Music Law Conference
Speaker Bios
Oswaldo Rossi | Andy Adkins | Darryl Cohen | Brian Frankel | Rachel E. Inman | Dean Robert Jerry, II | Justin Kent | Matt Kilgo | Amy Mashburn | Brian Mencher | Jared Mendelewicz | Julee Millham | Nick Nanton | Dean Kathleen Price | Elizabeth Rowe | Brian Rowland | James Sammataro | Alex Tchekmeian | William Whitacre | Cassandra Willard | Richard Wolfe
Keynote Speaker
Oswaldo Rossi is the Director of Legal & Business Affairs for EMI Televisa Music, where he negotiates, structures and drafts agreements for the U.S.-based, Latin recorded music division of Capitol Records.
Under the supervision of the Senior Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs for EMI Music Latin America, Mr. Rossi advises on business affairs transactions, rights issues and general operations-related matters. He has negotiated dozens of exclusive recording agreements, license agreements, and content acquisition and rights agreements with major recorded music companies, media and production companies and telecommunications companies among others. Prior to taking his position at EMI in July 2004, Mr. Rossi interned in the Business Affairs department of Warner Music Latin America, where he began working shortly after graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in May 2001.
While at UM Law, Mr. Rossi served as President of the Student Bar Association and as a Lieutenant Governor for the American Bar Association/Law Student Division. During this time, Mr. Rossi acquired an equity interest in Eulogy Recordings, Inc., an independent record company which has released albums from artists such as Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory and Unearth, and which has recently signed a distribution agreement with Red Music, a division of Sony BMG Entertainment. Finally, Mr. Rossi is an adjunct professor at Florida International University, where he teaches a music business course to graduate and undergraduate-level students.
Panelists & Moderators
Andrew Z. Adkins, III is a nationally recognized expert in legal technology and the Director of the Legal Technology Institute at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He has authored several books including, Computerized Case Management Systems, published by the ABA, The Y2K Resource Handbook and Planning Guide for Lawyers, published by the Legal Technology Institute, and WordPerfect Law Office Solutions for Windows, published by James Publishing. His latest book is You Can’t Get Much Closer Than This: Combat with Company H, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division, published by CaseMate Publications. He created and co-teaches a class in Law Practice Management. He frequently writes and publishes articles in legal periodicals and is a frequent lecturer on topics of law firm technology. Mr. Adkins was the Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2000 and 2001 and co-chair of the LegalTech conferences, 2000-2007.
Darryl B. Cohen is an entertainment attorney, partner of Cohen Cooper Estep & Mudder, LLC in Atlanta and the former chair of the Entertainment Arts & Sports Law Section of both the Florida and Georgia Bars. His entertainment practice includes representation of television anchors, actors, photographers, models and talent agencies. Cohen is the co-founder and chairman of the Annual Southern Regional Entertainment and Sports Law Conference. He is also the National Vice President of the National Television Academy, a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and has served as a national board member of the Screen Actors Guild. Cohen provides on-air legal commentary on high-profile cases for CNN, and has chaired numerous seminars and other educational programs on the entertainment industry.
Brian Frankel is an attorney in Washington D.C. and an award-winning independent filmmaker. Frankel was Kodak’s Emerging Filmmaker for 2004. He has produced, directed, and/or been the cinematographer for music videos, films, television shows, commercials, and multi-media projects. Frankel’s clients have included MTV, Spike TV, Motorola, M Audio, Def Jam South Records, the Merchant Marines, and the Independent Feature Project. He has technical training from the French National Film Academy, the Art Institute of Phoenix, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and Miami Dade College. Frankel earned both his undergraduate degree and his law degree at the University of Florida.
Rachel E. Inman is the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Florida Levin College of Law since Fall Term 2006. Dean Inman earned her bachelor's degree from Carson-Newman College and her law degree from the University of Tennessee. Following her graduation from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1993 she worked for the Tennessee Department of Health prosecuting health care practitioners. Realizing that working in higher education was her passion she returned to the University of Tennessee where she served as the Director of Student Judicial Affairs from 1994 - 1999. In 1999 she became the Assistant Dean for Students at the University of Tennessee College of Law.
Robert H. Jerry, II, is Dean and Levin, Mabie and Levin Professor of Law at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. Following graduation from the University of Michigan Law School in 1977, a clerkship with Judge George E. MacKinnon of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and three years of practice with an Indianapolis law firm, he joined the faculty at the University of Kansas School of Law in 1981. He was promoted to Professor in 1985 and served as Dean of the KU School of Law from 1989 to 1994. In 1994, he became the first permanent holder of the Herbert Herff Chair of Excellence at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. In 1998, he became the Floyd R. Gibson Missouri Endowed Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, a position he held until accepting the deanship at the Levin College of Law in 2003.
He is the author of numerous books (including Understanding Insurance Law, published by Lexis, now in its third edition), book chapters, articles, and essays in the field of insurance law, and is a frequent lecturer on insurance topics. He is a past chair of the Insurance Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools, a member of the American Law Institute, and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
His service activities include chairing the Faculty Executive Committee at the University of Kansas in 1988-89, election to the Faculty Executive Committee at the University of Missouri in 2000-01, and numerous committees and boards at every university where he has been a faculty member. He has also been active in numerous community service organizations.
His honors and awards include the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award at the Missouri Law School in 2001, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana State University, his undergraduate alma mater, in 1992, and the KU Chancellor’s Award for University Service at KU in 1989. He lives in Gainesville with his wife Lisa and their three children: John, Jim and Beth.
Justin Kent has been described as “The future of dance music” by the Discovery channel and “Blasting the market into 2099” in Remix Magazine. Born in Orlando, Florida, Kent—a self-proclaimed TV junkie— was brought up on a hyperactive diet of MTV and the Internet. A modern-day wiz kid, he was creating websites for NASA in high school before relocating to Boston where he earned degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in computer science and art and design, as well as a minor in music.
As a budding DJ in college, Kent quickly mastered the art of mixing records, but he missed the visual impact of television. One day it occurred to him, “What if you could scratch TV?” Armed with a desire to revolutionize the art of DJing, Kent was determined to enhance the musical experience by using his skills to incorporate interactive video into his sets. At the time, however, nothing on the market existed to support this. So Kent invented his own system, the results of which became the world’s first MIDI turntable: a patented optical hardware/software system that allows the DJ to synchronize and control sound, video and lights. With the arrival of this avant-garde system, Justin Kent the DJ subsequently evolved into Justin Kent the EJ, or Experience Jockey, so-named for his ability to create one complete interactive club experience. Kent now performs under the code name EJ K.
Kent’s first DVD, “As Seen On TV,” features innovative techniques found nowhere else and was named a finalist in Future Music’s “Next Big Thing” contest. Additionally, the Blueman Group used Kent’s EJ MIDI Turntable™ as inspiration for their music video, “The Current.”
Following college, Kent spent an action-packed stint hacking code at Napster’s top-secret video division. Kent was literally struck by a bolt of lightning just after his 25th birthday. Kent has shelves full of math trophies. In middle school, he won first place in a statewide algebra contest. Kent was president of his fraternity at MIT and president of MIT Student Cable, the world’s first television channel to be controlled remotely over the Web. As the first person to truly “scratch” video and the outspoken poster-child of Generation E, you must see this rising video star in action to believe. Digital assets, media kit and streaming video available at: www.EJ-K.com
Matt Kilgo is regional counsel for the Anti-Piracy Unit of the Recording Industry Association of America. He consults daily with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of criminal music piracy. This work takes him around the southern region and the United States to train and advise prosecutors, as well as testifying on behalf of major recording labels and hundreds of artists to combat intellectual property theft. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Kilgo graduated in 1996 from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He attended the Georgia State University College of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1999. A prosecutor since 2000 (most recently with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia), Kilgo joined the fight against music piracy in September, 2006, as Regional Counsel for the RIAA. He has a wife and fourteen-month-old son, Patrick, both of whom love Auburn Tigers football.
Amy R. Mashburn is a Professor of Law at the University of Florida, Levin College of Law where she teaches Legal Ethics, Professional Responsibility, Legal Malpractice, Civil Procedure and Florida Civil Procedure. She graduated from Eckerd College in 1977, attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and received a JD from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law in 1987. Prior to teaching, Professor Mashburn practiced law in Orlando, Florida with the firm of Dean, Mead, Egerton, Bloodworth, Capouano & Bozarth, P.A. Professor Mashburn’s scholarship focuses on the regulation of lawyers and their professional and ethical responsibilities. She has made numerous presentations to sections of the American Bar Association, the Association of American Law Schools, the Florida Bar, and Inns of Court on legal ethics and professionalism. In addition to serving on the Florida Bar’s Professional Ethics Committee, which provides lawyers with ethical legal opinions, Professor Mashburn has been an expert witness on the law governing lawyers and a consultant to law firms, corporations and disciplinary authorities.
Brian Mencher is a partner in the entertainment law firm of Beame & Mencher, LLP. Licensed in New York, his practice focuses primarily on the representation of artists and business organizations involved in the music, film, publishing, and hospitality industries. He is a member of the ABA’s Entertainment & Sports Law Forum, a published author, and the founder of Music Law Conference. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Mencher studied music for over 10 years. He has been involved in numerous aspects of the music industry, serving as a personal manager, booking agent and promoter. Brian graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2002 in the top 3% of his class. He was Executive Articles Editor of the Florida Law Review. He can be reached at www.BMlawgroup.com and via e-mail at bm@bmlawgroup.com.
Jared Mendelewicz is vice-president of AKT Enterprises and is leading the company along the cutting edge of the entertainment industry. At the age of 16, Mendelewicz’s technical background in web development, combined with his passion for music, led him to create PBGPunk.com, a web-based profile listing service for local musicians. Over two years, PBGPunk.com expanded beyond the internet to host live events showcasing many of its own artists. During his remaining high school years, Mendelewicz founded an independent web design company called IWDT. Providing custom graphics, web design and animation to local companies, bands and schools, IWDT developed many important web applications that are still used by AKT Enterprises today. In 2003, Mendelewicz relocated to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida. In addition to his pursuit of a degree in Digital Media, Mendelewicz continued to operate and expand IWDT full-time. Following the company’s reincarnation as Runyourownsite.com, IWDT was absorbed into AKT Digital in mid-2005. This merger marked the formation of Studio AKT, one of AKT Enterprises most successful and lucrative companies. As a seasoned project coordinator, web developer and all-around entrepreneur, Mendelewicz manages all graphic and web development projects for both customers and internal AKT operations. AKT’s web presence is the driving force behind its sales, relying solely on the company’s ability to adapt in an ever-changing digital marketplace. Mendelewicz continually strives to push both employees and company technology to not only meet industry standards, but to exceed them. While the enterprise’s success continues to grow exponentially, Mendelewicz looks to find new industries and markets into which to expand. After only two short years with the company, Mendelewicz has helped AKT Enterprises gain recognition as one of the fastest-growing, most innovative companies in the entertainment industry.
Julee L. Milham has practiced business, intellectual property, and entertainment law in St. Petersburg, Florida since 1986. A graduate of Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law, Julee is licensed to practice law in Florida, California, and the District of Columbia. She studied Comparative Human Rights and Corporate Governance at Oxford College of Law in Oxford, England and is admitted to the Roll of Solicitors for England and Wales. Julee is one of only 80 Florida lawyers who is board certified in the area of Intellectual Property Law. Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of competency and experience within an area of law, and professionalism and ethics in practice.
Julee has an extensive commercial litigation background, including that involving national and multidistrict litigation, state and federal regulatory agencies, and state and federal civil appeals as well as criminal appeals. Today, her practice is almost exclusively transactional and advisory in the entertainment and intellectual property fields.
She is Chair Emeritus of the Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar and served on its Executive Council from 1995-2007. Julee is the author of both editions of the Florida Bar’s Fastrain, “The Practice of Music Law in Florida”. She also authored “The Arts and the Law / Florida” for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, which she served as a volunteer and advisory council member in Pinellas County from 1995 until its closing in 2006. Julee is an adjunct professor of Entertainment Law at Stetson University College of Law and regularly speaks on entertainment and intellectual property topics. She has served on the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Board of Governors and currently serves on the Pinellas County Film Commission Marketing Panel and the International Academy of Technology & Design Advisory Panel, Recording Arts Department.
A certified state and federal mediator and arbitrator and a mediator and arbitrator panelist for the American Arbitration Association, Julee has trained fellow mediators and arbitrators and has mediated and arbitrated intellectual property cases and well as a variety of consumer, commercial, property, and construction matters. She has served over 1000 days on the bench as Pinellas County’s Small Claims Hearing Officer and over 650 nights on the bench as one of its Civil Infraction Traffic Court Hearing Officers.
Nick Nanton is known as “The Indie Lawyer®” for the work he does with independent record labels and artists across the country, Nick Nanton has been named “Best of the Bar” and referred to as “One of Orlando’s Top 10 Young and Powerful,” but prior to becoming an Entertainment Attorney, Nanton spent more than a decade in the entertainment industry as an award winning songwriter and television producer. This background of diverse experience, coupled with a deep understanding of the artistic process, allows Nanton to bring a level of expertise to the entertainment industry that few of his peers share. Along with spending time on both sides of the mixing board, Nanton has also spent time on both sides of the negotiating table, representing recording artists as well as record labels… and everything in between. An avid guitarist, songwriter and producer Nanton has enjoyed great success including: co-writing the the 2004 Windrift Songwriting Contest grand prize winning song, “Daddy’s Little Girl,” which received radio play on over 50 stations in 20 states and was the most requested song three weeks in a row in several major markets.
Nanton‘s work has been featured on Prime Time television and he has produced songs and worked on projects with a “Who’s Who” in the music business. Nanton also produced an album entitled “I Won’t Give Up” to raise money for Stop Children’s Cancer, and co-wrote the title track, which led to the song being performed in Times Square in front of over 80,000 people and was chosen as the theme song for the American Cancer Society’s “Reaching out to Cancer Kids” video. Co-author of the book Celebrity Branding You and the educational courses “Making More than Milk Money in the Music Business” (co-authored with Bob Baker, author of the Guerilla Music Guide to Music & Marketing) and “Blueprint to Millions,” Nanton has worked on projects and negotiated deals, from large scale events to reality television shows, involving celebrities from many genres including: President George H.W. Bush, comedian Bill Cosby, Don Shula (former head coach of the Miami Dolphins and the NFL’s all-time winningest coach), Bobby Knight (legendary college basketball coach), Roy Firestone (Emmy Award Winning host of ESPN’s “Up Close” and “Up Close Prime Time”), Stan Lynch (Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer, multi-Platinum recording artist, #1 hit songwriter and former drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Brent Maher (5-Time Grammy Winner, The Judds, Willie Nelson, Ike and Tina Turner) and many, many more. Nanton is known as a taste-maker in the entertainment industry and has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Arizona Republic, The Dallas Morning News and many other national publications. Nanton is a managing partner at the law firm of Dicks & Nanton P.A., is a member of The Florida Bar and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, as well as a BSBA in Finance from the University of Florida’s prestigious Warrington College of Business.
Prior to founding Dicks & Nanton P.A., Nanton served as CEO of Cinemark Music Group LLC a subsidiary of Cinemark USA, Inc., one of the largest motion picture exhibitors in North America with 3,288 screens in 33 States and Internationally, as well as CEO of Loud Entertainment LLC and director of business development and assistant corporate counsel for PremiereTrade LLC. Nanton also developed the first online a-la-carte digital music download store for independent musicians in 2003, which was later sold to one of the largest online independent music retailers in 2005. Nanton is a currently a member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (also known as NARAS, home to The GRAMMYs) and casts a vote on the annual GRAMMY Awards, is the Chairman of the Orange County Bar Association’s Entertainment Law Committee, serves on the Executive Counsel of the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar, the Board of the Florida Hospital Foundation and is a member of Florida Blue Key, “Florida’s Oldest and Most Prestigious Leadership Honorary,” National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and Golden Key National Honor Society. Nanton spends his spare time rooting for the Florida Gators with his wife, Kristina, and their two sons, Brock and Bowen.
Dean Kathleen Price joined the Levin College of Law in 2003 as visiting faculty from New York University to serve as Associate Dean of Library & Technology and Clarence J. TeSelle Professor of Law. Dean Price previously served as the Law Librarian of Congress (1990-94) and as NYU’s College of Law Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law (1994-2003). She began her distinguished career as an assistant law librarian at the University of Alabama (1967-70) and the University of Illinois (1970-73), and continued as a Professor of Law and Law Librarian at Duke University School of Law (1970-1980) and at the University of Minnesota as Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law (1980-1990), where she also served as acting assistant vice president for Academic Affairs (1985-86). Dean Price has been a visiting professor at Uppsala University (1998, 1990), Tsinghua University (Summer 2001), Renmin University (Summer 1999), and Fudan University (Summer 1997).
Elizabeth Rowe is an assistant professor of law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. She also graduated with a M.A., with highest honors, in sociology and a B.A., with highest honors, in criminal justice from the University of Florida, where, among other honors, she received the Most Outstanding Four Year Scholar award. Professor Rowe is a former partner at the law firm of Hale and Dorr, LLP in Boston (now WilmerHale), where she practiced complex commercial litigation including intellectual property, and employment litigation. She was selected by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of the top five up-and-coming attorneys in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While in Boston, she also served as a Special Assistant District Attorney. Professor Rowe teaches Trademark Law, Patent Law, and Trade Secret Law. Her expertise and scholarship focuses on trade secrets and workplace intellectual property disputes. She is the author of several publications in such journals as the Wisconsin Law Review, the Wake Forest Law Review, and the Hastings Law Journal.
Brian M. Rowland practices in the area of corporate, commercial, real property, Internet, technology and software licensing, intellectual property (trademark and copyright) and media. He received his law degree with honors from Florida Coastal School of Law where he was a member of Law Review and founded the Law and Technology Society. Rowland also studied European Union, Comparative and International Internet Law at the University of Vienna in Austria. Rowland holds two undergraduate degrees from Florida State University, in Mass Communications and in Business. Rowland is developing his practice in the areas of media, entertainment, software, Internet, and intellectual property law to take advantage of more than 17 years of previous management experience in the broadcast and software industries. His affiliations, interests and honors include: member, Jacksonville Bar Association (member: Intellectual Property Law; and Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Sections); member, The Florida Bar (Business Law Section; Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section); authorized to practice before United States District Court, Middle District of Florida; author, "Media Fairness: Regulation, Diversity, Reality," published in Florida Coastal Law Journal, Vol. III, 67; author, "An Athlete's Right of Publicity: The Parameters of Control," published in 76-Nov Florida Bar Law Journal 45; author, "Minority Preferences in F.C.C. Licensing;" program speaker, "The Right of Publicity" seminar, 2002 Florida Bar Mid-Year Meeting, Miami, Florida; seminar panelist: Connexion Music Festival, 2004; University of Florida Music Law Conference, 2005.; Jacksonville Film Festival - Entertainment Law Seminar, 2005.
James G. Sammataro began his practice assisting a number of film production companies by drafting, reviewing and negotiating all of their pertinent deals, including: financing deals; option agreements; acquisition of literary material agreements; producer, director and actor agreements; agreements for the use of production sites, props and material; merchandising deals; distribution agreements and the like. He’s counseled several major studios and viewed their near-completed work for potential legal pitfalls. These experiences spawned his book, “Film and Multi-Media and the Law” which, is now in its fourth edition. This book has been hailed as covering “every conceivable legal dilemma likely to plague the creator of any multi-media work.” (To learn more about Film and Multi-Media and the Law, visit www.west.thomson.com and conduct an author search under “Sammataro.”) Over the last several years, James’ practice has expanded into music law and television, leading to his representation and counseling of several major and independent record labels, a variety of A-list celebrities, well-known authors, actors, bands, advertising agencies, musicians, models, reality TV stars and professional athletes.
Alex Tchekmeian grew up in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It was there that he laid the foundation for what has since become a flourishing enterprise, comprised of multiple companies, all catering to the entertainment and web development industry. At the age of 14, Tchekmeian began his career as a musician in one of South Florida’s most popular indie-rock acts. Soon after, he discovered his passion for entrepreneurial endeavors and focused primarily on his great interest in the entertainment business. Following the band’s break-up, Tchekmeian continued to move forward with the knowledge from his hands-on experience and created a database of musical talent, and promotional interests, combined with his desire to raise the standard of the music industry. Alex’s drive and ambition in the entertainment field led to the development of AKT Enterprises. He relocated to Orlando, Florida to continue his studies at University of Central Florida and there established the headquarters for AKT Enterprises, which has developed into a multi-faceted business with over sixteen individual and unique companies, ranging from merchandising and web development utilities, to the development of live music venues and bars. With a rapidly increasing client base of over 2,500, AKT Enterprises has been named one of the fastest growing, most innovative companies to develop in today’s entertainment industry. With sales in excess of $1.2 million in 2007, Tchekmeian, who is just 21 years of age, is confident that he can double, if not triple, sales within the next year. As the company continues to expand, Tchekmeian is focused on breaking into new areas of business such as real estate and urban apparel development. Tchekmeian says, “I love what I do because I have the freedom to explore new markets and industries each day. I find the opportunities challenging and exciting and look for creative ways to bring new ideas into the framework of AKT Enterprises.”
William L. Whitacre is an entertainment attorney with offices located at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. His firm is William L. Whitacre & Associates, P.A., whose clients include film and television producers, musical artists, and independent music labels. Whitacre graduated from UF Law with his J.D. degree in 1971. Music clients have included Jaco Pastorius (Grammy nominee with Weather Report); D.J. Magic Mike (“Father of Bass”); and CHEETAH RECORDS (Four RIAA certified Gold Sales Awards, and one RIAA certified Platinum sales award). Whitacre’s music affiliations include being an ASCAP and BMI music publisher through his company Wail & Moan Music; the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS); the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM; and the Country Music Association (CMA). Film clients include HAXAN FILMS, INC. (The Blair Witch Project, released by Artisan Pictures, which earned $140.5M in theatrical box office revenue and was a 1999 Sundance and Cannes Film Festival Selection); WHITE APE PICTURES, LLC (Altered, released by Focus Features/Rouge Pictures through Universal in 2006); ANGEL DEVIL PRODUCTIONS (Missing in America with Danny Glover, Ron Perlman, and Linda Hamilton, released through Lantern Lane) and SEVENTH MOON PARTNERS, LLC (Seventh Moon the current HAXAN feature starring Amy Smart, filmed in Hong Kong 11/2007). Whitacre is a member of the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) as a Unit Production Manager, and is also a credited film producer.
Cassandra Willard is a partner at the law firm of Franklin & Willard in Orlando where she focuses her practice on intellectual property and entertainment law. She has worked with web designers, graphic artists, venues, artists, actors, performers, filmmakers, special effects/make up artists, promotions companies, labels, managers and DJs to negotiate contracts, safeguard intellectual property rights and limit her clients¹ potential liability. Before joining her firm, she worked in various aspects of the entertainment law industry, including Planet Hollywood’s corporate legal department and working for a boutique firm specializing in technology law. Through these positions, she gained practical experience with licensing, merchandising, business liability and diverse technology and intellectual property issues. These experiences also afforded her experience with issues that international companies and solo artists face in the industry. In addition to her current practice, she is a course director, teaching Advanced Entertainment Law, at Full Sail Real World Education in the Entertainment Business Masters Program. Her broad experience in teaching includes not only Full Sail but also various other colleges and universities in Florida. She has taught classes including Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, Final Project/Business Plan Development and Internet Law at various schools. Cassandra graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration, focusing on Finance, Hospitality and Accounting, from the University of Central Florida. She then earned her J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida’s College of Law, with a focus in Intellectual Property.
Richard Wolfe is a partner in the Miami law firm firm of Wolfe & Goldstein, P.A. Wolfe has a Juris Doctor and LL.M. (Taxation) from the University of Miami School of Law and spent more than 12 years as a Certified Public Accountant. He has a BS/BA in Accounting and Finance from American University. He has the highest rating (AV) from Martindale-Hubbell. He practices entertainment law (transaction and litigation), including film, television and music, business planning, probate and probate litigation, copyright and artist/athlete endorsement contracts. Wolfe has represented large and small companies on issues of trademark, copyright and trade secrets. He has successfully prosecuted and defended claims of infringement under the Lanham Act, as well as invasion of rights of publicity and privacy. Wolfe has a varied practice in entertainment law representing clients in music, film, television, book publishing, visual arts and theatre. In the area of film, he has provided representation of film and TV producers for 35 feature films, including acquisition, business structure, production contracts, accounting and distribution; handling two negative pickup bank financing transactions.
In the music industry, he has provided representation to over 40 major and independent record companies, publishing companies, distribution companies, numerous prominent artists and producers on transactions and litigation matters. He has negotiated in excess of 250 recording and publishing contracts on behalf of or with many artists and record companies representing many Grammy-winning and platinum-selling artists, producers and songwriters. He often is involved in the organization and dissolution of musical groups and the enforcement of artist’s rights. Wolfe has been or is a member of the following organizations: Florida Film and Recording Institute (past president), Florida Film Producers Association, Florida Screenwriters Association, Florida Motion Picture & Television Association, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and Entertainment law Section of the Florida Bar (past Chairman). Wolfe has lectured or taught courses at University of Miami Film School, Master of Fine Arts, on Legal Aspects of Film Production; St. Thomas Law School, Professor of Entertainment Law; Florida International University, Professor, Entertainment Law & Business and University of Miami School of Law. Wolfe was the Chairman of ARTEC Fundraising Committee Sponsored by Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce which obtained a $450,000 matching grant from the Annenberg Foundation and has served as Executive Producer of the Jam Miami All Star Latin Jazz LP released by Concord Records, and was the Executive Producer of the PBS special of the same title.