By Zebulon K. Chandler, Atlanta entertainment attorney · About 14 minutesShort answer: A brand deal contract review is a lawyer reading the brand's agreement before you sign and telling you, in writing, which terms matter, what they mean for you, and exactly what to ask the brand to change. Billed hourly, one review often runs $300 to $900 or more. My flat-fee review on BrandDealReview.com is $249, with written notes and wording you can send back within 48 hours.
I'm an entertainment attorney in Atlanta. I've drafted, analyzed or negotiated more than 500 entertainment contracts, including 200-plus creator deals: social media marketing agreements, endorsements, podcast sponsorships and exclusive face-of-campaign product deals. I review 10 to 20 brand deals a month. Below is everything I check, clause by clause, with sample wording, so you can read your next contract the way I do.
What's included in a $249 brand deal review, and what isn't
A review shouldn't come back as "looks fine." Every Brand Deal Review is a written notes sheet for the single agreement you send, plus its exhibits, in four parts:
- The big picture. How the deal is structured: what you deliver, when, and exactly how and when you get paid.
- The terms that matter, in order of importance. Not every clause, just the ones that affect your money, your rights and your other deals.
- Replacement wording. Specific edits and counteroffer points, written so you can paste them into an email to the brand yourself.
- A recommendation. Sign as is, ask for changes, or don't sign, and why.
You also get 14 days of follow-up questions by email after delivery. It's a limited-scope engagement:
| Included | Not included (available separately) |
|---|---|
| One agreement and its exhibits | A second, revised draft from the brand (quoted before I start) |
| Written notes within 48 hours | Calls or emails with the brand or its agency |
| Wording you can send back | Multiple redline rounds |
| 14 days of follow-up questions by email | Ongoing representation, disputes or lawsuits |
What a brand deal contract review costs
Most lawyers don't post prices, so creators assume it costs thousands and sign without asking. Here's how it works with me:
| Service | For | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Deal Review | You have a contract and want to know what to change before you sign | $249 flat on BrandDealReview.com |
| Flat-fee negotiation | Deal under $10,000 in guaranteed cash. I deal with the brand and its lawyers directly. | $750 |
| Flat-fee negotiation | Deal of $10,000 to $25,000 in guaranteed cash | $1,250 |
| Representation | Deals over $25,000, several deals at once, or ongoing work | From a $3,500 retainer |
"Deal size" means the guaranteed cash you're paid, not product value or bonuses. Flat-fee negotiation covers up to two rounds of redlines and one call. Your $249 review is credited toward negotiation or representation if you hire me within 90 days. I take a limited number of flat-fee negotiations each month so every deal gets my full attention; when a month is full, new requests start the next month. How negotiation works.
For the longer answer on paying a lawyer by the hour versus a flat fee, read flat fee or hourly?
How a brand deal contract review works
- Tell me about the deal. A short form on BrandDealReview.com: your name, the brand, its parent company and agency, and when you need to sign. About two minutes.
- Conflict check. I confirm I don't already represent the brand or anyone on the other side. Most checks clear on the spot.
- Accept the terms and pay $249. Click-to-accept engagement terms and a secure checkout.
- Upload the contract. PDF, Word, Pages, or screenshots of a contract in an email or DM.
- Get your written review within 48 hours. Then ask follow-up questions by email for 14 days.
The 11 clauses I read line by line
These are the terms that decide what a brand deal is really worth. For each one: what brands often send, what it means for you, and what creators commonly ask for instead. The wording is illustrative; your contract will differ. For a full annotated template, see the complete guide to influencer contracts on BrandDealReview.com.
1. Usage rights and license term
What brands often send"Brand may use the Content in any media, worldwide, in perpetuity."
What it meansThe brand can keep using your face and content forever, in places you never pictured: ads, packaging, billboards, other companies it later buys or sells to. You're paid once.
What to ask forA license, not a sale. A set term (most deals license content for about a year; some categories run longer), named channels, and a paid renewal option if the brand wants to keep using it. The content stays yours.
2. Whitelisting and paid ads
What brands often send"Usage rights include the right to run the Content as paid media, including through Creator's accounts."
What it meansWhitelisting lets the brand run ads through your handle. It's a different service from a post on your feed, and it often gets bundled into "usage" so it never gets priced.
What to ask forSeparate whitelisting from usage and price it on its own, with a time limit, an ad window, and your approval of the ad copy. In one deal, separating the two and pricing each added $2,500 for the creator.
3. Exclusivity
What brands often send"Creator shall not promote any competitive product during the Term and for 12 months thereafter."
What it meansExclusivity hurts in two ways: too long, too wide, or both. "Competitive product" with no definition can block a whole category, and the "thereafter" tail can outlast the campaign by a year.
What to ask forThree levers: define "competitor" narrowly (named brands, product type, region), carve out your existing deals and ones in the works, and shorten the term, especially the tail. I push back on anything over a year. If exclusivity stays broad, it should cost the brand more, because it costs you other deals.
4. Payment terms
What brands often send"Net 90 following the end of the Campaign and receipt of a valid invoice."
What it meansYou might wait three months or more after your last post to get paid, and "valid invoice" gives the brand room to delay further. Payment tied to views or sales you can't control can mean working for free.
What to ask forPart of the fee guaranteed and paid up front (I usually recommend 50% or more, non-refundable), the rest due on delivery or within a short, fixed window, and a late fee. No one wants to chase payments long after a deal is finished.
5. Ownership and "work made for hire"
What brands often send"All Content is a work made for hire, and Brand shall own all right, title and interest in it."
What it meansThe brand owns what you made, outright, including raw footage. You may not be able to reuse your own content.
What to ask forYou own the content; the brand gets a limited license. This matters most for licensed professionals like doctors and attorneys, whose endorsements reflect on their reputation.
6. AI, name, image and likeness
What brands often send"Brand may use, edit, modify and create derivative works from the Content, including using artificial intelligence."
What it meansThe brand could generate new videos of you saying things you never said, using your face and voice, with no extra pay and no end date. This is the fastest-changing clause in creator contracts.
What to ask forNo AI use without your written approval of each piece, a fee for each approved AI-generated piece, and a time limit on each one. In one negotiation, approved AI pieces were each licensed for a year at a set fee per piece, renewable at the same rate. The brand keeps nothing it doesn't keep paying for.
7. Approvals, revisions and scope
What brands often send"Creator will make revisions requested by Brand until the Content is approved."
What it meansUnlimited revisions means unlimited unpaid work, and the brand can hold your payment by never approving.
What to ask forExact deliverables (platform, format, length, number of posts, dates), one or two rounds of revisions, a deadline for the brand's feedback, and approval deemed given if they don't respond in time.
8. Indemnification
What brands often send"Creator shall indemnify and hold Brand harmless from any and all claims arising out of the Content."
What it meansIf anyone sues over the campaign, even over the brand's own product claims or its edits, you could be on the hook for its legal fees.
What to ask forMutual indemnity, limited to things actually in your control. The brand covers its product, its claims and its edits. A cap tied to your fee is worth asking for.
9. Morals clause
What brands often send"Brand may terminate immediately if Creator engages in conduct that Brand, in its sole discretion, considers controversial."
What it means"Sole discretion" and "controversial" let the brand walk away, and maybe keep your content without paying, over almost anything.
What to ask forObjective triggers, a chance to respond, payment for work already delivered, and a mutual version: you can exit if the brand ends up in a scandal.
10. FTC disclosure
What brands often send"Creator is solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, including FTC guidelines."
What it meansDisclosure is your job either way, but the brand's own talking points and product claims can still get you in trouble if they aren't backed up.
What to ask forThe brand stands behind its product claims and gives you only claims it can substantiate. You keep the right to disclose clearly, even if the brief says otherwise. See the FTC's Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.
11. Termination and kill fees
What brands often send"Brand may terminate this Agreement at any time, for any reason, upon written notice."
What it meansYou block your calendar, maybe turn down other deals, shoot the content, and the brand cancels before paying, sometimes while keeping what you made.
What to ask forPayment for everything delivered or in progress, a kill fee if they cancel late, and no rights to content they didn't pay for.
These are common patterns, not a substitute for a review of your contract. Every deal is different, and these examples aren't a promise of any particular result.
Sample brand deal redlines
Here's what replacement wording looks like in practice. These are illustrative examples written for this article, not taken from a client's contract. Deleted text is struck through; suggested text is underlined.
Usage rights, before and after
Brand shall own all right, title and interest in the Content and may use the Content, and Creator's name, image and likeness, in any media now known or later developed, throughout the world, in perpetuity. Creator owns the Content. Creator grants Brand a non-exclusive license to post and share the Content on Brand's owned social media channels for twelve (12) months from first publication. Brand may renew the license for additional twelve (12) month periods by paying a renewal fee of $[____] per period. Any paid advertising use, including running the Content through Creator's accounts ("whitelisting"), and any use of artificial intelligence to modify the Content or create new content using Creator's name, image, likeness or voice, requires Creator's prior written approval and a separate fee.
Payment, before and after
Brand shall pay the Fee net ninety (90) days following completion of the Campaign and receipt of a valid invoice. Brand shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the Fee, which is non-refundable, within five (5) business days after both parties sign this Agreement, and the remaining fifty percent (50%) within fifteen (15) days after Creator publishes the final Deliverable. Amounts not paid when due accrue a late fee of [__]% per month.
Do you need a brand deal contract review? A checklist
Not every deal needs a lawyer. If a deal pays under about $500 and the contract is a page or two of plain terms, the free 10 red flags checklist may be enough. Get a review if any of these are true:
- The deal pays $1,000 or more, or it's your biggest deal so far.
- There's exclusivity of any kind.
- Usage runs more than a year, says "perpetual," or doesn't say at all.
- The brand wants whitelisting, paid ads or AI rights.
- Payment is net 60 or longer, or tied to views or sales.
- It's a regulated product: supplements, skincare claims, medical, financial or alcohol.
- You're a licensed professional lending your credentials.
- The contract runs more than five pages, or came from the brand's legal team.
- You have other deals it could conflict with.
Your options for reviewing a brand deal, compared
| Option | Good at | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself, or with AI | Free, fast, good for understanding the words | Can't tell you what to ask for given your audience, your other deals and market rates, and isn't legal advice |
| Your manager or agent | Knows your rates and the brand relationship | Depends on their contract experience, and they can't give legal advice |
| Online lawyer marketplace | Lots of lawyers to choose from | Quality and creator-deal experience vary widely; you often wait for bids |
| Hourly lawyer | Full service, can negotiate | Price unknown until the end; a general business lawyer may not see brand deals often |
| Flat-fee review | Known price, written notes in 48 hours, wording you can send | Doesn't include talking to the brand; negotiation is separate |
Will asking for changes cost you the deal?
This is the fear that stops most creators. In my experience, I have never seen a brand pull a deal just because the creator asked for edits. The toughest response is usually "we can't make changes." The most common is that the brand accepts some of them to get the deal done. They want it done too.
The first contract a brand sends is its opening position, written to protect the brand. Ask professionally, explain each request in one sentence, and lead with the two or three terms that matter most. And it's better to lose a deal than to sign a bad one. "Breadcrumb" deals that pay little and lock you up aren't worth the work.
You build trust with your audience a drop at a time, and you can lose it a bucket at a time with the wrong endorsement.
What a client said
"Companies kept reaching out with brand deals and I never really knew what a good one looked like… He reviews the contracts with a level of detail I couldn't have managed on my own — catching gaps and inconsistencies in the fine print, flagging things I would never have thought to ask about."
Dr. Mary Alice Mina, MD · Board-certified dermatologist · Host of The Skin Real®
Testimonials reflect individual clients' experiences. Every matter is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Have a brand deal in your inbox? Get a $249 attorney review at BrandDealReview.com and have it back within 48 hours. Bigger deal, or want me to handle it? Book a consultation.
Brand deal contract review: questions creators ask
What is a brand deal contract review?
An attorney reads the agreement a brand sent you before you sign it and tells you, in writing, which terms matter, what they mean for you, what to ask the brand to change, and whether to sign as is, ask for changes, or walk away.
How much does a brand deal contract review cost?
Lawyers who bill hourly often land between $300 and $900 or more for one brand deal. My flat-fee review on BrandDealReview.com is $249 for a written review of one standard agreement, delivered within 48 hours.
How long does a brand deal review take?
Written notes come back within 48 hours of payment and receipt of the complete agreement. If you have a tighter deadline, say so when you submit it.
Will you talk to the brand for me?
Not as part of the $249 review. You get wording you can send yourself. If you want me to negotiate with the brand directly, flat-fee negotiation is $750 for a deal under $10,000 in guaranteed cash and $1,250 for $10,000 to $25,000, and the $249 is credited toward it within 90 days.
I'm not in Georgia. Can you still review my brand deal?
I'm licensed in Georgia. Brand deal agreements mostly turn on contract terms that work the same way across U.S. states, and I review them on that basis. Where your state's law could change the answer, I flag it and recommend a lawyer licensed there if you need advice on that point.
I already signed. Is a review still useful?
Often, yes. A review can explain what you agreed to, what your payment, usage and termination rights are, and what to watch for while the deal runs. It can't undo what you signed, and changes after signing depend on the brand agreeing.
Can I just use ChatGPT or another AI tool to review my brand deal?
AI can help you understand the terms. It can't tell you what to ask for given your audience, your other deals and what similar deals pay, and it can't give you legal advice you can rely on. That judgment is where most of the money in a review is.
Is my contract kept confidential?
Yes. Your agreement is handled as a confidential client document under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, uploaded through a secure form, and not shared outside the firm.
Do you review talent management or agency agreements too?
Yes, but not at the $249 brand-deal price. Management and agency agreements start with a consultation, and any further work is quoted up front.
I have several deals. Is there a better option?
If you're signing three or more deals in a quarter, or one over $25,000, ongoing representation is usually a better fit than separate reviews. Book a consultation and we'll work out the right setup.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.
- Federal Trade Commission, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255).
General information, not legal advice for your situation. Reading this article doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. Every deal depends on its facts, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.