USC Entertainment Law & Business Conference Addresses Legal Issues for the 21st Century - Page 2
The most anticipated mini-event of the conference was the Luncheon featuring Keynote speaker Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film, in a dialog with talent attorney Bruce Ramer of Gang, Tyre, Ramer and Brown, Inc. Both men discussed such issues as SOPA, the future of 3D, and how a movie gets the "greenlight."
The lunch, for those epicurean curiosity types, consisted of seasoned chicken with mixed greens containing sides of mandarin orange and cucumber, 3 layered dessert and the usual buns, tea and coffee.
In a review by THR (The Hollywood Reporter), 650 lawyers were in attendance, but this number did not separate out Gould students and many other attendees who were not lawyers.
In the afternoon, four panels ran concurrently and were repeated once.
The Client Relationships with Agents and Managers panel included Aaron Kaplan, CEO of Kapital Entertainment, Richard Levy, General Counsel at ICM Partners, Dallas Sonnier, Manager/Founder of Caliber Media, Howard Weitzman of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, and Moderator Justin M. Goldstein of Carlsmith Ball LLP. Labor Commissioner Rulings play a big role in disputes that often do not include contracts or signed agreements.
There's more than meets the eye when it comes to the legality of production issues. The Hot Topics in Production Legal panel discussed such issues as how shooting in front of or near a brand, such as a store or even the famous Hollywood sign, can raise red flags in terms of how the production reflects negatively or positively on any given brand. Child labor laws were also a hot issue, and vary state to state. Panelists included Mario Lyons, V.P. of Business & Legal Affairs for Viacom Media Networks, Irwin M Rappaport, P.C., Jody Zucker, Senior V.P. and General Counsel of Warner Bros. TV, and Moderator Daniel D. Helberg, V.P. of Business & Legal Affairs for Shed Media US, Inc.
Panelists for How to Succeed in Union Relations included Neville L. Johnson of Johnson & Johnson LLP, Susan Lowry, National Director for Financial Assurances and Senior Financial Assurances Counsel at SAG-AFTRA, Sallie C. Weaver, President of Entertainment Labor Consulting, Inc., and Moderator Howard D. Fabrick with Barnes & Thornburg LLP. Independent producers have their hands full when it comes to dealing with the multiple agencies of SAG, AFTRA, DGA and WGA. The credits we all take for granted at the end of films are not to be taken lightly and often involve complex disputes.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati