Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law (EASL) Section Fall Meeting 2025

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Registration and Light Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

9:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.

Basic Business Aspects and the Creative Process

This session brings together professionals from across the music industry to explore the foundational legal and business concepts that support music creation and monetization. From forming business entities, creating compositions, recordings, logos and brands, panelists will walk attendees through each stage of the creative and commercial process. Consideration will be given to management agreements, tax issues, collaboration with writers and publishers, split sheets, agreements with producers, record companies and distributors, and creation and brand equity. Creation of the Song Creation of the Recording Creation of the Brand Creation of the Business

Speaker

Michael Guido, Esq. | Carroll Guido Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP

Stephanie Furgang Adwar, Esq. | Adwar Ivko LLC

Dave Lory | Worldwide Entertainment Group

Ryan Raichilson, Esq. | VP, Bus/Legal at Sony Music Publishing

Moderator

Moderator David Fritz, Esq. | Boyarski Fritz LLP

10:40 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

Break

10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.

The Tax Toolbox: Navigating the Variety of Complex Tax Issues that Arise when Representing Music Clients

Industry leaders will be discussing ethical approaches to hot topics, hypothetical client situations and providing professional standards in practice and procedure. The landscape of catalog sales, tax opinion letters, client circumstance, nuance of business operations around musical compositions, and more can be complex and narrowly specific. Enjoy related analysis and one-half hour of CLE Ethics credit.

Speaker

Sharyn Fisk, Esq | Professor-CA State Polytechnic University; former Director, IRS Office of Professional Responsibility

Shane Nix, Esq., Partner, Tax | Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Moderator

Shawn P. Litchfield, CPA | Partner, Citrin Cooperman

11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Break

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

AI – Across the Globe

This panel will explore the current state of artificial intelligence in music and the broader creative industries, examining both practical and legal developments around the world. Topics will include how AI is being used in music creation and distribution, the evolving legal landscape around ownership and copyright, ethical considerations, and how various countries are approaching regulation. Panelists will also share perspectives on where AI is headed and what the legal community should anticipate in the years to come.

Speaker

Mark Traphagen, Esq. | Traphagen Law, PLLC

Michael Pelczynski | Co-Founder, Chief Strategy & Impact Officer at Voice-Swap

Gabriel Jacob Fleet, Esq. | Latham & Watkins, LLP

Moderator

Heidi K. Brown, Esq. | Assoc. Dean, New York Law

1:00 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.

Break

1:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Lunch and Keynote Program

Speaker

Bill Werde | Director, Bandier Music Business Program and Publisher, Full Rate No Cap

Andrew Bergman | Chief Executive Officer of Downtown Music Holdings

2:20 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.

The Legal Lowdown of Putting on a Concert: Contracts and Key Players

This panel will dive into the essential legal elements of putting together a live concert. Featuring experts from across the concert production world - including a venue rep, booking agent, artist manager, promoter, and ticketing pro - the discussion will cover the key contracts involved, from venue deals to artist performance contracts. We’ll also talk about navigating cancellations and other common issues that come up when planning a live event. This session is perfect for those who want to get the inside scoop on what it takes to make a concert happen—legally speaking!

Speaker

Jordan Goldstein, Esq. | EVP and General Counsel Dayglo Presents

Gregory Hoffman, Esq. | VP Business Affairs, Wasserman Music

Randy Nichols | Fly South Music

Brandon Pankey | VP, Live Nation Urban

Moderator

Emily White | CEO, Impact Data & Events

3:20 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Litigation on The Music Front

The last year has seen many exciting copyright and entertainment developments in the litigation arena. Four experienced panelists who have litigated extensively in the music industry will examine some of the recent high profile cases (e.g., the appeal in the 5th Circuit of a District Court decision finding that termination of a grant of copyright under Sec. 304 terminates the grant not only in the US, but also worldwide; continuing litigation against Ed Sheeran for copyright infringement relating to his hit “Thinking out Loud” and whether a re-registration of a pre-1977 composition using an original sound recording as the deposit copy can be effective in broadening the protectible elements of the composition; extensive litigation regarding infringement and state law claims on contributions to a hit song by rapper “Fat Joe”; and new developments on the litigation front involving Artificial Intelligence and the Copyright Office regarding criteria for copyright protection of AI assisted works, etc.), both for their legal impact and to highlight the parties’ litigation strategies. The panel will also look at the practical effects and implications of these cases and trends for litigation in the industry going forward.

Speaker

Ryan Abbott | Brown, Neri, Smith & Khan, LLP

Robert W. Clarida | Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLP

Hillel I. Parness | Parness Law Firm, PLLC

Lindsay R. Edelstein | Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Moderator

Paul LiCalsi, Esq. | Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLP

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Reception