25-Hour Entertainment law Compliance Package

Hon. Holly J. Fujie, LA Superior Court
Hon. Rupert A. Byrdsong, LA Superior Court
Mia F. Yamamoto, Law Office of Mia Yamamoto
Dr. Gitu Bhatia, Gitu Bhatia Psy.D.
Moderated by Jinna Kang, Enenstein Pham & Glass, LLP

This panel will address the current landscape of racial bias in the entertainment industry. The discussion will revolve around what racial bias looks like presently, how it is impacting the entertainment industry today, and what actions the entertainment industry is (or is not) doing to combat racial bias.

Temitope K. Yusuf, Vice President, Employment & Head of Legal Department Diversity, NBCUniversal
Kevin (K.J.) Greene, Law Professor, Southwestern Law School
Marjorie Garcia, Partner?, King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, LLP
John R. Baldivia, Partner, Rossi, P.C. (Moderator)

The lines between ethically mandated and permissive withdrawal from a client?s representation are often unclear, making it difficult for attorneys to determine their ethical obligations and how to satisfy them. This program will explore where the lines are drawn, how they are applied, and what an attorney?s duties are when withdrawing from representation.

Deborah Wolfe, Founder, Wolfe Legal Solutions, PC.

The program will address the process of onboarding new clients with emphasis on risk management and compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Joel A. Osman, Senior Counsel and General Counsel to the Firm, Parker Mills LLP
David B. Parker, Founding Partner,Parker Mills LLP

This program will review lawyers? ethical obligations in holding funds belonging to others. This program will cover the guidance and pitfalls in trust accounting and the new mandatory Client Trust Account Protection Program and will include considerations of banking stability.

Rachelle Cohen, Valensi Rose, PLC
Erin Joyce, Erin Joyce Law, PC

You will learn how to avoid State Bar complaints and what to do if it comes calling, along with the latest developments in fee agreements, malpractice claims and defenses, with an emphasis on entertainment law.

Ellen A. Pansky, Partner, Pansky Markle Advisors
Marshall R. Cole, Attorney, Nemecek & Cole
Moderated by Neville L. Johnson, Senior Partner, Johnson & Johnson LLP

This CLE program will explore competence issues in the context of the aging attorney population. While mental and physical issues impacting the elderly population are very common, few CLE programs discuss them in the context of an aging attorneys? ability to perform legal services with competence.

While it is relatively easy to spot an attorney who has completely lost physical capability and mental competence, it is very challenging to spot those in the gray area who have started their descent into concerning territory often exhibiting barely perceptible signs of incompetence

Benazeer "Benny" Roshan, Partner, Greenberg Glusker

In the sequel to ?Fair Use: What You Can Steal From Others and What Others Can Steal from You? our panelists return to discuss the application of the Fair Use doctrine in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Rami S. Yanni, Partner, Raines Feldman
Louis P. Petrich, Senior Counsel, Ballard Spahr
Daniel B. Lifschitz, Associate CounselJohnson & Johnson
James D. Pacitti, Managing Attorney, Pacitti Law Firm (Moderator)

The Fair Use doctrine is arguably one of copyright law?s most important and misunderstood concepts. Many think they have a grasp on what it permits as a defense, however, in reality, its subjective tests result in inconsistent rulings adding to further misunderstanding and concern. In this panel, our contributors will unpack what you need to know about the doctrine. There will be audience participation with this panel: some fact patterns will be shared, the audience will be asked to give their verdict, via polling, if it is fair use or not, and then the court?s ruling will be shared.

Rami S. Yanni, Partner, Raines Feldman
Louis P. Petrich, Senior Counsel, Ballard Spahr
Daniel B. Lifschitz, Associate Counsel, Johnson & Johnson
Moderated by James D. Pacitti, Managing Attorney, Pacitti Law Firm

This program explores the complex relationship between the music industry and copyright law. Led by experienced attorneys who are at the forefront of the recent developments in music law, this program provides a comprehensive overview of ever-changing landscape of copyright law with respect to music, and how it impacts artists, producers, songwriters, music publishers, record labels, and other facets of the music industry.

David Helfant, Esq. Law Offices of David A. Helfant, Past Entertainment Law Section Chair
Jesse E. Morris, Esq. Morris Music Law, PC
Kenneth D. Freundlich, Esq. Freundlich Law, Past Entertainment Law Section Chair
John R. Baldivia, Rossi, PC. (Moderator)

Artificial Intelligence is slowly but surely seeping into our creative lives. ChatGPT writes our prompts, Midjourney draws our art and, perhaps soon, MusicLM will create our music. Just last month, however, the United States Copyright Office refused to register AI-generated images as part of a broader creative work. Human, creative intervention being at the core of the copyright regime, the current state of affairs can only be described as... Artificial Intelligence and Copyright: Uncomfortable Bedfellows.

Elizabeth Rothman, Law Office of Elizabeth Rothman
David B. Hoppe, Gamma Law, PC
Franklin Graves, HCA Healthcare
Arkadi De Proft, PLF (Moderator)

Esports has emerged as a major force in the entertainment industry, boasting millions of fans around the world and a rapidly growing market. With a market value projected to reach over $4 billion within the next five years, it is no wonder stakeholders are eager to hop on board. However, the rise of this industry has not come without its legal challenges, and experts are once again questioning the scope of copyright law and acts such as the DMCA. When fair use doesn?t cut it and the industry has seen the downfall of many beloved esports scenes such as Super Smash Bros and the Overwatch League, this panel begs the question... Esports & Copyright: Clutch or Choke?

Harris Peskin, ESG Law
Simon Pulman, Pryor Cashman LLP
David B. Hoppe, Gamma Law, PC
Arkadi De Proft, PLF (Moderator)

From the perspective of a workplace investigator, the entertainment industry is unique. In this presentation, two experienced attorney investigators will explore the differences in conducting investigations in the entertainment industry and provide practical guidance for both the investigators conducting them and the companies engaging those investigators.

This program will cover many of the important case decisions, issues, and trends in the world of Entertainment Litigation in the past year, and the possible ramifications for future litigation, including topics such as copyright infringement (music, film, & Internet), breach of contract, defamation, and right of publicity, among others.

Christine Lepera, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP
Kevin (K.J.) Greene, Law Professor, Southwestern Law School
Aaron Moss, Partner, Greenberg Glusker LLP
Moderated by Pierre B. Pine, Partner, McPherson LLP

Arbitration has become an increasingly common forum for the resolution of entertainment industry disputes. Yet many experienced entertainment attorneys can feel as much of a fish out of water in arbitration as Axel Foley did in Beverly Hills Cop or as Ted Lasso does on a British soccer field. This program is designed for transactional and litigation attorneys who negotiate entertainment deals and litigate entertainment disputes. The program will teach attendees:

- Best practices for drafting arbitration provisions for entertainment industry agreements to insure confidential, cost-effective, and efficient resolution of entertainment disputes, as well as to gain an advantage for clients and achieve worldwide enforcement of final arbitration awards.
- Practice tips for trying and winning your entertainment arbitration case, and how and why it differs from trying a case in court.
- Special ethical and practical challenges that may come up in entertainment arbitrations and how to deal with them.
- How to make arbitration an even better experience for attorneys and clients than court litigation.

This webinar will provide you with what you need to know on fraud discovery and prevention, walk through and analysis of recent examples of fraud affecting the industry, as well as an overview of fraud taken into consideration as part of entertainment litigation.

Ilan Haimoff, Profit Participation Services Department Head and Partner at GHJ
Tracy Liang, Senior Manager at GHJ
Chad Fitzgerald, Partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP

Expert copyright attorneys and a prominent musicologist weigh in on the ?Thinking Out Loud? copyright infringement case, how this case compares to prior high profile copyright infringement cases, and what impact this case will have on music copyright infringement cases moving forward.

Peter J. Anderson, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Judith Finell, Musicologist, Judith Finell Musicservices Inc. / UCLA School of Music
Daniel B. Lifschitz, Associate Counsel, Johnson & Johnson LLP
Neville L. Johnson, Senior Partner, Johnson & Johnson LLP (Moderator)

It?s easy to consider the metaverse as science fiction. But the metaverse and blockchain technology offer significant practical utility for brands, regulators and consumers. This presentation moves beyond Bored Apes and explores how top brands are using the metaverse to build deeper connections with consumers and develop new revenue streams. We will also analyze the key legal and technical challenges brands must overcome to make their metaverse investment relevant and successful.

Dan Jasnow, ArentFox Schiff LLP, New York
Malcolm S. McNeil, ArentFox Schiff LLP, Los Angeles

Join three prominent entertainment litigators from New York and California for a discussion of the significant differences between law and practice in both states concerning profit participation disputes in film and other entertainment deals, the fact that California does not allow a breach of fiduciary duty claim while NY does, the language required in a contract to ensure accounting rights and the parole evidence rule.

Presented by the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association. NYCLA/90210 Series.

Bonnie Eskenazi, Partner, Greenberg Glusker LLP
Bruce Isaacs, Mediator and Arbitrator, Signature Resolution
Dorothy M. Weber, Partner, Herbsman Hafer Weber & Frisch, LLP
Moderated by Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, Partner, Rufus-Isaacs Acland & Grantham LLP

What does an artist, performer or athlete from a different country have to do to be able to work in the United States in accordance with immigration laws? With this All-Star panel we seek to introduce the typical immigration options available to entertainers -- namely, O and P visas. We will discuss the requirements of each, including timelines, deadlines, and fees, from multiple perspectives, as well as common pitfalls to avoid, especially in the current hostile political climate. We will also discuss the effect Coronavirus COVID-19 has had on it all.

LA is the entertainment capital of the world. We have hubs for movies, TV, music, sports, books, and stage. But the perfect artist / writer / actor / athlete / entertainment professional can come from anywhere.

A lot of work goes into the creation of content, but sometimes the perfect person for the job is just over the border. Become a better entertainment lawyer to foreign clients by learning what to expect from the immigration process, how to avoid surprises, and what you can do to make it all go as smoothly as possible.

Are you searching for information about what the MLC will do for you and your clients? Do you want specific information on how to make sure that the MLC is tracking your clients? royalties? Join Kris Ahrend (Chief Executive Officer of The MLC) and Kay Hanley (co-executive director of Songwriters Of North America) as they present a step-by-step tutorial on how The MLC will function, what the current and future outlook of The MLC?s operations will be over the next year, the launch of their new web portal, and how The MLC?s operations will translate into actual dollars for your songwriter clients. The event will be moderated by John R. Baldivia, Esq. of Pierce Law Group LLP, whose expertise includes ecommerce operations in both major label and independent record distribution.

Kris Ahrend, Chief Executive Officer of The MLC
Kay Hanley, Co-Executive Director of Songwriters Of North America and member of the MLC?s Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee
John R. Baldivia, Esq., Pierce Law Group LLP

Profit participation arrangements can be complex and major film distributors have become increasingly aggressive in asserting positions that dilute the value of these deals. This program will highlight current issues in profit participation auditing together with strategies to maximize realizations to participants.

We will be discussing common issues that arise in audits from both the auditor?s and the studio?s perspective. Our discussion will encompass issues that have been at the forefront in recent years such as related party dealings, imputed television network license fees, studios? digital platforms and reporting of revenue from merchandising and brand association deals. We will also be talking about other issues which continue to arise in audit reports such as:

Methodologies for allocating amounts to product for packaged sales in Television market
Application of 20% royalty reporting to digital receipts
Production Cost reporting ? tax incentives, interest calculation
Loading of overhead-type charges in distribution expenses over and above distribution fee

Finally, and most importantly, we will be covering:
Audit settlements and strategies for maximizing returns to clients.
Preservation of audit rights

SHOW ME THE MONEY! Profit Participation Arrangements

Richard G. Granatt, Partner at Robinson Granatt LLP
Philip Fier, Principal, Focus Advisory Services LLC
Moderated by John M. Gatti, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

This panel will explore the growing impact of data analysis, such as KPI?s, in the financing, distribution, and valuation of entertainment content, including utilization in litigations, audits and other disputes. The panel will discuss these issues as well as film and television performance trends and contract considerations entertainment lawyers and executives need to consider as new business models disrupt traditional distribution patterns.

Peter Klass, Partner at GHJ
Viviana Zarragoitia, Vice President at TPC
Seth Brodie, CFO at Anonymous Content
Michael Sippel, Principal at GHJ

In the wake of Alec Baldwin being charged with involuntary manslaughter connected to the ?Rust? set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the BHBA hosts this special panel to discuss the incident, the resulting charges, and explore best practices that producers and attorneys should employ on any film set involving firearms.

Richard Kaplan, Criminal Defense Attorney, Kaplan | Marino
Heather Pearson, General Counsel, International Cinematographers Guild
Bryan W. Carpenter, Armorer / Firearms & Weapons Specialist, Producer, 13 South Productions
Christopher C. Melcher, Celebrity Legal Analyst, Walzer Melcher & Yoda LLP