Elsa Ramo

Entertainment Attorney

At the dealmaking intersection of where content makers meet buyers, financiers, and distributors, Elsa Ramo is at the forefront of first-time deals with emerging and established streamers and studios, guiding her clients into innovative terms that optimize their reach and prevalence in today’s flattened marketplace. Elsa provides comprehensive legal services to producers, financiers, creators, and owners of film, television, and digital content and projects across a range of budgets and production levels. She established her law firm to enable up-and-coming filmmakers and producers to bring their stories to life.


Ramo works with established content-creating powerhouses such as Imagine Entertainment, Skydance, Lion Forge Studios, Boardwalk Pictures, Scout Productions, Riff Raff Entertainment, The Comedy Store, The Jim Henson Company, Wonder Project and French Tuck. She also represents independent prolific producers and directors like Lee Broda, Zachary Drucker, Anne Clements, Liza Mandelup, and founder of the Los Angeles Festival of Movies, Sarah Winshall.


In addition to directly overseeing high-level clients, Elsa Ramo founded and manages her boutique firm, which has grown from a solo practice on the Universal Backlot in 2005 to a team of over 22 attorneys with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Ramo is notable for its majority female partners and diverse group of attorneys. Elsa is a Forbes.com contributor, speaking to current issues and topics in the entertainment industry. She and the firm were recently featured in a Variety article, "The Rise of Ramo from Two-Person Law Firm to Industry Player," celebrating Ramo Law’s 20th anniversary. She was recently recognized among Variety’s 2025 Legal Impact Report and 2022 Dealmakers Impact Report, Daily Journal’s Top 100 Women Lawyers, and Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2022 Women of Influence; she was nominated for the LA Times B2B Inspirational Women Awards; and her Firm was featured among Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Admired Law Firms. In 2024 she was awarded LAW.com’s Women, Influence & Power in Law Managing Partner of the Year Award. Elsa lives in Brentwood with her husband and two children.

Courses and Content

REGISTER
On Demand Course

Adapting Intellectual Property for Film & TV (On Demand)

With: Linda Yvette Chavez and 7 more

Adapting Intellectual Property for Film & TV (On Demand)

Intermediate
With: Linda Yvette Chavez, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, Michael Jonathan Smith, Jim Mickle, Susannah Grant, Antonio Campos, Elsa Ramo and Stu Arbury
REGISTER
On Demand Course

Legal & Business Essentials for Filmmakers (On Demand)

Instructor: Elsa Ramo and 2 more

Legal & Business Essentials for Filmmakers (On Demand)

Intermediate
With: Elsa Ramo, Jackie Ward and Sean Pope
Are you a filmmaker hoping to get a better understanding of some of the legal and business terms that come up in the filmmaking process? Are you concerned about rights? Or, how to set up your company? In this On Demand course for both fiction and documentary filmmakers, you will learn the basics of intellectual property, contract terms, corporate structure, financing, packaging, distribution, and more. This course is designed to support you with the critical tools needed to navigate the business.
Jan29
Story Forum Online
12:00PM - 1:00PM (PST)

Legal Toolkit for Producers Using AI

With: Elsa Ramo and Erica Elson

Legal Toolkit for Producers Using AI

January 29, 2026
12:00PM - 1:00PM (PST)
With: Elsa Ramo and Erica Elson
As AI tools become more widely available, they also raise questions about ethical boundaries and legal concerns. Led by veteran entertainment attorney Elsa Ramo, this one-hour session will cover important guidelines to follow when using AI in your filmmaking workflow.

Sundance Institute's Story Forum: Online Event Registration

Join us from anywhere on January 29–30 for 15+ immersive online sessions. Explore the cutting edge of independent filmmaking through deep dives into virtual production, documentary ethics, and sustainable independent workflows.