Milana Casillas | Of Counsel
Milana Casillas has experience in both litigation and transactional matters across intellectual property, administrative, and entertainment law. She advises entrepreneurs on intellectual property development and protection strategies and guides clients through all stages of the trademark process, including registration and maintenance. Further, she provides strategic guidance and risk assessments in entertainment and media matters, including projects involving podcasts, theatrical motion pictures, and television productions. Casillas has represented clients against the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before administrative bodies, including Higher-Level Review proceedings.
Through her work with Syracuse University College of Law’s Transactional Law Clinic and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Casillas helped expand access to legal services by assisting in the creation of a Law–Social Work Partnership with Falk College and playing a key role in securing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inaugural Legal Services for Veterans Grant for the Clinic. Casillas received the Outstanding Clinic Team Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association in recognition of her advocacy. Through her work with Syracuse University College of Law’s Transactional Law Clinic and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Casillas helped expand access to legal services by assisting in the creation of a Law–Social Work Partnership with Falk College and playing a key role in securing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inaugural Legal Services for Veterans Grant for the Clinic. Casillas received the Outstanding Clinic Team Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association in recognition of her advocacy.
A Los Angeles native, Casillas earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A. in Sociology, Law and Society from the University of California, San Diego, where she was a member of the NCAA softball team. Casillas is a member of the California Bar.
About the Founder
As an attorney, author and professor, J. Christopher Hamilton’s work is focused on the monetization of entertainment content and leveraging distribution outlets in the television, film, and digital streaming industries. In addition to brokering content deals and teaching about their dynamic revenue and financing models, Hamilton is also passionate about protecting the rights of his clients in and outside the workplace, drawing on his experience managing employment-related litigation at MTV Networks.
Prior to launching Hamilton Atelier, Hamilton worked for a number of media conglomerates such as Paramount Global, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Lionsgate as a business executive and lawyer. In his varied roles within the entertainment industry, Hamilton helped build the “Laugh Out Loud” streaming service for Kevin Hart while advising on other celebrity business ventures; brokered deals to remake major theatrical motion pictures like “Red,” “Step Up” and “Nerve” as international co-productions in Asia; helped launch an independently-financed streaming service with major distribution deals throughout Hollywood; and packaged/sold several self-funded original tv shows/movies to various television networks (Tubi TV, BET, Comcast Xfinity, and HBO).
Hamilton, a native of Brooklyn, is a graduate of Binghamton University, where he earned a B.A. in sociology and cinematography. He earned a Juris Doctorate and a master's degree in television, radio, and film from Syracuse University. Hamilton also completed an executive training program at Harvard Business School through a fellowship underwritten by Lifetime Television.
Industry Focus
Currently, Hamilton is committed to disrupting the entertainment industry by providing a balanced business perspective as a legal analyst, business strategist and advocate for marginalized voices on news outlets (such as The Skimm, Yahoo Finance, NewsNation, Shade Room, WGRZ and AP News) and by advising small media ventures and Fortune 500 companies like Yahoo and Reebok on how to navigate the today’s marketplace.
Research & Scholarship
Hamilton's research has generated a dynamic and expanding portfolio of scholarly and public-facing work that bridges theoretical inquiry with real-world relevance. From peer-reviewed journal articles such as “Hip Hop Turns 50: The End of a Criminal Cartel” (University of Miami Business Law Review, 2023) and “Crowdfunding & Cryptocurrency: A New Conduit for Film Finance” (Rutgers Business Law Review, 2021), to critical corporate analyses like “The Red Pill” (Vermont Law School Law Review, 2024), and his forthcoming book “Black Capital in Hollywood: Sovereignty is the Solution” (Peter Lang, 2026) Hamilton's scholarship interrogates the financial, legal, business and cultural architectures that govern the entertainment, media and the arts industries.
This body of work is complemented by a series of invited talks, scholarly presentations, and public engagements at the SXSW Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, and other market events, which extend the reach of Hamilton's research. These include his talks on:
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The Industry & Financial Impact of the Dual Strikes at the annual Broadcasting Education Association (BEA) conference
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The BEA panel “48 Hours in Vegas, which explored life rights and legal frameworks in biographical-based filmmaking.
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Crowdfunding and Cryptocurrency: A New Conduit for Film Finance at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, which illustrated alternative and cost-effective ways for independent filmmakers to finance their motion pictures.
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The Hidden Economics of Hollywood, hosted by CNY Arts, which explored how money, mergers, and media are reshaping Hollywood, and the often-unfriendly economics of the content business that determine who wins and who loses.
Milana Casillas | Of Counsel
Milana Casillas has experience in both litigation and transactional matters across intellectual property, administrative, and entertainment law. She advises entrepreneurs on intellectual property development and protection strategies and guides clients through all stages of the trademark process, including registration and maintenance. Further, she provides strategic guidance and risk assessments in entertainment and media matters, including projects involving podcasts, theatrical motion pictures, and television productions. Casillas has represented clients against the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before administrative bodies, including Higher-Level Review proceedings.
Through her work with Syracuse University College of Law’s Transactional Law Clinic and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Casillas helped expand access to legal services by assisting in the creation of a Law–Social Work Partnership with Falk College and playing a key role in securing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inaugural Legal Services for Veterans Grant for the Clinic. Casillas received the Outstanding Clinic Team Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association in recognition of her advocacy. Through her work with Syracuse University College of Law’s Transactional Law Clinic and the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Casillas helped expand access to legal services by assisting in the creation of a Law–Social Work Partnership with Falk College and playing a key role in securing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inaugural Legal Services for Veterans Grant for the Clinic. Casillas received the Outstanding Clinic Team Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association in recognition of her advocacy.
A Los Angeles native, Casillas earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A. in Sociology, Law and Society from the University of California, San Diego, where she was a member of the NCAA softball team. Casillas is a member of the California Bar.