College of Law

Anant Tamirisa '14

Making an Impact in Hollywood and the Surrounding Community

May 1, 2020

Anant Tamirisa

Anant Tamirisa '14 is vice president of business & legal affairs for AGC Studios in Hollywood, Calif. He oversees all business and legal affairs matters for the company and its divisions, including feature film, scripted television, non-scripted television, and non-fiction film/television.

Anant previously was director of business & legal affairs at Lionsgate Entertainment, where he focused on worldwide acquisitions and distribution of feature films and television series. At Lionsgate, he founded the company's first-ever pro bono group dedicated to finalizing adoptions of underprivileged and disabled foster children into permanent homes. The group's work in the community resulted in Lionsgate winning the Association of Corporate Counsel's 2018 Pro Bono Counsel of the Year Award, which was presented at a gala keynoted by former President Barack Obama. Before Lionsgate, Anant was an attorney at Pantelion Films.

As his company and the rest of the entertainment industry wrestle with the impact of COVID-19, AGC Studios takes all necessary safety precautions and employs risk mitigation techniques, including following all governmental directives when it comes to film and television production. Anant and his team go through the process of making sure each project is fully bonded and insured prior to filming so that the company as a financier is protected from the likes of a global pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in the production of film and television coming to a standstill, which has caused the loss of jobs and furloughs. The industry is in a holding pattern until social distancing precautions are relaxed, and rapid testing is readily available.

"Talent will need to feel comfortable traveling across the world to shoot, and crews need to feel safe on set," says Anant. "One thing we can do right now is continue to develop our intellectual property and attach talent/filmmakers to projects so that we are ready to go when it is safe to resume production. We also have to stay flexible in our preferred methods of distribution – a project that may have seemed primed for a wide theatrical release may need to go to a streamer like Netflix or Amazon or direct to VOD if it is not safe to show movies in theaters. This whole situation is extremely fluid, so we all have to stay on our toes and adjust as necessary."

Anant earned his B.A. in American studies at Miami University, holds a J.D./M.B.A. from The University of Toledo, and is a member of the California State Bar.


Q&A with Anant Tamirisa

How did you find your way to Toledo Law for your education?
My journey to Toledo Law was a bit roundabout. After I finished college at Miami University in 2006, I moved to Los Angeles and found an entry-level job at Lionsgate Entertainment. At the time, I was working with a number of lawyers and finance executives, primarily focusing on film finance and international distribution. After three years in that role and some heart-to-heart conversations with my colleagues and family, I decided to go back to school to advance my career. I weighed my options of staying in Los Angeles, including the associated costs of being a student in a large city, and ultimately decided to move back to my hometown of Toledo to enroll in the joint J.D./M.B.A. program at The University of Toledo.

Do you have a favorite memory from attending Toledo Law?
My favorite memory at Toledo Law was spending time with the late Professor Robin Kennedy. He was always generous with his time and was a very genuine and kind person. He taught me to be a compassionate advocate for clients and promoted the benefit of using legal skills to help the community. It was always a highlight of the day to see his infectious smile from down the hall and spend a few minutes catching up. He is greatly missed.

How did Toledo Law prepare you for your career?
The professors at Toledo Law are the greatest asset of the school. They are highly educated, passionate about their coursework, and are willing to take extra time to interact with students outside of class. Each teacher was instrumental in my personal growth process, and by regularly interacting with them, I felt I was highly prepared to think critically and write persuasively. When it came time to take the California bar exam, I was fully confident that I had developed all the skills I needed to pass and begin my career as a lawyer.

What were the turning points in your career that led you to where you are now?
I can't point to one specific turning point except taking the plunge and moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment law. I remember driving through the Utah desert on my way from Toledo to Los Angeles and thinking, "there is no turning back now." In general, I think one of the keys to being successful is trusting yourself and your gut instincts. If you feel you are growing in your job and learning, stay put. If you feel like things may be getting a bit stagnant or you are not fulfilled, start to explore opportunities. In my experience, a career turning point presents itself every few years. When it does, evaluate it, identify the positives, the negatives, how the opportunity will benefit you in the short term/the long term – after taking the time to process all of this, if it feels right, go for it. Each time I've faced a career turning point, I've used this method to make informed decisions, and as a result, I have never regretted the moves I've made. Currently not only am I growing in my job, but AGC Studios is growing, even in these challenging times, so there are actually turning points within my current position that are fostering my professional growth.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work, and how does your legal education and training help you?
Putting a film or tv series together is like assembling a puzzle where the pieces are constantly moving. All elements of a film/tv project have legal and transactional components. As a result, there is an immense amount of pressure to move quickly and efficiently through the various transactions while ensuring that there are no material errors. My legal training from UToledo has been essential to my success in this field as I am able to read complex documents quickly, digest the relevant information, remain detail-oriented, communicate effectively, all while maintaining composure in the process.

What have you found most satisfying about your career?
Being a part of a film or tv project from the initial development phase to watching it on the "big screen" is incredibly rewarding. There is so much hard work that goes into each one of these productions, across all aspects of the industry, so knowing that my work played a small but instrumental part in the process of enabling storytellers to share their messages and visions with the world is a great feeling.

Do you have any suggestions for current law students or new lawyers who might be interested in pursuing this practice area or career path?
Develop a plan of attack early on in law school to strategically approach the job search process by the time you are getting ready to graduate. Take classes where you have a genuine interest but also try and focus on coursework that will be relevant to the entertainment industry (e.g., contract law, copyright law, secured transactions, business associations, etc.). When developing your plan, spend some time making a list of people within your network that can help you make inroads into the line of work that you are most interested in. If you are lucky enough to find someone that will take the time to meet with you, do your research prior to that meeting – learn about their company or firm (read corporate disclosures, understand the mission statement and culture), ask informed questions, impress that you took time to prepare for the meeting, and send a handwritten thank-you note afterward. These things will go a long way in making a positive impression on people. Spend your summers interning in your field – if that means moving to Los Angeles or New York City, find a way to do it. Be resourceful. Also, don't be afraid to take a job that you may be overqualified for when first starting out in entertainment. These jobs are highly competitive, so you may need to take a "step back" to get your foot in the door, but once you do, be patient but do everything in your power to move up the ladder quickly and embrace opportunities when they present themselves.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I spend most of my free time hanging out with my dog, Flynn. We like to explore Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, whether it be the hiking trails, dog parks, the beach, etc. I also enjoy playing tennis and golf, traveling, exploring the Los Angeles restaurant scene, live music, and FaceTiming my nephew, Lukas.

What are you passionate about?
In addition to my job as an entertainment lawyer, I am passionate about providing pro bono legal resources to the community. It is incredibly humbling to lend your legal skills to those who are less fortunate and/or struggling. I think all lawyers should find a way to engage in pro bono work as it is some of the most rewarding work I've done in my career.

Last Updated: 6/27/22