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Of
the myriad entertainment lawyers, stars, actors and artists in Los
Angeles, it is refreshing to know that there is a “literary lawyer”
who loves books, understands authors and knows publishing contracts and
law. His name is BEN PESTA,
and he is the number one “bestselling” attorney in the legal
literary field. Stan
Corwin, For
too long we writers have been the ninety-pound weaklings getting the
sand kicked in our faces on the beach. Now there's a progressive
law firm with big enough muscle to dump the bullies on their butts. As
a freelance editor, I spent eight months trying to get a check from a
major publisher for my work on a 120,000-word novel I had contracted to
edit for them. The book
was in the stores, and I still hadn't been paid. Phone calls went
unreturned; invoices were ignored. I finally asked Ben to intervene. He
wrote one letter for me, and I had a check within a week. I keep
a copy of that letter in my files as a sample of truly effective
writing. Ben Pesta is a lawyer among lawyers. Having been
a writer himself, he understands a writer's problems and will fight hard
on a writer's behalf. The fact that he also knows what he's doing
is a useful bonus. Mel
Gilden, I’ve
known Ben Pesta for more than twenty years. He started off as one of
only a handful of great teachers of the craft and art of writing I’ve
had. Later, he became my editor and my professional colleague. After
that, he became my legal advisor. Since the very beginning he has been
my friend. No
writer, or other creative individual, could find a more tireless,
passionate and wise advocate for their rights than Ben. A more genuine,
wholehearted and unqualified recommendation I cannot make. William
Relling, Jr., Ben
Pesta's advice early in the drafting of my novel helped me steer clear of
legal problems that could have greatly affected my ability to sell the
manuscript. Particularly because my novel involves a public figure
in a fictional setting, his having set such clear parameters for me
allowed me to avoid legal worries and left me free to do what a writer
is supposed to do: write. I have known Ben Pesta since we both worked for
important magazines in New York. He knows the business better
than any lawyer I know because he was a top-tier editor for years. He's
as aggressive as he is smart and, with more than 30 years of publishing,
literature and law experience, he protects and appreciates
writers. As an agent dealing with publishing houses, I know how
they - and I - feel about entertainment lawyers. We try to stay
away from them as much as we can because we know that they don't
understand publishing contracts. When I myself have a knotty problem, I come to him. I think that says a lot. Rights and permissions are the tedious, difficult part of writing a
non-fiction book, yet clearing them is obviously crucial. Ben Pesta is
an accomplished attorney. When
I needed reprint permissions from a number of institutions (including
some federal agencies), I called Ben.
Getting these permissions was vital to my book, and he secured
them all. He went after the
toughest of the rights-holders like a terrier shaking a rat, and he made
this awful job as close to painless (to me, that is) as possible.
He remained tenacious, unrelenting and an absolute bulldog
throughout the process. I'm
immensely grateful. Cindy Harris, author
of Keeping House (Ryland
Peters & Small, 2004) Having
known Ben a number of years, I would say there's no one I'd rather have
on my side in any legal tangle--sharp, funny, tough when he needs to be,
charming when he wants to be and shrewd as they come, he not only knows
law, but he's one of those rare genuinely good guys. Shannon
Donnelly, Kathy Aaronson, author of Selling
on the Fast Track: How to Become a
Sales Athlete; CEO, The Sales Athlete, Inc. Ben Pesta is a great human being. He's really smart and he's honest, too. These are two qualities you don't find too often in most people, not to speak of lawyers. Why Ben decided to stop working in journalism as a brilliant editor I don't know - but I guess he saw the writing on the wall and knew it was time to get out of Dodge. As a writer who has known Ben for a very long time, I would trust him totally with everything that concerns me as a writer. Ben is great on the phone and won't take shit from any editors, producers, agents or other freeloading types. He's the man I would go to first with any writing-related problems, and I know he'd give me the straight scoop. Roberta
Ostroff, Over the years, Ben Pesta's counsel, both legal and literary, has provided me inspiration, encouragement, a helping hand and, occasionally, a much-needed kick in the ass. He is a keen, no-nonsense editor and negotiator. His help and advice have been of immeasurable assistance to me in the quarter-century that he has been my friend. Lee
Quarnstrom, newspaper reporter and magazine editor © Ben W. Pesta, 2003 |
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