Filippo Puglisi-Alibrandi

Filippo serves as the National Leader for the Contract Compliance Solution Group within the Forensic network. Filippo advises clients on developing and delivering compliance programs in relation to intellectual property and self‑reported relationships and on broader issues of intellectual asset management. He has over 20 years of experience in planning, performing, and directing numerous third parties’ assessments including participations audits, license/distribution examinations, “most favored nation” (MFN) analysis, and manufacturer/vendors assessments on behalf of major movie studios, fashion designers, licensing agencies, software developers, profit participants, artists, and trademark owners. Under his direction, contract compliance project teams have completed approximately 800 third party reviews worldwide and have successfully helped recover millions of dollars in underreporting in addition to identifying many other instances of contractual noncompliance.

Professional and industry experience

Filippo is member of the US Media & Telecommunications and Technology industries practice and the industry initiative on digital transformation, focusing on assisting clients in adapting to the changing content and distribution marketplace.

Filippo currently serves as Global Services Lead Partner at Qualcomm, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Universal Music Group, LionsGate Entertainment and Mattel. Filippo was the engagement partner for several media company clients providing digital content contract compliance services. His work is focused on the integrity of self‑reported royalties reported to clients by some of the largest online and mobile distributors of digital content including digital music and online video.

Filippo is a member of the KPMG Contract Compliance Services National Leadership Team where he represents contract compliance projects in the media and entertainment industry. His work includes leadership of three ongoing programs of digital audits, merchandising, and participations contract compliance reviews.

Royalty compliance

• Filippo has developed and delivered royalty contract compliance programs for global entertainment movie studios, for one of the largest toy manufacturers and for a multinational semiconductor company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. He has directed global teams during the execution of multiple contract compliance examinations of various third parties including: accessory and apparel licensees, retailers, semiconductor suppliers, manufacturers and marketers of consumer foods, publishing companies, amusement parks and resorts, photo agencies, licensing agencies, video game software publishers, and toy manufactures.
• Filippo has led royalty audits for high‑end fashion houses, large media companies (consumer products, video games, and publishing), and tech companies (including mobile operators and music labels).

Profit participation and home video distribution compliance examinations

• Served as subject matter specialist on a project assisting a major movie studio to perform an in‑depth review of its participation group to identify risk areas associated with participation reporting; covering a library of 7,000 titles and multiple territories and markets (i.e., home video, theatrical, non‑theatrical, VOD, PTV, network TV, and domestic syndication TV)
• Performed examinations of theatrical, television, and home video productions, domestic and foreign, of approximately 70 titles and several libraries covering up to 4,000 titles, testing the accuracy and completeness of theatrical, television, home video, electronic sell‑through, and streaming revenues reported through an analysis of the related agreements, source remittances, and cash receipts.
• Production costs, replication/duplication costs, and distribution expenses audits

Vendor compliance

• Filippo performed Most Favored Customer examinations to determine third‑party suppliers compliance with the terms of Most Favored Customer clauses.
• Filippo has undertaken several MFN reviews across a wide range of categories including raw materials, facilities management, home video replicators, and TV programmers in multiple sectors including pharmaceuticals.
• He was the engagement partner on an engagement to review a third party’s compliance with a complex “cost plus” manufacturing arrangement.

Advertising agency compliance

• Filippo has led numerous reviews of media buying agencies and creative advertising agencies for a range of market‑facing clients. Identified inconsistencies in business processes and reporting resulting financial recoveries and enhanced contracting language between the parties.
• Filippo is actively involved in advertising industry organizations, providing insight and guidance on such issues as agency transparency (media and production), digital advertising monitoring and measurement, and viewability of digital and mobile advertising.

Digital content royalty compliance

• Filippo designed and implemented KPMG’s Global Digital Contract Compliance programs, including written engagement policy and procedures, fieldwork manuals, and training guide.
• Engagement Partner for several media company clients providing digital content contract compliance services. Work focuses on the integrity of self-reported royalties reported to clients by some of the largest online and mobile distributors of digital content including digital music, online video and e-Books. Work includes system analysis, process analysis and heavy data analysis as part of the identification of potential underreporting of royalties.

Publications and speaking engagements

• Founding member of KPMG’s Digital Services Framework (DSF), which enables clients to identify and manage risk in the creation and distribution of digital content.
• Author of the KPMG publication “The Digital Bubble”
• Member and frequent speaker of the Digital Hollywood conference, OnHollywood Conference, Game Developers Conference, E3, and several associations in the licensing, merchandising, and video game industries.