Friday Evening, May 17, 2013
7 p.m.
– Welcome Reception
Location: Vanquish Lounge
1029 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Saturday, May 18, 2013
– State Bar of Georgia
104 Marietta Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Conference Room A
8:15 – 11 a.m. CLE Registration
8:45 – 9 a.m. Welcome
9 – 10:30 a.m. Best Practices for Celebrity Foundations and
Nonprofits: How To Keep Your Client Off The News
Many celebrities give back to their community and often times its through their foundation. But celebrity foundations have to be run and operated as separate legal entities and subject to various federal tax and state laws. Not following these rules can do more than subject the foundation and the celebrity to monetary fines. As we have seen in recent cases, this bad press can also hurt the celebrity’s reputation.
This panel will cover the ABC’s of setting up and operating a celebrity foundation or nonprofit, pros/cons for doing so, and various federal, state and local laws that apply. We will delve into operational decisions that must be made in light of tax and corporate laws and are often at odds. The panel will also address some of the recent high profile case of financial malfeasance with celebrity foundations and nonprofits and the pitfalls to watch out for.
Moderator: Shannon Nash, Esq., Founder, Nash Management Group, Inc. | Co- Founder, The Green Room
Panelists: Asani Swann, Director of Business Development for Melo Enterprises, Inc. | Traci Gage, President and Chief Lifestyle Manager at TGage & Co. | Gloria Johnson Goins, Vice President, Business Diversity Outreach for Prudential Financial, Inc. | Kendall Minter, Esq., Legal Counsel for the Living Legends Foundation, and Chairman of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation
10:30 am – 10:40 am Break
10:45 am – 12:15 pm Film Financing
This panel will cover a discussion of what every entertainment attorney needs to know about Film Financing including: finding investors, complying with securities regulations and structuring the deal with investors.
Moderator: Stephen Weizenecker, Esq., Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Panelists: Asante Bradford, Project Manager, Digital Entertainment, Department of Economic Development | Alonzo Llorens, Esq., Partner, Gordon & Rees, LLP
12:15 pm -1:15 pm Lunch (Guest Speaker: TBD)
1:15 pm – 1:30 pm Break
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm How Do I Protect My Client’s Intellectual Property Interest in the Social
Media Space: Hey, you don’t have proper clearance to play that song or post that image.
Changes in technology have allowed many entertainment companies and artists to establish an online presence and to interact directly with their supporters and fans.
Many, however, do not think about the risks involved when posting information that has not been properly cleared.
This panel will examine the risks involved when using social media as a means to promote intellectual property, explore the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) “safe harbor” provisions and take down notices and discuss emerging new media issues
Moderator: Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, Esq., B. Lawrence Watkins & Associates, PC
Panelists: Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, Esq., B. Lawrence Watkins & Associates, PC Clark A.D. Wilson, Esq. Partner, Gardner Groff Greenwald & Villanueva PC | Simon Horrocks, Affix Music | Inga Dyer, Esq. , Senior Counsel, B.E.T. Networks (Invited) Brenton Hund, Esq., Turner Broadcasting System | Saptosa Foster, Owner, The 135th Street Agency
3:15 pm Adjournment
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm BESLA Mixer
Location: Aurum Lounge
915 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Early Registration Fee: $130
On-Site Registration Fee: $150
Reception and Mixer Fee: $30
