Sunil Bhuta is the Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for Essential.  In that capacity, Bhuta executes day-to-day operations with respect to rights acquisitions, sales agency, and international film licensing, including the negotiation and drafting of licensing and distribution agreements.
 
Prior to joining Essential, Bhuta was Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for the Yari Film Group.  There he performed business affairs and legal work on over forty active high and low budget feature film projects (including 2006 Best Picture winner Crash), for both self-distributed and licensed pictures and deliveries to various studio and independent distributors.  Bhuta negotiated and drafted agreements in all areas of feature film production: above-the-line deals, guilds, clearances, licenses, employment and personnel services agreements, rights acquisitions and options, and distribution agreements.

Bhuta began his legal career as an associate for the Chicago litigation firm of Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey.  He holds a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles.  He is a member of both the California and Illinois Bars.