Kimberlina N. McKinney is an entertainment and business affairs lawyer with more than a decade of experience structuring, negotiating and managing complex media and content deals across film, television, digital and live events. She serves as senior counsel in the Entertainment & Business Transactional Group at Newell Law Group.

In her role, McKinney advises clients on development, production, licensing and corporate law matters, and acts as day-to-day production legal on multi-jurisdictional projects. Her practice also includes deal drafting and negotiation, IP portfolio management (including trademark and copyright strategy), and creating operating frameworks for content packaging, distribution and joint ventures.

Before joining Newell Law Group, McKinney was vice president of business and legal affairs for global scripted drama at Fremantle Media. She previously served as director of business and legal affairs for scripted television at A+E Studios and held business and legal affairs roles in unscripted and digital media at Levity Live and Fullscreen Media, as well as founding and growing her own entertainment and business practice.

McKinney is also an experienced educator, teaching entertainment dealmaking, negotiations, and business law as an adjunct professor at UCLA School of Law and Cal State Northridge.

Her leadership and service have included championing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout the industry. She has been recognized in the industry as being among the Top Women Attorney by the Daily Journal and as a Los Angeles Business Journal Women of Influence – Top Attorney in 2024 and 2025.

McKinney holds a JD from UCLA School of Law and a BA from Scripps College, studying international law and sociology in Ecuador and Switzerland. She is admitted to the California State Bar.