Senior Legal Executive
Versatile and effective attorney with a proven track record of achievement as well as a true passion for all aspects of the entertainment/media industry and its associated legal components. Areas of strength include successful negotiations and clients with innovative solutions to challenging situations. Currently looking for an opportunity to transition prior experience and success within the entertainment industry to a challenging in-house counsel position.
Areas of Expertise
Settlement Negotiations
Client Relationship Management
Employment Law
Intellectual Property
Digital Media
Copyright & Trademark Licensing
Contract Negotiation
Skilled Professional Mediator
Commercial Real Estate
Education
University of Michigan School of LawAnn Arbor, MIExpected in – –Juris Doctor: - GPA:
Yale UniversityNew Haven, CTExpected in – –Bachelor of Arts:Political Science - GPA:
Selected Career Accomplishments
Trademarks & Copyrights
- Provide advice to
clients regarding trademark applications, including for brand names,
application of trademarks and viability of proposed trademarks; perform
preliminary trademark searches and review professional searches. Collaborated
with outside counsel to protect key Harpo trademarks. Advised
Publicity on press releases, press inquiries, media plans and
troubleshooting.
Television Production -
Provide comprehensive advice to clients on television projects, including for
financing, production and distribution; draft all related documents and
agreements; work with clients on feature television shows. Advised and
counsel award-winning producers, and start-up productions
regarding entertainment law matters and business issues. Advised
Affiliate Relations executives in solving broadcast/station concerns and issues
with programming.
Areas of
expertise include publishing, production, and personal management
agreements.
Reality Television
- Counsel clients with production and rendering of talent services in
connection with reality television programming. Drafted and effectively
negotiated comprehensive talent and production agreements; cultivate
key relationships with network executives as part of effort to land
client appearances on reality television shows research, case
correspondence, depositions as well as drafting and negotiating
settlement agreements.
Intellectual Property & Real Estate - Using expansive legal knowledge to advise clients litigating
cases. Drafted pleadings, motion practice, research, case
correspondence, depositions as well as drafting and negotiating settlement
agreements.
Professional Experience
Sirius Xm - Legal Consultant Remote - Southern California, CA, 2011 - Current
Provide counsel to independent producers and production companies entertainment matters.
Provide advice and counsel to advising
production companies and talent regarding all phases of development of scripted
and non-scripted television programming
Negotiate co-production, licensing, distribution,
underwriting, consulting, venue and ancillary agreements related to television programming.
Harpo Productions, Inc - Vice President/Associate General Counsel City, STATE, 2009 - 2011
Provided counsel to creative and corporate executives on
development of new television programming, intellectual property matters
and other business and television related transactions.
With legal expertise, provided counsel on business
affairs matters related to syndicated and cable television programming
Counseled and trained show attorneys on processes and
the handling of major issues related to syndicated programming.
Served as the legal and business affairs liaison between
Hearst Communications and “O: The Oprah Magazine” and well as the production and distribution companies and Nate Berkus and Dr. Oz Show
syndicated series.
Advised the Publicity executive and team on brand management and other issues
impacting the company and its programming.
Advised
Harpo’s Marketing team on sponsorship, trade-outs and program integration
for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” non-scripted series, specials and other
syndicated series Collaborated
with business affairs executives at OWN:
Oprah Winfrey Network on several exclusive rights and talent deals.
Collaborated
with and guided the Harpo Sounds Group to devise a strategic plan to
monetize the Harpo Sounds Music Library
Harpo Productions, Inc. - Associate General Counsel City, STATE, 2005 - 2009
Advised Harpo’s development executives on television
specials and new series programming.
Successfully negotiated and drafted talent deals for
“Oprah Winfrey Show” contributors and other productions Negotiated production services, talent and distribution
agreements for a reality series and other specials Conducted pre-broadcast review of all new programming.
(series and specials)
Structured
the legal framework for commissioning original music Negotiated
distribution deals for the music library, which created a profit center
for the company. As Advisor to "show attorneys, provided guidance for all syndicated
programming and advised the company’s publicity/corporate communications
team on responses to press inquiries and press releases related to the
company’s brands and programming.
Advised the Oprah Radio (Sirius XM) team on radio matters and negotiated
radio talent deals. Trained a junior attorney and clearance coordinator to
handle radio matters.
Harpo Productions, Inc. - Director, Business and Legal Affairs City, STATE, 1992 - 2004
Instrumental in structuring the Legal & Business
Affairs Department and devising effective systems of communicating between
the creative teams and Legal & Business Affairs to ensure broadcast
standards were met for programs.
Created and enhanced releases, licenses and other
entertainment agreements for use in connection with diverse programs Identified and trained a group of clearance coordinators
to efficiently and effectively obtain third party materials within show
budgets.
Supervised and trained junior attorneys to handle
pre-broadcast review of “Oprah Winfrey Show” episodes (with a focus on
privacy, first amendment, libel/defamation, intellectual property and FCC
issues) and ancillary agreements related to the Series.
Supervised and trained clearance coordinators to clear
music; provided the legal/business framework for the company to own
original music Advised the legal team for “The Dr. Phil Show” on implementing
proven clearance and pre-broadcast review policies and procedures.
Successfully minimized claims and avoided lawsuits Handled
personal appearance contracts (television and speeches) for Oprah Winfrey.
Secured
intellectual property rights via work-for-hire agreements with
photographers to build a Harpo photo library.
Collaborated
with Hearst Communications and implemented a system for acquiring photography
rights Advised
the Oprah.com team on the establishment of privacy policies and terms and
conditions for use of the website.
Professional Affiliations
Member: Illinois State Bar, New York State Bar, American Bar Association, Forum on Sports & Entertainment, Intellectual Property Section
Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association
Programming and Context Experience
Syndicated Television Programs
(unscripted/talk)
“The
Oprah Winfrey Show”
“The Dr.
Phil Show”
“The Dr.
Oz Show”
“The
Nate Berkus Show”
Competition
Series (unscripted/reality)
“Oprah’s
Big Give” – an 8 part primetime series featuring unknown participants who
traveled to 8 different cities competing to see who could give away the most
money and in-kind services to various communities.
"America,
Are You Normal?" – game show featuring contestants answering a series of
questions about what a surveyed audience considered normal which aired on the
OWN Network.
Documentaries/Docu-series
"Behind
the Scenes of the 25th Season of The Oprah Winfrey Show" - a 25 episode
series that chronicled staffers as they put together the last season of
production of "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
"Oprah
Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa" a one hour
documentary which chronicled the building of the Academy and the selection of
the first class of students
"The First Graduating Class of Oprah's
Leadership Academy" which focused on the first graduating class of the
Leadership Academy (pre-production)
"Oprah
Winfrey's Legends Ball" – a documentary which focused on honoring 25
famous Black women from the arts, education, sports and politics
Business
Affairs liaison to the producers of two PBS docu-series in which Oprah
participated: "African American Lives" and "Finding
Oprah's Roots" which traced the ancestry of Oprah Winfrey and several
other prominent African Americans
Other Unscripted Series (non-talk show
format)
"Oprah's Master Class" – an 8 part
series focused on famous individuals reflecting on their careers and life
philosophies
"In
the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman" – an 8 part reality series focused on a
sex therapist helping couples overcome intimacy issues (aired on the OWN
Network).
Cable Network Series: “Kathy” – a 12 part talk/variety series on
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