Duncan Morin LLP was originally founded in 1993 as an alternative to the entertainment law groups of the large Canadian firms. We offer legal advice and services in all aspects of entertainment law as it relates to television, movie and internet production. Our services include rights acquisition, production financing and structuring, distribution matters, domestic and foreign co-production agreements, producer’s errors and omissions insurance review and incorporation, filing and organization for production companies.
We continue to believe that entertainment law in Canada is most effectively practiced in a boutique firm and our client list supports this belief. With thousands of transactions to its credit, Duncan Morin LLP is well positioned to guide its clients through the ever-changing business and legal environment of the entertainment industry.
Our legal team has over fifty years of combined legal experience, including many years of hands on in-house production and broadcast experience. Today Duncan Morin LLP acts for a wide range of clients, from first time documentary producers to public companies… people who appreciate professionalism in a personal environment.
Duncan Morin LLP
60 Atlantic Avenue
Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario
M6K 1X9
For email inquiries please contact:
shannon@duncanmorin.com
John holds degrees from Yale University (B.A. 1982) and McGill University (LL.B. 1986) and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988.
John founded John Duncan & Assoc. (the predecessor firm to Duncan Morin LLP) in 1993, after practising corporate commercial law with Fasken & Calvin (now Fasken) for three years and working as Director of Business and Legal Affairs for a leading Canadian television production company for two years.
He acts for live action and animation producers in all aspects of television and film production. He has particular expertise in the areas of international co-production, production financing, Canadian content structures, rights acquisition and Producer’s Errors & Omissions Insurance. John also acts for format owners and licensees in connection with a number of significant format productions (scripted and non-scripted).
John has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada® in the field of entertainment law every year since Best Lawyers in Canada’s inception in 2006. He is also listed as one of the world’s leading entertainment lawyers in Who’s Who Legal (Global Guide) 2019, as one of Canada’s leading entertainment lawyers in Who’s Who Legal (National Guide: Canada) 2019 and as a leading lawyer in the area of entertainment law in the 2019 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.
Gigi holds degrees from the University of Guelph (B.A. (Honours) 1990) Dalhousie University (Graduate Diploma 1992) and the University of New Brunswick (LL.B. 1995) and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1997 after articling with Fraser & Beatty (now Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP).
Gigi joined John Duncan & Assoc. in 1998 and became a founding partner in Duncan Morin LLP in 2000.
Gigi’s has worked with live action and animation content producers (narrative, documentary, factual, lifestyle, reality, children, youth and variety) on a broad range of matters relating to the development, production and exploitation of their content including: negotiating rights acquisitions such as options and creator agreements; advising on financing structures including Canadian content structures, international co-productions and co-ventures; negotiating domestic and international broadcast and distribution agreements; advising and negotiating talent agreements for performers, writers and directors including those under the jurisdiction of guilds such as ACTRA, SAG, WGC, WGA and DGC; advising on government and private funding initiatives (tax credits, CMF, NOHFC, Bell, Rogers); advising and negotiating interim financing arrangements and completion bonds; and advising on matters relating to insurance and clearance matters. In addition, Gigi has also advised clients on matters relating to the exploitation of ancillary rights and products including merchandise, on-line games, contests and formats. In recent years Gigi’s practice has expanded to include a variety of producers developing, producing and exploiting content on emerging platforms (Netflix, Crave, YouTube, Amazon).
Gigi is a former board member on the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC) and Toronto Film Board, a former member of FilmOntario and WIFT-T and a current member of Interactive Ontario. Gigi is listed as a leading lawyer in the area of entertainment law in the 2017 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.
Lorri holds degrees from the University of Toronto (B.A. 1992) and Queen’s University (LL.B. 1995) and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1998, after articling for a Canadian financial institution.
Lorri joined Duncan Morin in 2010, bringing ten years of experience in the media and entertainment industry garnered from her practice at a major national law firm. Lorri’s practice focuses on the financing, production and exploitation of motion pictures, television programs and other media content and she has particular expertise in production and corporate financing, Canadian content and international treaty co-production and co-venture structures, Canadian and foreign tax incentives and the securitization of intellectual property. Lorri acts primarily for leading domestic and international financial institutions, lenders and private investors in connection with production financing, corporate credit facilities, syndications and security realization.
Shannon graduated from Centennial College with a Law Clerk Diploma in 2004. Shortly after that she joined the team at Duncan Morin LLP where she quickly assumed responsibility for all paralegal services. Shannon specializes in Corporate Law. She deals with the incorporation, organization and maintenance of production companies and handles the preparation and registration of all Canadian and US Copyright applications. She is familiar with the production financing process and takes care of the PPSA searches and registrations for bank financings. Shannon is also responsible for the daily operations of the entire office.
Monica holds a degree from the University of Toronto (B.A. 1983). She joined the firm on its inception in 1993. In addition to acting as John Duncan’s assistant, Monica is currently head of administration and oversees systems and operations of the firm.