Entertainment Arts & Sports Law Section

  • EASL Music and Business Conference 2016
    EASL's Annual Music Business and Law Conference Friday, November 18, 2016 at New York Law School
  • NY Comic Con October 2016
    Join EASL at Comic Con for 2 great programs! October 6th and October 9th
  • EASL General Slider 1
    Join the EASL Section Today! The section has a large, active and diverse membership, with lawyers occupying every corner of the entertainment, art and sports law fields, at every level, from law students and first-year attorneys to senior partners at leading national and international firms and senior legal and business affairs executives at multinational media corporations.
  • Section Events
    • Comic Con 2016: From Panel To Publisher

      From Panel to Publisher: An In-Depth Look at Transactional Law for Comic Book Creator Clients

      Thursday, October 6 | 12:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. | New York Comic Con

      Course Price: $160
       
      3.0 MCLE CREDITS: 3.0 Skills
       
      The past decade has seen a renaissance in comic book publishing. In fact, more titles are being published now than ever before in history. This CLE will help introduce lawyers and law students to the business and legal landscape of the comic book industry with a strong emphasis on practical skills.
       
      Topics to Be Covered:
      ~Introduction to the comic book client
      ~Intellectual property foundations of the comic book property 
      ~Collaboration, artist services, and other key agreements required to create the comic book property 
      ~Soliciting publishers
      ~Negotiating the comic book publishing agreement
      ~Issues in self-distribution
       
      In addition to this Thursday CLE course, your registration fee entitles you to 1 NYCC Pro Thursday Ticket (complimentary) or the possibility to upgrade to 1 NYCC 4-Day Pro Ticket ($40 Ticket fee on top of the course fee). There is a limit of 1 Pro Ticket per attorney purchasing either or both courses.
       
      As a companion 1.5 credit CLE course, we are also offering “From the Printed Page to the Silver Screen,” an overview of licensing comic book properties to the film and television industries on Sunday, October 9.
       
      Program Faculty:
      Thomas A. Crowell, Partner, Lane Sash and Larrabee, LLP
      David Gallaher, Writer, Bottled Lightning
      Jeff Trexler, Attorney & Associate Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School
      Matthew Tynan, Associate, Pelosi Wolf Effron & Spates LLP 

      All registration is being handled through New York Comic Con. To learn more and register please visit http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/Events/Continuing-Legal-Education-Opportunities/ 

      NOTE: THESE PROGRAMS ARE OPEN ONLY TO REGISTERED ATTORNEYS AND THE TICKETS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND NON REFUNDABLE.BY APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION TO EITHER CLE COURSE YOU ARE REPRESENTING AND WARRANTING THAT YOU ARE A REGISTERED ATTORNEY IN GOOD STANDING IN AT LEAST ONE U.S. JURISDICTION. BY APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION, YOU AGREE THAT THE NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION AND/OR NEW YORK COMIC CON MAY VERIFY YOUR ATTORNEY REGISTRATION STATUS.

      No coupons or comp passess will be accepted for this CLE program.

      Program Co-Sponsors
      New York Comic Con
      New York State Bar Association's Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section
      New York State Bar Association's Committee on Continuing Legal Education

    • Comic Con 2016: From the Printed Page To the Silver Screen

       

      From the Printed Page to the Silver Screen: An Overview of Licensing Comic Book Properties to the Film and Television Industries 

      Sunday, October 9 | 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | New York Comic Con

      Course Price: $100
       
      1.5 MCLE CREDITS: 1.5 Skills
       
      From Arrow to X-Men; The Walking Dead to Deadpool; comic book properties dominate the film and television screens. It's no secret that comic books are the new hot properties; the entertainment industry is scrambling to acquire the latest graphic novels. Are you ready to represent the creator of the next superhero smash hit? This CLE will help introduce lawyers and law students to the key issues involved in licensing comic book properties to the film and television industries. 
        
      Topics to be Covered: 
      ~"The road to Hollywood" 
      ~Intellectual property foundations for motion picture properties
      ~The option/purchase agreement
      ~The DIY client: a brief overview of legal issues in filmmaking
        
      For this Sunday course the purchase of 1 NYCC 4-Day Pro Ticket ($40 Ticket fee on top of the course fee) is required. There is a limit of 1 Pro Ticket per attorney purchasing either or both courses. 
       
      As a companion 3.0 credit CLE course, we are also offering “From Panel to Publisher,” an in-depth look at transactional law for comic book creator clients on Thursday, October 6.
       
      Program Faculty:
      Thomas A. Crowell, Partner, Lane Sash and Larrabee, LLP
      David Gallaher, Writer, Bottled Lightning
      Ivan Saperstein, Partner, Lane Sash & Larrabee, LLP
      Stephen J. Swalsky, Principal Attorney, The Law Offices of Stephen J. Swalsky
      Matthew Tynan, Associate, Pelosi Wolf Effron & Spates LLP


      All registration is being handled through New York Comic Con. To learn more and register please visit http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/Events/Continuing-Legal-Education-Opportunities/.

      NOTE: THESE PROGRAMS ARE OPEN ONLY TO REGISTERED ATTORNEYS AND THE TICKETS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND NON REFUNDABLE.BY APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION TO EITHER CLE COURSE YOU ARE REPRESENTING AND WARRANTING THAT YOU ARE A REGISTERED ATTORNEY IN GOOD STANDING IN AT LEAST ONE U.S. JURISDICTION. BY APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION, YOU AGREE THAT THE NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION AND/OR NEW YORK COMIC CON MAY VERIFY YOUR ATTORNEY REGISTRATION STATUS.

      No coupons or comp passes will be accepted for this CLE program. 

      Program Co-Sponsors
      New York Comic Con
      New York State Bar Association's Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section
      New York State Bar Association's Committee on Continuing Legal Education

    • October 7, 2016: Brown Bag Lunch with Artists Rights Society

      BROWN BAG LUNCH WITH ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY

      Friday, October 7, 2016
      12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

      Herrick Feinstein LLP
      2 Park Avenue
      New York, New York 10016

      Come listen to Adrienne Fields, Director of Legal Affairs at the Artists Rights Society, speak about the following topics:

      • Introduction on the history of ARS
      • Brief description of his background and role at ARS
      • Slide presentation depicting how works of art are used/licensed 
      • Discussion of hot topics in art licensing
      • Q & A ARS and answer questions

      This event is complimentary, however, space is limited so registration is required. Not a EASL member? Join today for $35! 

      REGISTER NOW

      To register over the phone contact the Member Resource Center at 1-800-582-2452. 

      For more information about the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section, contact Beth Gould at bgould@nysba.org.

    • November 18, 2016: Music Business and Law Conference

      EASL'S ANNUAL MUSIC BUSINESS AND LAW CONFERENCE

      NEW DATE: Friday, November 18, 2016
      9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

      NEW LOCATION: New York Law School | Rooms W400 and W401 | 185 West Broadway | New York, NY 10013

      SPECIAL OFFER FOR EARLY REGISTRATION:  $219 For EASL Section Members Now through Sept. 16th ($249 after) 
      NYSBA Members: $289 (Join EASL Today for only $35 and save $35 on your registration) 
      Non-NYSBA Members: $329 
      Law Students: $149 
      Accountants receiving CPE Credits: $299 

      REGISTER NOW

      The Music Business and Law Conference will feature a variety of speakers from law, finance, business, and technology, with several panels focusing on global perspectives of representation, tax, and practical concerns for music artists and businesses alike.

      Panel highlights include:

      • The Tax Man Cometh - Estate Planning for the Music Artist
      • ReMixed and MashedUp - Navigating the Royalty Streams
      • Anatomy of A Music Festival
      • Copyright Reform - It’s Everywhere (International Focus)
      • Case Developments Impacting the Music Industry
      • No Direction Home:  Tax and Legal Planning for Multi-National Groups
      • Ethics - Conflicts of Interest in Client Representation

      Registration includes: 

      • Full Day Continuing Education Program with up to 6.0 MCLE Credits / 7.0 CPE Credits (this program isnot transitional and therefore does not qualify for newly admitted attorneys)
      • Continental Breakfast, Refreshments and Luncheon

      Register online or to register over the phone please contact out Member Resource Center at 1-800-582-2452. For questions contact Beth Gould at bgould@nysba.org

  • The EASL Blog

    Entertainment, Arts  and Sports Law  Section Blog

    The Blog Provides a Forum and News Source on Issues of Interest The blog acts as a new informational resource on topics of interest, including the latest Section programs and Initiatives, as well as provides a forum for debate and discussion to anyone in the world with access to the Internet. It is available through the New York State Bar Association Web site at http://nysbar.com/blogs/EASL

    To submit a Blog entry, email Elissa D. Hecker at eheckeresq@eheckeresq.com

  • EASL Journal

    VIEW THE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS AND SPORTS LAW JOURNAL

    Diverse opinions contribute to the vitality of the law, and for every topic there are many issues to be addressed. TheEntertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal is a forum for ideas and a repository for legal analyses and theories. The EASL Journal presents topics that EASL attorneys address on a daily basis, and provides comprehensive overviews of both large issues that affect a majority of the EASL Section membership and analyses of more specific issues that affect only a few. In addition to contributions from practicing attorneys, the EASL Journal accepts articles from laypersons involved with issues that affect many in the EASL fields. The EASL Journal is published three times a year by the Entertainment, Art and Sports Law Section and distributed to Section members free of charge.

    Read Now>

  • EASL Member Community

    Start using your EASL member community now.

    What are Member Communities?
    The member communities are private, online professional networks, built on the concept of listserves that offer enhanced features such as collaboration tools and document libraries. They offer you a variety of tools to help you connect, network and work collaboratively with fellow NYSBA members. 

    To participate, each member has a profile based on their basic membership information. You can enhance your profile by adding your photo, professional affiliations, volunteer activities and other accomplishments. You have the option to pull information from your LinkedIn profile, or even link to your personal blog or other social media feeds.

    How Can I Use It?
    Seamlessly integrated with nysba.org, no additional login or password is needed to enter a community. You just need to be a NYSBA member. 

    Just like a listserv, members of a specific community can share information with one another using email. Documents are emailed among members using links as opposed to email attachments, as attachments can be problematic with spam filters or limits on file size. Members can receive community emails as the messages are posted, or in digest form. These resource libraries have no space limitations, accept all file types, and can be organized using folders. Any member of a community can contribute to the library.

    If you are a member of a NYSBA Section, Committee or Task Force, and working to develop a report, white paper, policy change or recommendation, an online community is the perfect forum for you and your colleagues. You have a dedicated space designed to facilitate an efficient and collaborative work effort.

    Start using your EASL member community now.