Cydney Swofford Freeman
Partner
Cydney Swofford Freeman counsels and defends traditional, new, and disruptive content creators. She handles both litigation and pre-broadcast counseling for clients ranging from larger players like worldwide streaming services to individual documentarians, producers, and journalists. She is fascinated by the law's influence on creativity, with a particular interest in how copyright laws apply to choreography. Her litigation practice focuses on First Amendment, copyright, trademark, idea-submission, defamation, right-of-publicity, and related matters. And she regularly provides pre-broadcast fair use, defamation, privacy, and production counseling for a wide range of documentary, scripted, and unscripted productions.
Cydney joined DWT after starting her legal career in New York, where her practice covered a broad range of First Amendment, media, and other litigation matters. She also co-chaired a pro bono program teaching the nuts and bolts of constitutional and criminal law to high school students in the Bronx.
Practice Highlights
Pre-broadcast and IP counseling
Provides pre-broadcast fair use, copyright, defamation, privacy, and production counseling and other IP advice to media, entertainment, and technology companies. Recent highlights include "Fosse/Verdon," "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story," "Surviving R. Kelly," "Cheer," "Chef's Table," "Allen v. Farrow," "Dumb Money," "Marty Supreme," "Pretend It's a City," "Phoenix Rising," "On the Record," "Physical," "Snowpiercer," "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," "Red Table Talk," "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult," "Polo," "Dogs," and "Toxic: The Britney Spears Story."
Media litigation
Francesca Gregorini v. Apple Inc. et al.
Defended copyright-infringement lawsuit against Blinding Edge, M. Night Shyamalan, and others relating to the television series "Servant." After two-week trial, obtained unanimous jury verdict in favor of all eleven defendants. (C.D. Cal. Ongoing)
Copeland v. Netflix et al.
Representing defendants in defamation lawsuit over Peabody-winning docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly." (D. Del. Ongoing)
Changing World Films v. Parker
Eden Film Production v. Lockjaw
McGillvary v. Netflix et al.
Admitted to Practice
- New York
- California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
Education
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 2015
- Articles Editor, Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law
- Clinic on Policy Advocacy in Latin America
- B.A., Broadcast Journalism and Latin American Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2012
- ABC11/Walt Disney Scholar
Languages
- English, Spanish
Memberships & Affiliations
- Active Member, Production Executives Peer Group, Television Academy
Professional Recognition
- Named "One to Watch" by Best Lawyers in Entertainment and Sports Law, 2024-2025; in Intellectual Property Law, 2024-2025
- Named a "Rising Star" by Law360, 2023
- Pro Bono Publico Award, Legal Aid Society, 2017
Background
- Associate, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, New York, N.Y., 2015-2017
- Legal Intern, Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office, Charlotte, N.C., 2013
- Undergraduate Intern, CNN International, CNN en Español, NBC News (IRTS Fellow), ABC WTVD