agenda & speakers...new frontier will continue to expand – as technological leaps will bring...
TRANSCRIPT
AGENDA & SPEAKERS
DIGITAL TECH CONFERENCE | FEBRUARY 27, 2018 | LOS ANGELES
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WELCOME
DOWNLOAD® | LA 2018
Welcome to DWT’s DOWNLOAD of legal issues in the digital landscape. This is our third year of DOWNLOAD in Los Angeles, and we are glad you are joining us to learn more because the digital world continues to rapidly change. In just the past three years, digital technology has advanced dramatically – with the rise of the internet of things, wearable devices, virtual reality, blockchain technology, and other exciting innovations. As these technologies progress, the legal questions have grown even more complex.
At DOWNLOAD, we help you navigate those legal issues and get smarter about digital technology. This year, we explore many new frontiers – taking you from branded content to discrimination issues; from auto-renewing subscriptions to digital music licensing; and from the new frontier of artificial intelligence to a roundtable discussion on how digital trends are changing business.
Not just your ordinary conference, it will be a dynamic day filled with thought leaders, professional networking, practical solutions, interactive dialogue, and fun along the way.
The digital ecosystem is changing.
Get the latest DOWNLOAD.
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ABOUT
DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
Davis Wright Tremaine is a full-service law firm, with approximately 550
attorneys, representing some of corporate America’s most recognizable
names. With offices in the media/entertainment centers and technology
corridors of New York, the Bay Area, Seattle, Washington, D.C./
Northern Virginia, and Los Angeles, we try cases for the world’s leading
technology companies and resolve matters involving online, mobile,
and newer technologies for consumer products companies, media
companies, and entertainment studios. Many of our lawyers have had
previous careers as in-house counsel or previously worked as engineers,
researchers, editors, or corporate officers or managers in the industries
we serve. This means we understand the pressures that confront
in-house counsel and are well-placed to provide counsel to help
companies meet their business goals.
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OVERVIEW
8:00 - 9:00 AM
9:00 - 9:20 AM
9:20 - 9:30 AM
9:30 - 10:25 AM
10:25 - 11:20 AM
11:20 - 11:35 AM
11:35 AM - 12:30 PM
12:30 - 1:30 PM
1:30 - 2:25 PM
2:25 - 3:20 PM
3:20 - 3:35 PM
3:35 - 4:50 PM
4:50 - 5:15 PM
5:15 - 6:30 PM
BREAKFAST + REGISTRATION
Welcome: Initiate DOWNLOAD
Digital Intelligence
#Ad Risks and Recommendations for Branded Content
Refresh & Renew Disclosure Requirements for Automatic Renewal
of Digital Subscriptions
BREAK
Equality Online Discrimination Issues in the Digital World
and Sharing/On-Demand Economy
LUNCH
A Mind of Its Own Business, Legal, and Ethical Issues
with Artificial Intelligence
Face the Music How to Navigate Digital Music Licensing
BREAK
Thought Leaders Roundtable Digital Trends Changing Business
DOWNLOAD Complete Closing Remarks & Tweet of the Day Awards
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
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SLS Hotel, Main Floor
FLOOR PLAN
RECEPTION
LUNCH
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REGISTRATION
SESSIONS
BR
EA
KFA
ST &
RE
SOU
RC
ES
DOWNLOADLOUNGE
LUNCH
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AGENDA
8:00 - 9:00 AMBREAKFAST + REGISTRATION
9:00 - 9:20 AM WELCOME: INITIATE DOWNLOAD
SPEAKER: Alexandra Nicholson, Partner, Chair, Media, Intellectual Property, and Technology Practice, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
9:20 - 9:30 AM DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE
SPEAKER: Jimmy Nguyen, Chief Executive Officer, nChain Group
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9:30 - 10:25 AM #AD
Risks and Recommendations for Branded Content
In today’s digital world, consumers increasingly ignore – or are
not even exposed to – traditional advertisements. To recapture
eyeballs, advertisers from all industries have turned their
attention to “branded content" – integrating their brand story into
entertainment content, media publications, social media posts,
and events that are more organic and feel less like advertising.
Branded content provides new revenue streams to media outlets,
production companies, and studios and can help strengthen the
connection between brand and consumer. But such content
also creates litigation and regulatory compliance risks, as well as
the potential for consumer backlash. This interactive session will
identify the risks of creating or sponsoring branded content and
will provide practical guidelines for both content creators and
advertisers, including:
• When does branded content constitute commercial speech, and why does that matter?
• Right of publicity, fair use, and other production clearance issues
• Compliance with FTC guidelines and other disclosure requirements
• Litigation involving brand integration deals and content
PANELISTS:Susan Brooks, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, FOREFRONT Partners
Amanda Harrell, Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Josh Krauss, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, Super Deluxe
Jonathan Segal, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
MODERATOR: Nicolas Jampol, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
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AGENDA
10:25 - 11:20 AM REFRESH & RENEW
Disclosure Requirements for Automatic Renewal
of Digital Subscriptions
While subscriptions have long been available for physical products
and analog services, digital platforms have sparked a rise in
the “subscription economy.” Businesses increasingly seek to
engage customers in long-term relationships for digital content
and services. By securing consumers into monthly or annual
subscriptions, companies generate recurring revenue for digital
content (print publications, music, television programs, and motion
pictures) and technology services (interactive games, software,
applications, cloud storage, and mixed delivery/e-commerce
packages such as Amazon Prime).
These services typically ask consumers to agree to auto-renewal
provisions and to authorize new fee charges on your credit card
to automatically renew each month, year, or other defined period.
But companies need to carefully provide adequate notice to
consumers of the renewal terms, which trigger a myriad of federal
and state laws and can expose subscription providers to government
investigations and class action lawsuits. In this session, advertising
law and consumer-protection experts will guide you through:
• Federal and key state laws that govern automatic renewal of subscriptions
• Advertising and consumer-protection requirements for consumer opt-ins and negative options
• Best practices for providing adequate disclosures to consumers
• What to do if you are faced with an FTC or state attorney general investigation or consumer class action lawsuit
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PANELISTS:Allison Buchner, General Counsel, Dollar Shave Club
Linda Menzel, Vice President, Legal Affairs & General Counsel, Loot Crate Inc.
Stacy Procter, Staff Attorney, Federal Trade Commission
MODERATOR:
Marc Roth, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
11:20 - 11:35 AM BREAK
11:35 AM - 12:30 PMEQUALITY ONLINE
Discrimination Issues in the Digital World and
Sharing/On-Demand Economy
The push for equality has moved online, as anti-discrimination
and employment-related laws are now being applied to operators
of websites, mobile applications, and sharing and on-demand
economy platforms. Two issues confronting the digital world are:
1. Discrimination in the sharing/on-demand economy: What can sharing and on-demand economy platforms do
to prevent racial and other discrimination against users
(such as car drivers, home-rental hosts) or on-demand
service providers?
2. Employment issues in the sharing/on-demand economy: Are individuals who provide services using third-party
platforms (such as dog sitters or child care providers)
employees of the companies that provide the platforms?
What can platforms do to reduce the risk of such a finding
while enhancing the safety of their users?
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AGENDA
In this thought-provoking session, leading experts will discuss
these equality challenges and:
• The legal landscape: What the courts and legislative bodies are doing
• What may be coming down the pike from regulators and advocacy groups: What to expect and how best to respond
• Practical steps companies can take to address anti-discrimination and employment laws as they operate in the digital age: Practical ways to avoid additional risk
PANELISTS: Melanie Goins, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Care.com Inc.
Melissa Weiland, Associate General Counsel, Rover.com
Julie M. Wenah, Community Operations Counsel, Airbnb
John LeCrone, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
MODERATOR: Ambika Kumar Doran, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
12:30 - 1:30 PM LUNCH
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1:30 - 2:25 PMA MIND OF ITS OWN
Business, Legal, and Ethical Issues with
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are no longer a
sci-fi fantasy. Their era has arrived with computer systems already
performing tasks that normally require human intelligence –
such as virtual personal assistants (like Alexa on Amazon’s Echo
device), newswriting bots, and automated digital shoppers. This
new frontier will continue to expand – as technological leaps will
bring AI-powered autonomous vehicles, robot interviewers, fraud
detection, smart contracts, medical diagnostics, and countless
more applications. Become better prepared for the mind-blowing
AI era by learning about:
• Trends and business use cases for AI technology
• How legal concepts will apply to action taken by AI processes
• Privacy & security issues triggered by AI
• Employment, discrimination, and litigation issues triggered by AI
• AI tools in the practice of law
• AI “morality”
PANELISTS: Nydia Galarza Rosario, Attorney, Marketing and Consumer Business Legal Affairs, Microsoft Corporation
Damon Goduto, Senior Vice President, NexLP Inc.
Amy Mushahwar, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
MODERATOR: Lawton Penn, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
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AGENDA
2:25 - 3:20 PM FACE THE MUSIC
How to Navigate Digital Music Licensing
Music makes the world go 'round – including in digital worlds. In
every industry sector, companies increasingly face music-usage
issues as they create more digital video content, live-stream
events, and run promotional campaigns. But music licensing can
be confusing, raises new complexities in the digital age, and has
triggered numerous lawsuits. This session will help you better
understand music licensing and avoid legal battles by covering:
• An overview of music rights and licenses
• Unique issues with music in the digital world
• Practical tips for music clearance
• Litigation trends in digital music and how to avoid them
PANELISTS: Sabrina Del Priore, Vice President, Music and Licensing Strategy, Viacom Media Networks - Paramount Network/CMT/TVLand
Paul J. Friedman, Executive Vice President, Music Business Affairs & Administration, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Tres Williams, Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, iHeartMedia Inc.
Jeff Yasuda, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Feed.fm
MODERATOR: Kraig Baker, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
3:20 - 3:35 PM BREAK
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3:35 - 4:50 PM THOUGHT LEADERS ROUNDTABLE
Digital Trends Changing Business
An interactive roundtable of thought leaders will close the day
at DOWNLOAD. Hear professionals from diverse industries talk
about how latest digital trends affect their industries, transform
their business models, and provide new revenue opportunities.
PANELISTS: Casey Bloys, President, HBO Programming, Home Box Office (HBO)
Peter McPartlin, Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Operations, Paramount Pictures
Melinda Mehringer, Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary, Mattel Inc.
Tara Pietri, Head - Original Content - Legal and Studio Affairs, Apple
Karen Thorland, Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Motion Pictures Association of America Inc.
MODERATOR: Jimmy Nguyen, Chief Executive Officer, nChain Group
4:50 - 5:15 PM DOWNLOAD COMPLETE
Closing Remarks & Tweet of the Day Awards
5:15 - 6:30 PM COCKTAIL RECEPTION
AGENDA
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TODAY’S HOSTS
Jimmy NguyenChief Executive Officer | nChain Group
Jimmy Nguyen is chief executive officer for the
nChain Group of companies. nChain is the global
leader in research and development of blockchain
technologies. The nChain Group now includes four
business units: 1) nChain Limited – a blockchain
research and development business; 2) nChain
Holdings Limited – a intellectual property holding and
commercialization company; 3) nChain Reaction – a
new investment entity being formed; and 4) nCrypt
– a bitcoin wallet and exchange in Canada. (nCrypt
is currently known as nTrust, but will be rebranding
in early 2018 to reflect its move to focus on bitcoin).
Before being appointed CEO, Jimmy served as chief
business officer and chief intellectual property,
communications & legal officer.
Jimmy joined nChain after a 21-year career as
an intellectual property and digital technology
lawyer. He is also a Certified Information Privacy
Professional/U.S. Over the course of his private
practice career, he was as partner at three major
U.S. law firms – most recently Davis Wright Tremaine
LLP. Jimmy represented multinational corporations
and emerging companies in a wide range of sectors
– including technology, entertainment & media,
sports, financial services, consumer products, retail,
and automotive.
With a history of excelling early, Jimmy graduated
college at age 19 and law school at age 22. In 2008,
Lawdragon named him (at only age 36) one of the
“500 Leading Lawyers in America” and described
him as a “dynamo talent.” Jimmy has also been
recognized by the Century City Bar Association as
“Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year” (2011),
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and by the Association of Media & Entertainment
Counsel with its Industry Leader Award (2017). A
leader in the IP community, Jimmy was formerly
chair of the State Bar of California’s Intellectual
Property Law section and co-chaired the Beverly
Hills Bar Association’s IP, Internet, and New Media
section. A strong diversity advocate, he also
co-chaired the California Minority Counsel Program
and was inducted into its “Diversity Leader Hall of
Fame” (2015); Diversity MBA Magazine named him a
“Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Executive Leader” (2015).
Alexandra NicholsonPartner, Chair, Media, Intellectual Property, and Technology Practice | Davis Wright Tremaine [email protected] | 212.603.6433
Allie Nicholson is the chair of DWT’s Media,
Intellectual Property and Technology group, the
firm's largest group. Allie focuses her practice
on trademark, copyright, and other intellectual
property issues for many of the country’s leading
media, entertainment and technology companies.
Allie’s trademark practice centers on worldwide
brand-management protection and enforcement,
transactions, and strategic planning. Allie handles
the management and enforcement of worldwide
intellectual property portfolios, including providing
general counsel on a full range of trademark,
copyright, content review, and advertising issues.
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TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Casey BloysPresident, HBO Programming | Home Box Office (HBO)
Casey Bloys is President, HBO Programming,
overseeing all of HBO’s and Cinemax’s programming
initiatives, including HBO Films, HBO Sports,
HBO Documentaries, HBO Family, and HBO
Entertainment. He was named to this position in
May 2016. Casey previously served as President,
HBO Series, Late Night and Specials, responsible for
the development and production of all series, talk
shows, and specials for the network and Executive
Vice President of HBO Programming. Casey has
overseen the development and production of a
long list of HBO programming, including Flight
of The Conchords, Eastbound and Down, Veep,
Girls, Ballers, Silicon Valley, Enlightened, Getting
On, and Insecure. Since overseeing the drama
group, HBO has launched Westworld, Big Little Lies,
and The Deuce, as well as the upcoming series
Succession, limited series Sharp Objects, and a
third installment of HBO’s hugely successful True
Detective, scheduled to air in 2019. Prior to joining
HBO in 2004, Casey was Director, Development,
for Wass-Stein Productions and he began his career
as an assistant in the Current and Development
departments of CBS. Casey has a B.A. in Economics
from Northwestern University.
Susan BrooksFounder & Chief Executive Officer | FOREFRONT Partners
Susan Brooks is a veteran television, digital and
business affairs executive, contributing strategic and
innovative thinking, and decades of high-level industry
relationships to negotiations across all platforms. In
2014, Susan established Forefront-Partners. With her
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proven ability for forward thinking and quick deal
closures, she facilitates her clients’ goals for the future,
allowing for growth with a competitive edge. As such,
she has attracted both Fortune 500 companies as well
as new entrants into the field of entertainment. Clients
include Fusion Media Group, Above Average, Select
Co, Univision, and brands such as Marriott, Nestle,
Hallmark, and Porsche, among others.
In 2009, during the rapidly accelerating digital
revolution, Susan joined Fishbowl Worldwide Media
as a partner and executive vice president. In addition
to developing business strategies and creating
cutting-edge deal structures for licensing acquisitions,
Susan oversaw all legal and business affairs functions
of the television, film, and digital divisions of the
company. From 1993 to 2009, Susan served as the
Worldwide Head of Television Business Affairs for
the William Morris Agency. As an adviser to over 100
agents in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Miami,
London, and Shanghai, Susan made groundbreaking
deals for television and digital platforms. Notable
examples include: an overall multiplatform deal on
behalf of writer/director J.J. Abrams, negotiating
on behalf of Kiefer Sutherland for the hit TV show
“24,” resulting in Mr. Sutherland becoming one of
the highest-compensated actors in television, and
creative packaging of high-level talent and formats,
bringing successes like “The Office” and “Ugly Betty,”
to the U.S. market. Susan has been recognized on
four occasions in the The Hollywood Reporter’s
annual “Top 100 Women in Entertainment.” She
teaches at YouTube’s Business Building workshops
and is a frequent panelist at industry conventions and
conferences around the world.
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TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Allison BuchnerGeneral Counsel | Dollar Shave Club
Allison Buchner joined Dollar Shave Club in 2016
as the company's first general counsel and led the
company through its acquisition by Unilever just
two months after joining. As general counsel, she's
responsible for managing Dollar Shave Club's legal,
regulatory, and compliance risks, while providing
strategic advice to the company across all business
functions. Since the acquisition, Allison has worked
collaboratively with Unilever attorneys on issues
that impact the entire organization, including data
privacy, international tax planning and expansion,
and corporate governance. She also serves as Dollar
Shave Club's data privacy officer. Prior to joining
Dollar Shave Club, Allison spent nearly 10 years as
a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she became
a partner in 2013. Her work at Kirkland focused on
intellectual property and false advertising litigation and
counseling, and she had a robust pro bono practice
focusing on special education and disability rights
litigation. Allison serves on the boards of directors
for WishForward, a nonprofit whose mission is to
support and create schools committed to meaningful
inclusion, and the Disability Legal Rights Center.
Sabrina Del PrioreVice President, Music and Licensing Strategy Viacom Media Networks- Paramount Network/ CMT/TVLand
Sabrina Del Priore is vice president of music and
licensing strategy at Viacom Media Networks, where
she oversees music licensing and rights clearance for
Paramount Network, CMT, and TV Land. She works
closely with publishers, labels, and artists and leads her
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team with a strategic approach that fosters and creates
opportunities for music placements. She has in-depth
knowledge and experience with music licensing across
all media platforms in various outlets. Prior to joining
Viacom in April 2017, Sabrina oversaw music clearances
on the Radio City Rockettes stage show productions,
New York Knicks and New York Rangers branding and
marketing, live concert performance and sports event
programming for Fuse and MSG networks, as well as
commercial campaigns for the Super Bowl and the
Grammys. Sabrina is a recent New York City transplant
and a graduate of New York University.
Paul J. FriedmanExecutive Vice President, Music Business Affairs & Administration | Sony Pictures Entertainment
Paul J. Friedman is executive vice president of music
business affairs & administration at Sony Pictures
Entertainment (SPE). Paul is responsible for all music
business transactions on behalf of SPE’s global
operations and its affiliated entities and production
and distribution companies. Paul handles the
acquisition, publishing, and sale of music rights and
properties in connection with theatrical, television,
home entertainment, online, mobile, and videogame
productions, as well as consumer products, marketing,
promotions, and merchandise. He also oversees music
transactions involving new media outlets to exploit
music content digitally and has spearheaded key deals
with Apple, Amazon, Google, YouTube, and others.
Prior to joining Sony Pictures, Paul practiced law in Los
Angeles for King, Holmes, Paterno and Berliner LLP,
and worked as a financial analyst for Polygram Music
Publishing and an attorney at two other Los Angeles-
based law firms. Paul earned a J.D./M.B.A. from Tulane
University and a B.A. in philosophy from the University
of California, Los Angeles.
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TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Damon GodutoSenior Vice President | NexLP Inc.
Damon Goduto is a legal tech veteran with more
than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing,
and project management. He is a testifying expert
on electronic discovery issues and served as an
e-discovery liaison for the U.S. District’s 7th Circuit,
translating technical issues for the court. Damon
was the co-founder of Iris Data Services, leading
the company to two placements on the Inc. 500
List of America’s fastest-growing companies and
ultimately to an acquisition by Epiq Systems in 2015.
While at Epiq, he was the co-global head of sales
and was responsible for all international markets and
worldwide e-discovery managed services sales. Most
recently, he ran the sales and marketing efforts for
ThreadKM, a legal collaboration platform, until its
acquisition by NetDocuments in 2017.
Melanie GoinsVice President, Associate General Counsel Care.com Inc.
Melanie Goins is an associate general counsel at
Care.com Inc., the largest online destination for
finding and managing family care. Since joining Care.
com in 2012, she has supported the company’s
corporate teams on several acquisitions, financings,
the company’s 2014 IPO, and its current legal matters.
Melanie initially assisted the company’s Care@Work
business, which allows employers to offer a suite of
Care.com services as an employee benefit. Melanie
worked with the Care@Work team as it established
a network of in-home and in-center backup care
options, provided legal and regulatory advice on the
team’s senior care and expert assistance offerings,
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and led business-to-business sales contract efforts for
the fast-growing business. Currently, Melanie provides
strategic advice to various product teams in Care.
com’s U.S. consumer business and partners with the
company’s corporate and social responsibility team,
which leads Care.com’s efforts to promote a more
inclusive and prosperous workforce by helping to
build a care infrastructure that supports families and
protects care workers.
Amanda HarellExecutive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Amanda Harrell is an executive vice president,
business and legal affairs, at Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer (MGM). She handles MGM Television’s
unscripted television division. Amanda is responsible
for business and legal affairs for all areas of the
division, including development, production, and
management of the team of legal professionals.
Her background in unscripted television is deep.
She began her career with Mark Burnett in 1994
during college when she had a brief internship
with Burnett’s Eco-Challenge project before being
hired by Burnett to oversee competitor relations
for the cutting-edge sporting event and television
production. Throughout the decade following
her graduation from college, Amanda held several
positions within the Burnett organization, including
serving as line producer for the Eco-Challenge
project and on a number of Burnett’s development
projects, including The Apprentice. She left the
Burnett organization to attend Villanova University
School of Law but didn’t stay away long. While in law
school, she clerked for the Burnett organization’s
then-newly formed in-house business and legal
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affairs department, working primarily with the
international distribution department. After earning
her law degree and passing the California bar,
Amanda officially rejoined the organization as a
member of its business and legal affairs department,
eventually rising to head up the department. MGM
engaged her to stay on in this capacity after its
acquisition of Burnett’s companies in 2016.
Josh KraussSenior Vice President of Business Affairs | Super Deluxe
Josh Krauss is a senior vice president of business
affairs at Super Deluxe, a premium, multiplatform
entertainment company with the largest and
fastest-growing channels targeted at creative youth.
Known for developing culturally relevant characters
and story formats that resonate with loyal fan bases,
Super Deluxe, a subsidiary of Turner, produces
an entire ecosystem of content, from scripted
and unscripted TV shows to short-form videos,
interactive live programing, creative tech products,
and branded content. Josh began his career as
a motion picture literary agent at Creative Artists
Agency representing feature film writers, directors,
and producers. He graduated magna cum laude
from Southwestern Law School and received his
undergraduate degree in International Relations
from Tufts University.
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Peter McPartlinExecutive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Operations | Paramount Pictures
Peter McPartlin is the executive vice president,
strategic planning and business operations at
Paramount Pictures. In his role, Peter explores,
designs, analyzes, and identifies new business
opportunities, services, and possible studio
investments as well as the strategic direction
of the company. Additionally, he evaluates and
refines methods for improving the studio’s various
vendor relationships, business alliances, and
internal operations, including as those operations
interact with Paramount’s parent, Viacom. Prior
to Paramount, Peter was chief operating officer/
executive vice president of business and legal affairs
at Indian Paintbrush where he oversaw the day-to-
day motion picture business operations, worked on
the company’s business and strategic planning and
related business opportunities as well as its internal
matters such as corporate structuring and operations.
Previously, Peter served as the vice president of
business and legal affairs at Miramax Films. He serves
on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter
of Make-A-Wish. Peter is a frequent guest lecturer
at NYU School of Law, UCLA School of Law and the
University of Michigan, among others. Peter holds a
law degree from NYU School of Law and is a graduate
of the University of Michigan.
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Melinda MehringerSenior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary | Mattel Inc.
Melinda Demsky Mehringer is the senior vice
president, assistant general counsel, and assistant
secretary at the Fortune 500 toy company, Mattel
Inc. At Mattel, she has had a series of roles including
heading legal for the Commercial, Operations, and
International business divisions; leading the Global
Litigation, Employment Law, Regulatory, Privacy, Risk
Management, and Corporate Records functions; and
leading Mattel’s Global Intellectual Property group.
Before joining Mattel, she spent more than a decade
at Fox Entertainment Group, where she led a global
IP litigation, policy, and enforcement group that
protected Fox’s motion picture and television content
in a changing digital environment. Melinda has worked
in Silicon Valley, including at Yahoo! and Oracle. She
began her legal career as a litigator at Munger, Tolles
& Olson LLP, after serving as a judicial law clerk to
the Hon. Fern M. Smith in the Northern District of
California. She graduated Order of the Coif from
Stanford Law School, where she won the Moot Court
competition, was president of Women of Stanford
Law, and a member of Law Review. Melinda also
received her undergraduate degree from Stanford.
Linda Menzel Vice President, Legal Affairs & General Counsel Loot Crate Inc.
Linda Menzel was named general counsel of Loot
Crate Inc., a subscription box company that delivers
crates of awesome to those that live and embrace
the geek, gaming, and pop culture lifestyles, in June
2015. Linda serves as the chief legal officer of the
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company and is responsible for all aspects of Loot
Crate’s legal affairs around the world, including
advising the company on subscription commerce
compliance matters. Previously, Linda was associate
general counsel- licensing business affairs at Playboy
Enterprises Inc. for three years. In that capacity, she
guided the company through numerous international
consumer product, entertainment, land-based
entertainment, venue, and retail transactions as
well as compliance and trademark matters. She has
also served as general counsel for Nervous Tattoo
Inc., a consumer product company operating under
the brand name Ed Hardy, and Cygne Designs Inc.
(f/k/a Diversified Apparel Resources Inc.), a denim
apparel manufacturing company. Linda, a native
of Milwaukee, received her B.A. from University of
Wisconsin – Madison and her J.D. summa cum laude
from Marquette University.
Tara PietriHead - Original Content - Legal and Studio Affairs | Apple
Tara Pietri is head of legal & business affairs, original
video at Apple. Prior to joining Apple, Tara was
at Amazon Studios where she represented the
company on all business affairs aspects of feature
film development, production, and distribution. Her
prior positions at Amazon Studios included overseeing
production legal affairs and non-scripted legal affairs
as well as being part of the initial launch team for local
language productions in several foreign countries.
Prior to joining Amazon, Tara was production and
programming counsel for A+E Networks. Before
joining A+E, Tara was at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz,
P.C. in New York and Bates Wells & Braithwaite, LLP in
London, specializing in Arts & Entertainment.
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Stacy ProcterStaff Attorney | Federal Trade Commission
Stacy Procter is an attorney with the Western
Region - Los Angeles office of the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC). She has worked for the FTC
since 2007. As a staff attorney, Stacy has
investigated and litigated various consumer
protection issues, including violations of the FTC
Act, Telemarketing Sales Rule, Business Opportunity
Rule, and Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
Prior to joining the FTC, she was an attorney for the
Defense Contract Management Agency and the U.S.
Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. Stacy is a
graduate of Whittier Law School and the University
of California, Irvine.
Nydia Galarza RosarioAttorney, Marketing and Consumer Business Legal Affairs Microsoft Corporation
Nydia Galarza Rosario is an attorney in the Marketing
and Consumer Business Legal Division at Microsoft
Corporation. She currently provides legal support
to the Search, Edge, and Artificial Intelligence
Marketing Business, including Microsoft products
such as Bing, Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft
Rewards. Her previous roles at Microsoft include
counseling the Windows Marketing Business and
the Microsoft Retail Stores Business. Prior to her
career at Microsoft, Nydia was a member at O’Neill
& Borges LLC in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where her
practice focused on commercial transactions and
consumer laws. A native of Puerto Rico, she is a
graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, School of
Law. Nydia earned a Masters of Law (LLM) degree in
Law & Technology from the University of California,
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Berkeley School of Law in 2013. Her LLM’s final paper
titled Launching Online Retail Services and Products
in Puerto Rico: Navigating the Complexity of Local
Privacy Laws was published in Bloomberg BNA
Privacy and Security Law Report in January 2014.
Karen ThorlandSenior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel Motion Picture Association of America Inc.
Karen Thorland co-leads MPAA’s Content Protection
Department, manages domestic content protection
civil litigation, and oversees the association's
worldwide voluntary initiatives and civil litigation
efforts. She also is engaged in the development
of the association’s global policies and strategies
related to content protection, and she provides legal
support for the content protection department and
criminal referrals.
Karen came to the MPAA from her partnership at
Loeb & Loeb LLP, which she joined in 2001. She has
deep experience in a broad range of litigation and
intellectual property matters, including copyright
and trademark, rights of publicity and privacy, First
Amendment, and entertainment contractual disputes
and appeals. She is a graduate of the University
of California, Los Angeles School of Law and the
University of California, Santa Barbara, where she
graduated with Highest Honors, College Honors,
and Distinction in Major. Karen currently serves on
the UCLA School of Law Alumni Association board
of directors.
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TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Melissa WeilandAssociate General Counsel | Rover.com
Melissa Weiland is associate general counsel at
Rover.com in Seattle. Reporting to the general
counsel, Melissa manages Rover’s legal team and
a wide range of day-to-day legal matters, including
major commercial and business development
agreements, marketing and product counseling, and
litigation. A rapidly expanding online marketplace,
Rover was founded in 2011 on the belief that
everyone should experience the unconditional
love of a dog. Rover connects pet parents with
North America’s largest network of pet sitters and
dog walkers, enabling personalized care for these
furry family members. Before joining Rover, Melissa
maintained a solo practice for nearly 10 years,
providing services to clients including Nintendo
and Getty Images in the areas of online services,
copyright licensing, advertising and marketing law,
and other general commercial agreements. Prior to
establishing her practice, Melissa was an associate at
the law firms of Williams & Connolly in Washington,
D.C., and Mundt MacGregor LLP in Seattle. Melissa is
a graduate of Stanford Law School.
Julie M. WenahCommunity Operations Counsel | Airbnb
Julie Wenah is community operations counsel
at Airbnb. Previously, she served in the Obama
administration as counselor and policy advisor at
the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic
Development Administration, where she led
President Obama’s manufacturing initiative
around regional collaboration and building strong
manufacturing communities. In this role, Julie
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was responsible for leading a team of 13 federal
agencies in providing $1.3 billion of federal funding
and technical assistance to communities across the
country. Prior to, Julie served as special assistant
to the general counsel at the U.S. Department of
Commerce where she traveled on Secretary Penny
Pritzker's West Africa Trade Mission connecting
U.S. and African businesses. In addition, she
co-led consultation workshops in West Africa
and Washington, D.C., during the White House
Africa Leaders’ Summit with energy stakeholders
and foreign ministers in refining power purchase
agreements as a more bankable instrument and
negotiation tool. Previously, she worked at the White
House as an associate for the President’s boards
and commissions and advanced domestic and
international trips for First Lady Michelle Obama.
She began her experience at the White House as an
intern in First Lady Michelle Obama's policy shop.
Before serving in the Obama administration, she
worked for NASA as a legal fellow on intellectual
property and K-12 STEM education. Julie is an
advocate of mentoring youth and continues to
mentor youth in achieving their life's goals and
purpose. She believes there is power in healing by
storytelling through lyrics and is an avid hip hop
music lover. Julie is a proud member of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority Inc. Julie received her B.S. in political
science with a minor in chemistry from Lamar
University, J.D./M.P.A. cum laude in international
development from Texas Southern University, and
an LL.M. in international business from Georgetown
University Law Center.
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TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Tres WilliamsSenior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs iHeartMedia Inc.
Tres Williams oversees all aspects of iHeartMedia’s
business relationships with the music and
entertainment industry and manages other strategic
negotiations for the company. His team partners with
recording artists, record labels, music publishers,
and television broadcast networks to create and
implement contracts for iHeartMedia’s events, digital
properties, and broadcast operations. Over the last
few years he has led the company’s music licensing
initiatives, including direct radio licenses with Warner
Music Group, Big Machine Label Group and others,
and oversees all of the licensing for iHeartRadio’s
recently announced on-demand subscription
offerings. He sits on the executive committee of the
Radio Music License Committee and helps lead the
radio industry in music licensing strategy.
Jeff YasudaFounder & Chief Executive Officer | Feed.fm
Jeff Yasuda is a long-time entrepreneur that
continues to find new ways to combine his passion
for building businesses with his love of music. In
July 2008, Jeff launched Blip.fm. Blip.fm was the
leading real-time social media DJ service available
for music enthusiasts. Blip.fm grew to over 1 million
registered DJs who reached over 30 million people
on Twitter alone. Jeff is also the host and producer
of the Feed.fm Sessions, a live show filmed from his
San Francisco studio and streamed over the web
reaching audiences of 20,000 to 100,000 people
each show. The Sessions features live performances
and interviews with Grammy-nominated and
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accomplished artists such as Plain White T’s, Gomez,
ALO, Big Light, Temper Trap, the Mother Hips,
The New Mastersounds, and One eskimO. Before
becoming an entrepreneur, Jeff was the managing
director and chief financial officer of Silicon Valley
VC firm Redwood Ventures, where he held board
directorships and managed investments in their
technology portfolio. Prior to joining Redwood, he
worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers,
concentrating on technology financings within
equity capital markets. Jeff is also a certified public
accountant and received his M.B.A. from NYU
Stern School of Business and B.A. from Dartmouth
College. He was a founding board member of Little
Kids Rock, helping revitalize music education in
public schools.
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DWT SPEAKERS
Kraig BakerPartner | Seattle
[email protected] | 206.757.8007
Kraig Baker focuses on advising clients and providing
assistance with licensing transactions across the full
range of issues in media, entertainment, technology,
sports, advertising, privacy, social media, and internet
matters, with a particular emphasis on mobile, digital
media, and entertainment. Kraig is also an instructor
in the Communication Leadership graduate program
in the School of Communication at the University of
Washington, where he has taught classes on "Law of
Digital Distribution, Interactive Media, and Content"
and “Law and Privacy Issues with Data, Wearables,
Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence” since
2001. He also has taught the law section of the
Advanced Interactive Marketing and Social Media
certificate programs at the University of Washington.
Kraig is a regular speaker on cutting edge issues
including trends in digital media, Big Data, artificial
intelligence, the internet of things, use of social
media, and legal issues of innovation and disruption.
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Ambika Kumar DoranPartner | [email protected] | 206.757.8030
Ambika Kumar Doran practices internet, media,
and intellectual property law. Experienced in the
application of free speech principles to digital
content, Ambika has skillfully represented clients in
cutting-edge cases involving online content liability
and electronic privacy. Her work focuses on Section
230 of the Communications Decency Act, widely
regarded as the most important law governing online
content, and other federal protections for user-
generated content. Ambika also regularly advises on
and litigates First Amendment, defamation, copyright,
and trademark matters, as well as public records,
reporters’ privilege, and courtroom access. Her
clients range from traditional news media to pioneers
of the sharing economy. A member of the ABA Forum
on Communications Governing Committee and
co-chair of the firm’s Media Law Practice, Ambika
regularly speaks and writes about digital content and
privacy issues. In 2016, the National Diversity Council
named Ambika one of Washington state’s "Most
Powerful and Influential Women."
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DWT SPEAKERS
Nicolas JampolPartner | Los Angeles [email protected] | 213.633.8651
Nicolas Jampol provides litigation, pre-broadcast
review, and IP counseling services to clients that
create, use, or distribute all forms of content. His
pre-broadcast and IP counseling practice includes
film, television, podcasts, websites, books, and
art. His litigation practice focuses on copyright,
trademark, right of publicity, idea submission, unfair
competition, and breach of contract disputes for
clients in entertainment, technology, publishing,
and music. Nicolas has devoted significant time to
pro bono work on behalf of nonprofit organizations
and is the author of several articles on intellectual
property, technology, and advertising.
John LeCronePartner | Los Angeles [email protected] | 213.633.6825
John represents employers and management in
wrongful discharge, harassment, and discrimination
litigation; in matters including wage and hour
class actions, trade secrets/unfair competition and
ERISA; and in proceedings before federal and state
administrative agencies. He regularly tries cases
for his clients before juries, judges, and arbitrators,
and trains supervisors and employees in best
practices for dealing with workplace harassment and
discrimination. John also provides advice on a wide
range of personnel issues, including privacy matters,
employment agreements, wage and hour, and
workplace technology. He works closely with clients
in investigations of employment-related complaints,
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corporate malfeasance, and due diligence matters
related to mergers and acquisitions. John’s clients
include entertainment and media companies, health
care and hospitals, national hospitality and retail
chains, aerospace companies, manufacturers, and
mining operations, among others.
Lawton PennPartner | Seattle [email protected] | 206.757.8064
After practicing employment law for over 25 years,
Lawton Penn now spends most of her days trying not
to think like a lawyer. She is passionately dissatisfied
with the old dynamic between businesses and their
attorneys and is determined to find a better path.
Lawton helped launch and is leading the firm’s
DWT De Novo legal solutions design team. DWT
De Novo’s legal solutions architects are trained in
process improvement and systems design, skilled
in data visualization, fearless about applying new
technologies to legal work, and eager to bring fresh
thinking to the industry. The team has partnered
with DWT lawyers and dozens of clients to create
new models for legal work that deliver a more
comprehensive business solution. She is the firm’s
Client Service Innovation Partner and a frequent
speaker on legal service innovation.
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DWT SPEAKERS
Marc RothPartner | New York [email protected] | 212.603.6470
Marc Roth is nationally recognized for his expertise
on advertising and marketing laws and for his
advocacy in defending companies before federal and
state regulators. He advises clients in all industries
on privacy, social media, sweepstakes, email and
mobile marketing, telemarketing, and advertising
content and strategy. Marc has particular expertise
in the collection and use of personal information
in marketing campaigns and the development and
management of free trial, negative option, and
continuity marketing programs. Previously chief
compliance counsel for a Time Warner company and
an FTC staff attorney, he draws upon his decades of
consumer advertising and marketing law experience
when counseling clients. Marc frequently writes and
speaks on consumer marketing and privacy issues
and chairs the Practising Law Institute’s annual
TechLaw: The Digital Evolution program.
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Jonathan SegalPartner | Los [email protected] | 213.633.8667
Jon is an attorney with a passion for digital and
traditional media, who has worked on award-winning
productions in film, television, and the interactive
space. His practice focuses on intellectual property,
communications, First Amendment, and other issues
that affect the companies and technologies that
make what we watch, amuse and delight us, and
inform all of our worldviews. He provides counseling
for feature films and television programming, with
an emphasis on programming with intensive social-
media engagement, documentaries, and content
that is based on true events. As a litigator, Jon has
successfully defended content creators from claims
of all sorts, including claims for defamation, false
light, right of publicity, and copyright infringement.
On behalf of media and nonprofit clients, he has
also successfully sued municipal, state, and federal
agencies for public records under the federal
Freedom of Information Act and California Public
Records Act. Jon has argued before the California
Superior Court, United States District Court, and the
United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
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The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel
The Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel
(AMEC) is the only organization of its kind. Now
celebrating its 10th anniversary, AMEC is designed
to support the career development and honor the
achievements of in-house counsel and business affairs
attorneys at major entertainment and media companies.
Media & Entertainment Insights magazine covers the
latest developments in the business and legal aspects
of the entertainment industry.
Learn more at theamec.org.
NY Tech Alliance
The mission of the NY Tech Alliance is to represent,
inspire, support, and help lead the New York
technology community and ecosystem to create
a better future for all. Created through the merger
of NY Tech Meetup and the New York Technology
Council, the organization has over 60,000 individual
and institutional members, reflecting the full spectrum
of the greater New York-area tech community and
making it the largest tech organization in the region.
Led by CEO Jessica Lawrence Quinn and president
Erik Grimmelmann and chaired by Andrew Rasiej,
the NY Tech Alliance continues the work of its
predecessor organizations, hosts a monthly meetup at
NYU’s Skirball Auditorium as well as educational and
social events, and continues to focus programming
and advocacy efforts on issues important to the
technology sector and New York.
Learn more at nytech.org.
PARTNERS
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@DWTlaw
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AGENDA