Peter Mozarsky
Peter Mozarsky is a production and content attorney with great legal expertise, practical experience and common-sense judgment across the television and entertainment industry. He joined Klaris Law in February 2024 after over 30 years at HBO, during which he covered virtually every phase of every type of unscripted original programming imaginable, including documentaries, comedy specials, reality programming, concerts, late night/variety/talk shows, podcasts and “adult” programming. Peter also served as the primary attorney for HBO’s live boxing franchise for over 25 years and during his first 10 years at HBO, worked on scripted original movies produced by HBO’s then-NY-based original movie division. During his last 6 years at HBO, Peter, in his capacity as SVP, Original Programming & Sports, led HBO’s highly regarded East Coast unscripted original programming legal group. Peter’s range of work experience includes everything from providing production advice concerning hidden cameras and releases for the reality series, “Taxicab Confessions”, to addressing potential defamation issues on documentaries such as “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills” and “The Jinx”, to providing extensive fair use advice on documentaries such as “Tiger Woods” and shows such as “Real Time With Bill Maher”, to drafting, negotiating and concluding complex multi-party rights agreements, live pay-per-view distribution agreements and delayed network exhibition agreements for the Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing events. And everything in between, including ride-alongs, 2257 issues, FOIA requests, reporter’s privilege, governmental agency access agreements and negotiating with Congressional staff members.
Above all else, Peter values his hard-earned reputation among creators, agents, attorneys and executives for integrity and fairness, as well as for being a collaborative and creative problem solver who is able to address thorny legal issues in a way that does not undermine (and sometimes even enhances) the artistic voice and vision. He is not afraid to take reasonable risks and he knows that while lawyers have an important role to playin the creative process, they are not the drivers of the creative process.
Peter grew up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, virtually next door to the Cyclone roller coaster and Nathan’s (his personal record for number of hot dogs consumed in a single seating is 5). He has held a variety of other positions, including vendor at Madison Square Garden and pushcart grill operator in midtown Manhattan. Prior to coming to HBO, Peter worked as a litigation associate at the NY offices of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. He also clerked in Fairbanks, Alaska for Chief Justice Jay Rabinowitz of the Alaska Supreme Court (where he survived a brown bear charge; not kidding).And apparently, upon request, he will do a pretty decent Bob Dylan imitation.