Participant Media GC on the Legal Pitfalls of Controversial Movies

Whether they’re taking on the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal in “Spotlight,” or giving Edward Snowden a platform in “Citizenfour,” Participant Media isn’t afraid to stir the pot.

Gabriel Brakin is in charge of making sure the pot doesn’t boil over. The first attorney hired by the company eight years ago, Brakin, 35, was named the company’s first general counsel in March.

“We try to just tell important, entertaining stories, so that people want to come and watch, but at the same time they leave the theater thinking about issues they might not have been thinking about before,” Brakin said. “When you tread ...