ERIK METZGER is an intellectual property attorney with Intel Corporation, where he's responsible for helping to procure, license, and litigate intellectual property rights related to Intel products. Erik also leads the Intel Arts and Entertainment Law Pro Bono Program, which provides legal assistance and counsel to independent musicians, filmmakers, game developers, and other artists. Erik is also a part-time musician both in Austin and San Francisco and has licensed his music into TV and film productions.
MICHAEL A. ACZON (Master of Ceremonies) has practiced law with an emphasis on entertainment transactions for nearly three decades representing a variety of artists and entertainment/media – based companies. He serves as Legal Architect/Director of Artist and Venue Relations for live concert streaming company, VenMundi. Michael manages a select group of clients including 2010 Grammy Nominee Trombonist Wayne Wallace and SF Giants/KISS-FM Announcer Renel. As an educator, Michael teaches Entertainment Law at JFK University and is a member of the Music and Recording Industry faculties at San Francisco State University and Diablo Valley College. Author of “The Musician’s Legal Companion” published by Cengage Technology, Michael was also a columnist for Guitar Player and Electronic Musician Magazines. He has served on the National Entertainment Law Initiative Committee for the Recording Academy. Michael lectures at colleges, law schools, and music industry seminars nationwide.
CHRIS AUSTRIA (host of Face the Music!) is the Director of Music Licensing for Independent Distribution Collective (IDC), a music distribution and licensing company in San Francisco. Austria is responsible for A&R, developing the music catalogue, composing tracks, and finding content for music supervisors in TV, Film, and video games. Austria has licensed music to Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, EA Games, NBC Universal’s Oxygen network, E! Entertainment, MTV, and the USA network. He is also the owner of Peak Performance Music Publishing, and is licensing his catalogue to FOX Sports. They have placed their music on numerous television shows. Austria also works with Notting Hill Music in Hollywood. Their catalogue includes songs from Beyonce, Brittney Spears, Jay-Z, Eminem, Usher, and many other artists. Prior to IDC, Austria worked at the Right’s Workshop, representing Carly Simon’s music for licensing.
Austria has also spent 13 years as a tiger and lion trainer, working at the Six Flags theme park in Vallejo, CA and Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas. While at Six Flags, he composed and produced music for the tiger show. Austria has served as a tiger analyst for ABC, CBS, and has been featured on The Early Show and Nightline. You can read more about his work at www.chrisaustriatigers.blogspot.com
MICHAEL ASHBURNE (Legal Aspects of a Music Video - Breakout Speaker) has specialized in the representation and guidance of talent in the entertainment industry for over three decades. His experience has included working with renowned artists such as Richard Pryor, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Dead Kennedys, Brenda Russell, ecology activist Julia Butterfly Hill, Walter Hawkins, Taj Mahal, and Ice Cube. Stellar producers Dwayne Wiggins and Narada Michael Walden and have also consulted with Mr. Ashburne.
Mr. Ashburne has written numerous articles including the genre-defining book: Sampling in the Record Industry. He is an experienced educator, having taught entertainment courses for over 10 years at institutions such as Golden Gate University Law School, Laney Community College, and San Francisco State University. In addition to being an expert trial witness in high-profile entertainment litigation cases, Mr. Ashburne is a frequent guest speaker for California Lawyers for the Arts and is currently teaching Legal Aspects of the Music Industry, Music Publishing, and Digital Distribution of Music for San Francisco State.
Mr. Ashburne’s law practice continues to evolve. Currently he represents a diverse group of clients that include: Danny Glover, En Vogue founders Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster; Dan “The Automator” Nakamura; Hieroglyphics Enterprises, hip-hop artists Souls of Mischief and Del the Funky Homosapien as well as independent record labels, television/film producers, and music festival promoters.
A long-time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, Michael is an alumnus of Howard University Law School and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law. He is also one of the founders and Hall of Fame member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association.
MICHAEL BRANVOLD (DIY Marketing Moderator) is a freelance music industry consultant based in Northern California. Having launched Michael Brandvold Marketing to leverage his years of experience to provide direction to large and small clients in the areas of online & social marketing as well as e-commerce and customer acquisition and retention.
Gene Simmons of KISS first tapped Michael's skills as a pioneering online marketing strategist to launch and manage all aspects of Kissonline.com's multi-million dollar enterprise, including their ground-breaking VIP ticket program.
Michael has also managed the online efforts for Motley Crüe, Rod Stewart, Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne, and Britney Spears to name only a few.
CHRIS BUTTNER (DIY Marketing Panelist) PRThatRocks.com, founded by Christopher Buttner, established 1994, is an award-winning and PRWeek-recognized publicity agency and marketing consultancy specializing in the representation of Indie to internationally-recognized multi-platinum and Grammy and Academy Award-winning entertainers, composers, bands and recording artists, national and regional concert tours and events, legendary recording studios, and some of the best-known musical instrument brands and manufacturers of consumer and commercial/industrial entertainment technologies in the world.
* Voted Top Publicist of 2009 "Best In The Biz List," National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP.com)
* Nominated Top Publicist of 2011 "Best In The Biz List," National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP.com)
* Nominated Independent Music Video of the Year and National Community Service Award, 2008 LA Music Awards
* PRWeek-recognized Agency, July 2007
KEITH L. COOPER (Using Your Music to Sell Panelist) is a litigation, transaction and entertainment attorney, who began practicing in January, 1995. He represents clients in copyright and trademark matters, including acquisition, protection and licensing. He also works with clients for capital acquisition, contract drafting and negotiation, and has helped clients raise millions of dollars through preparation of business plans, private placement memoranda and other investor/disclosure documents. Mr. Cooper continues to represent a range of clients, including video game and software development companies, film production companies, actors, musicians, songwriters, photographers, designers and a three-time GRAMMY Award winning composer. Lastly, he has litigated numerous cases, including business disputes, property damage and personal injury.
Mr. Cooper has significant experience in the entertainment industry. In 1999 he was Project Manager for the Recording Academy (The GRAMMY Awards), where he implemented the inaugural Entertainment Law Initiative. Thereafter, he co-founded a video streaming company. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Cooper worked at Geffen Records and Atlantic Records, and was the proprietor of a highly successful entertainment company promoting rock bands and clubs.
Academic Credentials
• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles
• J.D., Pennsylvania State University (Dickinson School of Law)
Memberships
• The State Bar of California
• The Bar Association of San Francisco
• The Recording Academy
• California Lawyers for the Arts
Professional & Community Involvement
• Hastings Moot Court Judge (2006 – present)
• Recording Academy, Advocacy Committee
• California Lawyers for the Arts, Board of Directors
• Panelist: Strategies for Live Music Performances, CLA Music Business Seminar
• Speaker: Business Issues for Bands, San Jose State University
• Speaker: IP Licensing, Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs
• Moderator: Apps and IP Licensing, Ex’pression College
DELIDA COSTIN (Digital Media Panelist) is the General Counsel of Pandora where she manages the company's legal department. Before Pandora, Delida maintained a private legal practice and served as a member of the Attorney Bench at Axiom Legal. Prior to that, she was Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at CNET Networks. During the years of her practice, she has advised on issues related to compliance, securities, digital media, privacy and data protection, and online advertising.Delida received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and her law degree from Boston University School of Law. She has practiced with the law firms of Goodwin, Procter LLP in Boston, Massachusetts and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Palo Alto, California. She moved to California to snowboard.
Al Evers founded A-Train Entertainment in 1985 as an option for independent artists to receive professional assistance in developing and managing their musical careers. Over the years the company has expanded its services to include publishing administration, physical and digital distribution, international sales, artist management, and more. As of 2011, A-Train administers over 100,000 song titles and is releasing 30 albums a month worldwide digitally .
HISHAM DAHUD (DIY Marketing Panelist) is an independent music business professional and musician based in San Francisco.
Hisham is the Project Manager and head of Business Development for Fame House, LLC - an artists and labels services company focused on Digital Strategy, Marketing and Management for the entertainment industry. Fame House's clientele include DJ Shadow, Pretty Lights, David Lynch, Stella Artois, Josh Wink, and more.
Hisham is also a music industry journalist with regular contributions to Hypebot.com - a leading music industry news and technology blog where he discusses digital marketing strategies, new music technologies, and provides commentary on the continually evolving music space. Hisham also contributes writings to Billboard.biz, SOL REPUBLIC, and is presently the U.S. editor for the Music Producers Forum out of Copenhagen, Denmark.
At the core of everything, Hisham is a lifelong musician and lover of all things music. While his artistic fluency rests behind a drum kit, he is also a multi-instrumentalist music producer spanning into multiple genres of music working with a dedicated team of musicians, producers, and engineers.
JON DUMAN (Music Publishing in Plain English - Breakout Speaker) is a San Francisco Bay Area-based attorney whose media and entertainment law practice emphasizes music business transactional and arts-related intellectual property matters. Jon Duman represents numerous prominent musical performers and composers, providing counsel to members of such iconic groups as The Commodores, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, Dishwalla, E40's Click and the Bay Area’s Hieroglyphics Imperium. In over 16 years of practice within the music, media and entertainment industries, Jon Duman has negotiated favorable deals for his clients, with such major players as Warner Music Group, Sony Entertainment, Universal Music Group, The EMI Group, Fox Sports International, Apple, Inc./I-Tunes, Activision, Mattel Toy Corp., and Google Inc., among many other ubiquitous media brands. In addition to regularly participating in workshops, lectures and panel discussions covering a wide range of entertainment industry topics. Jon Duman also teaches “The Business of Media” at Ex’pressions College for the Digital Arts, in Emeryville, California. Learn more about Jon L. Duman at: www.dumanesq.com.
AL EVERS (Digital Media Panelist) founded A-Train Entertainment in 1985 as an option for independent artists to receive professional assistance in developing and managing their musical careers. Over the years the company has expanded its services to include publishing administration, physical and digital distribution, international sales, artist management, and more. As of 2011, A-Train administers over 100,000 song titles and is releasing 30 albums a month worldwide digitally.
EDWARD (NED) HEARN With his principal office in San Jose, California, Ned Hearn’s practice concentrates on intellectual property and business matters related to creative artists and media-based companies, with a focus on the entertainment, internet, and computer software businesses and their convergence, intersecting content, media, and technology in the digital internet environment, including: recording, production, and publishing; multi-media and internet web-based productions; digital distribution and repurposing of content; licensing, distribution, and marketing; copyright and trademark matters; merchandising; sponsorships; film, television, video productions; options, scoring, and soundtracks; content syndications; literary publishing, including fiction and technical and professional non-fiction; clearances for use of intellectual property in all forms of media; talent services negotiating and contracting; strategic alliances; content catalog sales and purchases; business start-ups and development; private financing; and private mergers and acquisitions of content and media-based companies.
His clients include record labels, music publishers, book publishers, traditional and Internet-based media, production, technology, and content distribution companies; webcasting companies; recording artists, writers, producers, managers, authors, software designers, and multimedia product and website developers.
Ned Co-Authored MUSICIAN’S GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT, 1978, Scribners (Revised 1982); THE MUSICIAN’S BUSINESS AND LEGAL GUIDE (Revised, 8th version, 2007, Prentice Hall).
Ned was admitted to the bar, 1970, New Jersey; 1970, U.S. District Court of New Jersey; 1972, New York; 1973, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1976, California; 1976, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. He attended Rutgers University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1967; J.D., cum laude, 1970). He was Editor-in-Chief, Rutgers Law Journal. Ned was a Clerk, New Jersey Supreme Court, Justice Frederick Hall, 1970-1971. He was an Associate with Cleary, Gottleib, Steen and Hamilton, 1971-1974, an Associate with Fenwick & West, 1974-1978, a Partner with Harrison, Hearn & Berthold, 1978-1984, before starting his own practice, Law Offices of Edward R. Hearn, P.C. 1985-. He is a member of the State Bar of California (Intellectual Property Law Section), American Bar Association (Entertainment and Sports Forum), and has served on the Board of Directors of the California Lawyers for the Arts, 1976-; Member, Board of Directors (President): West Coast Songwriters Association, 1979-2007, President Emeritus and Advisory Board, 2007-; and The Recording Academy, San Francisco Chapter, Board of Governors, 2009-
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CAREN KELLEHER (DIY Marketing Panelist) is the manager of artist programs at Google Music. In this role, Caren oversees the Google Music artist hub, a direct-to-fan distribution platform that helps artists create and control their own store pages in Android Market. She also organizes all of Google Music’s events and initiatives for unsigned artists.
Prior to joining the Google Music team, Caren led business development at Songkick and started its US office. While at Songkick, Caren built partnerships with Warner Music Group, EMI, Topspin, Bandcamp, FanBridge and other artist service companies, so that artists could better promote their concert dates. She has also worked for Sony Music, MTV and Paste magazine, where she served as director of marketing and grew its readership to 495,000, making it the third largest rock magazine in publication.
Caren holds a BBA from Emory University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she co-authored numerous case studies on the music industry. Originally from the Washington, DC, suburbs, Caren and her younger sister also manage The Lighthouse and the Whaler, an independent band from Cleveland, Ohio, which used Kickstarter to fund its forthcoming album, “This is an Adventure.”
CECILY MAK (Digital Media Panelist), a fifth-generation San Franciscan, is currently with Rhapsody International Inc, a joint venture among Viacom International and RealNetworks, Inc. as the company’s Vice President and General Counsel. Mak is a graduate, professor and mentor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law and co-author of the timely book, “Music Law in the Digital Age,” published by Berklee College of Music’s press, Berklee Press, in 2010. Mak has been honored by Digital Media Wire as one of their 2011 “25 Executives to Watch in Digital Entertainment.” In addition to her significant contributions to both the legal and academic communities, Mak is frequently called upon as a thought leader for public speaking and expert panel engagements; she is a regular contributor to a range of music magazines, legal periodicals and releases from the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers.
In her role as Vice President and General Counsel of Rhapsody International Inc., formally a division of RealNetworks operating as Rhapsody America, Mak drives every aspect of The Company’s legal strategy, internally, across its entire business platform and, externally with label, publishing and strategic partners. In early 2010, Mak played the key legal role in Rhapsody International Inc.’s spinoff from RealNetworks and in October, 2011, she led the legal component of executing agreements for the acquisition of Rhapsody’s largest competitor, Napster LLC.
Mak is a graduate from and professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law; her classes explore the breadth of complexities of copyright and digital media law. She is also involved in the Hastings Law School Mentor Program, counseling mentees on career strategy, sharing her considerable professional knowledge base and providing an important role model for young, driven law students.
KAITLIN MCGAW (Making Your Own Music App - Breakout Speaker) is the founder of Alphabet Rockers, who create award-winning educational hip hop music for music's biggest fans - children aged 3-7. Alphabet Rockers provides children, families and classrooms with a completely fresh and fun learning experience through high-quality music edutainment, offering co-learning of literacy, math, science, health and social skills through songs, interactive games,stories, mobile apps, videos, and curriculum. McGaw is an established songwriter, performer, writer and producer. She produced programming for The Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter for six years, and currently serves as a Board Member of the West Coast Songwriters and a Music Business Columnist for Electronic Musician. McGaw is a graduate of Harvard University, in African-American Studies. www.kaitlinmcgaw.com | www.alphabetrockers.com
Twitter: @kaitlinmcgaw @alphabetrockers
Facebook: /kaitlinmcgawmusic /alphabetrockers
MEAGAN MCKINLEY-BALL is an attorney with Phillips, Erlewine & Given LLP, emphasizing intellectual property and entertainment law. Meagan graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in English and communications and received her law degree cum laude from the University of San Francisco. Meagan was Articles Editor for the USF Law Review and a member of the McAuliffe Honors society. She has been a panelist at UC Davis School of Law's Entertainment and Sports Law Symposium as well as University of San Francisco School of Law's Entertainment and IP Attorney Panel.
ALLAN EDWARD MESIA is an Attorney and CPA whose practice focuses on legal and business management services for passionate clients in the entertainment/media and fashion/apparel industries. His unique background allows him to service clients with all aspects of transactional entertainment matters, copyright and trademark matters, licensing, and financial and tax consulting. Allan serves as counsel to musicians, records producers, managers, record labels, music publishers, actors, film and photography production companies, designers and apparel companies. His past professional experience includes EMI Music, Woods & Middleton, LLP, Deloitte (tax, licensing, royalty audits), and Tommy Hilfiger. He also has experience as a music engineer/producer and as a drummer/guitarist/songwriter. Allan is a licensed attorney in California, New York and New Jersey and a Certified Public Accountant in California and Illinois. www.mesiagroup.com
MARK A. PEARSON (Using Your Music to Sell Panelist) is a founding partner at ARC Law Group (www.arclg.com), a San Francisco based law firm focused on counseling Creative, Talented and Entrepreneurial clients. His primary practice areas involve forming business entities, counseling on trademark & copyright issues, and drafting contracts. His list of interesting and eclectic clients includes online content providers, film & television producers, live entertainment companies, video game developers and artists.
Mark received his B.A. from Arizona State University (1997), and his J.D. and Intellectual Property Law Certificate from Golden Gate University School of Law (2005) in San Francisco. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Section for both the ABA and CA Bar Association and is also actively involved with California Lawyers for the Arts.
Before becoming a member of the Bar, Mark was an award-winning television journalist. He covered a variety of national and local stories for several network affiliates, including a two-year stint on the Iditarod Trail in Alaska for ABC.
An accomplished author and public speaker; Mark contributes to Business, Entertainment, Sports & Technology (B.E.S.T.) Law Blog, and is often interviewed by local and national television and radio programs for his views on the entertainment industry. He also frequently speaks at industry conferences.
Mark can be contacted at mark@arclg.com. You can find ARC Law Group at www.arclg.com.
GEOFF PIPER (Making Your Own Music App - Breakout Speaker) is a San Francisco-based IP, Entertainment, software and technology attorney who has represented a wide variety of clients including record labels, bands, producers, agents and a broad range of artists including musicians, songwriters, photographers and website designers on a range of matters from entity formation, business strategies, structures and corporate governance to negotiating and drafting management, recording, production and publishing agreements and content licenses and distribution agreements across all types of media with a focus in digital marketplaces.
LISA SNEIDERMAN a.k.a. Aoede (DIY Marketing Panelist) Compelling pop for your heart by a singer/songwriter with an enchantingly quirky soprano voice. For fans of Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, Feist, Lily Allen.
Aoede (pronounced A-E-D), WomensRadio’s recipient of a “Top Album of the Decade” honor, & “Top Artist of the Year” for 2008, & nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter & Best Folk-Acoustic Artist of 2012 All Indie Music Awards, is a driven singer/songwriter who’s one-in-a-million, but it’s not only for the reasons one would expect.
Aoede was the first "muse of song" in Greek Mythology. I chose this name both to inspire you & to remember to continually be inspired. When you listen to my songs expect compelling, emotionally evocative, intelligent, musical stories of love, loss, life, and longing.
Released & promoted a cool little album entitled "Push and Pull" in 2008. A great deal of Push and Pull‘s success was attributed to the single, “I Lost You Win.” In August 2010, the single charted at #11 on the International Association of Independent Recording Artists (IAIRA) International Top 15 due to its wide acceptance & fan following.
OWEN SEITEL is a founding partner of the San Francisco law firm Idell & Seitel, LLP (www.idellseitel.com), which focuses on transactions and litigation involving intellectual property and business matters in the entertainment, media, sports and technology industries.
Owen focuses on the representation of clients in the converging entertainment, sports, new media and technology sectors including film, music and live event producers, and creators and distributors of all forms entertainment and information content. He works with individuals and businesses involved in all aspects of the film and TV industries, game producers, digital animators, and music producers and distributors, along with broad range of endeavors in the fitness/sports industry and entertainment companies in both their traditional creation and distribution efforts and in their transition to new and emerging production and distribution models. Owen handles both transactional matters -- all aspects of the creation, protection, licensing and distribution of intellectual property -- and litigation of business and intellectual property disputes in state and federal courts and arbitration panels both domestically and internationally through organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Owen is a former adjunct professor at Golden Gate University School of Law and a member of the California and San Francisco Bar Associations, the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries and California State Bar’s Intellectual Property section. Owen recently termed out as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Headlands Center for the Arts (www.headlands.org), which provides residencies and work space for emerging artists from around the world in former military buildings located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in Marin County, California.
RICH STIM specializes in small business, copyright, patents, and trademark issues at Nolo. He practices law in the Bay Area and has represented photographers, software developers, crafts people, publishers, musicians, and toy designers. He is the author of many books, including Whoops I'm in Business, Music Law, and Profit From Your Idea. Stim produces audiobooks, and performs and records with two bands, MX-80 and angel corpus christi. Rich also writes two blogs for Nolo, What Price Justice, and Nolo’s Patent, Copyright & Trademark Blog and provides information about trade secrets and nondisclosure agreements at NDAs For Free. He lives in San Francisco and has been without cable TV since 2006.
CHRIS WILTSEE is an entrepreneur and music industry executive who has built his career in the nexus where music, technology and community meet. Prior to joining the RootMusic team, Wiltsee was Executive Director of The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) San Francisco Chapter (2009-2011). In 2006, he co-founded AMP, which has developed a national resource for all-ages music venues and communities, and recently released a book titled, "In Every Town," (Sub-Pop/AK Press). In 2003, Wiltsee founded Youth Movement Records (YMR), a youth-run media company based in Oakland, Calif. Additionally, Chris has been instrumental in developing major publishing deals for songwriters, which have resulted in co-writes with prominent artists internationally. Wiltsee earned a masters degree from the University of Michigan and his undergraduate degree from University of California, Santa Cruz.
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