challenges facing agency leaders in an increasingly complex business environment.
12:00 PM – 12:25 PM
Registration, Lunch and Welcome
12:25 PM – 1:10 PM
AI’s Impact on Agency Processes, Economics, Pricing, and Profitability and Negotiating Agreements With Clients to Address These Issues
Artificial intelligence is reshaping agency operations, economics, client expectations, and risk profiles. This session will examine how agencies can leverage AI to improve eficiency and profitability while addressing evolving contractual and governance considerations.
Topics Covered
What clients to understand about the use of AI, costs and eficiencies.
Intellectual property, ownership and compliance considerations
AI's impact on agency business models and economics
Client expectations regarding AI usage and disclosure
Pitch and procurement pressures
Key contractual protections and risk allocation provision
Governance frameworks for AI review and approval
Speakers: Candice Kersh and Karen Lo (Special Group)
1:10 PM – 1:50 PM
Building an Ownership Culture: Equity Participation & Long-Term Incentive Strategies
Topics Covered
Equity participation structures for key employees and next-generation leaders
Employee Participation Units (EPUs), phantom equity, profits interests, and other incentive alternatives
Balancing founder control with meaningful employee ownership opportunities
Designing long-term incentive programs that align performance and succession goals
Rewarding key contributors without giving up unnecessary control
Roll-over equity particularly in private equity roll ups
Speakers: Wendy Heilbut and Mark Himmelsbach (Episode Four)
1:50 PM - 2:40 PM
Diversification Opportunities, Including SaaS, IP licensing, Investment, and Branded Entertainment
Many agencies are exploring new revenue streams and proprietary assets that can improve growth, valuation, and long-term sustainability.
Topics Covered
SaaS and technology licensing opportunities
Development and monetization of agency intellectual property
Proprietary technology and data products
Strategic investments and ownership interests
Branded entertainment and content ventures
Building value through scalable, non-service-based assets
Speakers: Greg Boyd, Chris Chase and Ben Moskowitz
2:40 PM - 2:55 PM
Networking Break
2:55 PM - 3:55 PM
M&A Readiness, Succession Planning & Deal Structures
Whether you're thinking about growth through acquisition, bringing in an investor, transitioning ownership, or eventually selling your agency, understanding the deal process is critical. This session will demystify how agency transactions work, what to expect during a sale process, and the key deal terms, structures, and negotiation points that can materially afect outcomes for founders and owners.
Topics Covered
Who is buying agencies today and why
Strategic buyers versus private equity investors
What the sale process looks like from start to finish
Valuation drivers and factors that influence deal value
Earn-outs, rollover equity, and other key deal structures
Deal terms that commonly surprise agency owners
Preparing for diligence and avoiding common pitfalls
Building the right advisory team and preparing for a successful transaction
Speakers: Lee Silver, Gavin McElroy and Michael Sidler (Madison Alley)
3:35 PM - 4:15 PM
Talent Risk Management and Employment Issues
Managing talent-related risks has become increasingly challenging, particularly as agencies engage a broader ecosystem of employees, contractors, creators, and influencers.
Topics Covered
Employee versus independent contractor classification
Compensation and payment compliance considerations
California-specific workforce requirements
Background checks and screening practices
Risk management when engaging creators and influencers
Speakers: Wendy Stryker and Tiffany Caterina
4:15 PM - 4:25 PM
Networking & Refreshment Break
4:25 PM - 5:05 PM
Practical Approaches to Contracting, Governance, and Compliance Strategies
As the legal and regulatory environment continues to evolve, agencies must adopt practical operational safeguards that reduce risk and help avoid costly disputes.
Topics Covered
Contracting strategies to mitigate business risk
Risk allocation and indemnification provisions
Ownership and rights-management considerations
Internal governance and approval procedures
Vendor management and oversight
AI governance frameworks
Updating contracts, policies, and workflows to address emerging AI-related risks
Creating practical review processes that reduce liability exposure
Speakers: Matthew Vittone and Andrew Folks
5:05 PM - 5:40 PM
Advertising Technology: Emerging Risks for Agencies
The rapid growth of privacy litigation involving digital tracking technologies is creating new legal challenges for the advertising industry. This session will explore the evolving litigation landscape, the potential exposure of advertising agencies, and practical steps agencies can take to protect themselves and their clients.
Topics Covered
Emerging class action and regulatory risks involving tracking technologies
When advertising agencies may face liability for client websites, apps, marketing pixels, and data collection practices
Allocating risk through client contracts, indemnification, and insurance
Practical strategies for reducing litigation risk without compromising marketing effectiveness
Speakers: Matt Pearson and Caren Decter
5:45 PM - 7:15 PM
Cocktail Reception
Networking reception for agency executives, speakers, sponsors, investors, and advisors.
November 17, 2025 New York, N.Y. — Wendy Heilbut has joined Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz PC as a partner in the firm’s Corporate & Finance Group. Read more.
November 17, 2025
Frankfurt Kurnit was proud to sponsor the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Read more.
November 11, 2025
A Competition Policy International article quoted Holly A. Melton on the continuing impact of the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule , despite a recent Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision. Read more.
November 11, 2025
Frankfurt Kurnit is proud to be recognized on the Inc. Power Partner Awards list, which honors top B2B organizations that play a vital role in helping startups and entrepreneurs grow. View Article
November 10, 2025
Irish Legal 100 recognizes Catherine Farrelly and Sean Kane in their 2025 edition. The list recognizes distinguished legal professionals of Irish heritage. View Article
November 10, 2025
Jeffrey A. Greenbaum served as contributing editor of the Chambers and Partners: Advertising & Marketing 2025: A Global Practice Guide, Katelyn J. Patton authored the "Law and Practice" USA chapter, and Matthew Vittone authored the "Trends and Developments" USA chapter. Read more.
November 10, 2025
This list inlcudes: S. Gregory Boyd, Christopher Chase, Marcie Cleary, Victoria Cook, Lisa Davis, Caren Decter, Catherine Farrelly, Melissa Georges, Hayden Goldblatt, Jeffery Greenbaum, John Harris, Richard Heller, Richard Hofstetter, Nicole Hyland, Sean Kane,Candice Kersh, Richard Maltz, Jeffrey Marks, Kimberly Maynard, Gavin McElroy, Mark Merriman, Ronald Minkoff, Brian Murphy, Edward Rosenthal, Terri Seligman, Barbara Shiers, Wendy Stryker, Hannah Taylor, Linda Wank, S. Jean Ward, Michael Williams, and Maura Wogan. Read more.
Additionally, Aaron Deitsch, Christina Jenkins, Jesse Klinger, Khasim Lockhart, Jordyn Milewski, Katelyn Patton, and Molly Rothschild are listed as Rising Stars.
October 30, 2025
Law 360 quoted our amicus brief in Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment, a case about the bounds of copyright liability for internet service providers. Read more.
October 27, 2025
Deadline mentions that Lauren Bishow will serve as counsel to Featherweight Pictures, a new production company founded by Chelsea Bradshaw and Jessica Pugh. Read more.
October 16, 2025
Holly A. Melton is quoted in the Bloomberg Law article on the growing practice of state attorneys general hiring outside counsel for litigation in data privacy and online safety cases. Read more.
October 9, 2025
The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Daily Dashboard and US Privacy Digest published Frankfurt Kurnit's Technology Law blog post, "Key Takeaways from the CPPA's $1.35 Million Tractor Supply Company Fine," authored by the firm's Data Strategy, Privacy & Security Group Chair Daniel M. Goldberg. Read more.
October 2, 2025
For the 14th year, Crain’s New York Business includes Frankfurt Kurnit on its annual list of the Best Places to Work in New York City. The ranking features firms "setting the standard for employee satisfaction and workplace innovation." View Article
September 16, 2025
Hyperallergic quoted Caren Decter in an article about the new partnership between Independent 20th Century and Sotheby’s, marking the first collaboration between an auction house and an art fair. Read more.
September 10, 2025
Daniel M. Goldberg is interviewed on the She Said Privacy/He Said Security podcast in the episode "New CCPA Rules: What Businesses Need to Know.” Read more.
September 4, 2025
ScreenDaily mentions Frankfurt Kurnit as counsel to Gabriel Myers of Plot Twist Pictures, one of the co-producers of Fleur, a new drama set to begin filming in 2026, starring Halle Berry. Read more.
August 26, 2025
We are pleased to announce that Best Lawyers — the oldest and one of the most respected peer-reviewed lawyer recommendation services — continues to recommend Frankfurt Kurnit. 56 Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys are recognized in the 2026 edition. Read more.
August 21, 2025
Deadline mentions Frankfurt Kurnit as counsel to writer and director Nick Paley, whose pilot "Phony" has been picked up to series by Hulu, starring Connie Britton and Sam Nivola. Read more.
August 20, 2025
The Television Academy in its Televerse News quoted Daniel M. Goldberg, who spoke about AI at the academy’s three-day festival. Read more.
August 18, 2025
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with notable changes for individuals, businesses and charitable organizations, including permanent increases to the Federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax exemption amounts and increases to the caps on deductions for state and local taxes. Read more.
August 15, 2025
AdExchanger mentions Daniel M. Goldberg and Holly A. Melton's article "Private Law Firms Are Quietly Powering State Privacy Enforcement" in the "What We're Reading" section of its latest Data Privacy Roundup article. Read more.
August 14, 2025
Deadline mentions Frankfurt Kurnit as counsel to actor, writer, and filmmaker Jordan Mendoza, who's creating and starring in a comedy series. Read more.
August 12, 2025
The Los Angeles Business Journal ranked Frankfurt Kurnit the #13 medium-sized business on its list of the 100 Best Places to Work in Los Angeles.
August 12, 2025
Law360 mentions Kimberly M. Maynard and Michael Salik as counsel to LIV Golf Inc., which has entered mediation with a retired state circuit court judge over a trademark infringement dispute brought by Ohio-based company Stinger Tees. Read more.
August 11, 2025
The Hollywood Reporter mentions Victoria S. Cook as counsel to documentary filmmakers Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan of Story Syndicate, who have just signed with CAA for representation. View Article
August 5, 2025
Deadline mentions Hayden Goldblatt and Victoria S. Cook as counsel to Jim Jarmusch, whose upcoming feature "Father Mother Sister Brother" has just sold to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Former Yugoslavia, Czech Republic & Slovakia, Middle East & North Africa, South Korea, and Hong Kong ahead of its world premiere in Competition at the Venice Film Festival. View Article
August 4, 2025
We provide tailored, industry-specific legal updates to our clients and other friends of the firm.
