Mondo.NYC 2023 CLE Music & Tech Law Symposium

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Mondo’s CLE program invites attendees to join top music lawyers and thought leaders for an all-day live in-person entertainment law seminar addressing some of the biggest legal developments affecting the music industry, including recent court decisions upending fundamental issues and the re-imagining of key policy matters.

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All Mondo attendees are invited to attend CLE panels on Friday, October 13.

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CLE 2023 Panel Agenda

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• 8am: Breakfast

• 9am: Breaking Down the Tour: An Examination of the Artist's Legal and Business Issues

  • ​This panel will explore the intersection of legal and business issues an artist must consider when planning a tour. We will touch on promoter contract negotiations, set design considerations, IP protections, tour accounting essentials, employment matters and current ticketing practices.

Moderator:

Rebecca Sergay Vice President, Commercial Counsel and Business Affairs, TIDAL

Speakers:

Ciara Reed Principal Founding Attorney, Simpson and Reed, PLLC

Janine Small Principal, Janine Small, PLLC

Veli Founder, Veli Brand

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• 10am: Piracy & Streaming Fraud in the Digital Music Era

  • In the modern music industry, billions of dollars are routed through digital service providers each year. As digital music has evolved, one of the most pressing issues facing creators (and their business partners) has shifted from piracy to fraud. Streaming fraud reportedly costs the industry up to $1B annually as fraudsters manipulate DSPs into making wrongful payments. This panel will discuss the breadth and depth of those schemes along with the actions taken by DSPs and other stakeholders to disrupt them, as well as examine the degree to which piracy is still a threat to the industry today.

Moderator:

Hector Baldonado Principal Attorney, The Baldonado Group, P.C.

Speakers:

Kevin Bodenheimer VP, Business & Legal Affairs, TuneCore

Morgan Hayduk Co-CEO & Founder, Beatdapp

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• 11am: The Metaverse, NFTs, Web3 and the Music Industry: Where Are We Now?

  • In the wake of the initial boom (and bust?) of the NFT market, the metaverse craze that has yet to fully take hold, and the still emerging Web3 movement, this panel takes a look at where we are now in the music space with respect to these technologies. How are the initial deals playing out? Are industry players still bullish on any of these technologies? What disputes and regulatory issues have arisen from these initial deals? What new risks have emerged? And what opportunities lie ahead with respect to these technologies and their relevance to the music industry of the future? This panel will explore those questions and more, collecting perspectives from deal makers, litigators and regulatory attorneys for a wide scale view of where the music industry is and where it can go with these technologies.

Moderator:

Adrian Perry Partner, Co-Chair of Music Industry Practice, Covington & Burling LLP.

Speakers:

Steve Masur

Michael Reid Covington & Burling LLP 

Gregg Wildstein Forensic Accountant, Citrin Cooperman

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• 12pm: Lunch

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• 1pm: Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: Hot Topics in Generative AI in the Music Industry from Neural Networks to Fake Drake

  • Generative AI has been the hottest topic in the last several months from board rooms to dinner parties. Our panel will discuss this new technology’s impact on the music industry, and will address topics such as copyright, rights of publicity and privacy, contracts and licensing, and overall policy.

Moderator:

Phil Hill Special Counsel, Music Industry Practice, Covington & Burling LLP

Speakers:

Dr. Kimberly Fessel Founder, Dr. Kim Data

Chris Horton SVP Strategic Technology, Universal Music Group

Shannon Sorensen SVP, Legal and Business Affairs, National Music Publishers' Association

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• 2pm: Thinking Out Loud: A Panel Discussion of Recent Music Litigations

  • The last year brought a number of high-profile litigations and decisions involving superstars like Ed Sheeran, Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino and Eminem, to name a few. In this panel, we will discuss recent developments, including in the fields of copyright infringement, rights of publicity, licensing, and contracts, and ramifications for the music industry going forward.

Moderator:

Scott Sholder Partner, Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP

Speakers:

Andrew Goldsmith Counsel, Pryor Cashman LLP

Nicole Haff Counsel, Music & Entertainment, Commercial & Business Litigation, Michelman & Robinson

Brian Maida Associate, Pryor Cashman LLP

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• 3pm: Fractional Music Interests: Opportunities & Challenges

  • An increasing number of companies are offering sales of fractional music rights, or micro-slices of rights in a composition or recording. These offerings are designed to provide liquidity to creators while simultaneously allowing fans to participate in real ownership of an artist’s work. However, these offering also come with complex legal challenges under both securities law and copyright law. This panel will discuss these legal issues, and how some of the companies in this space are addressing them.

Moderator:

Michael Poster Chair of Music Acquisitions & Financing and Partner, Michelman & Robinson

Speakers:

Sam Hendel Chairman, JKBX

Scott Shipman Chief Legal Officer, JKBX

Peter Sinclair CEO & Co-Founder beatBread

Lisa Weiss Partner, Chatillon Weiss PLLC

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• 4pm: Ethical Considerations for Lawyers Navigating Sticky Situations

  • Seasoned practitioners and ethics experts discuss the real life thorny ethical issues entertainment attorneys often grapple with while representing A-list talent. The discussion will include such topics as an attorney's legal and moral obligation to assist troubled clients having mental or drug related issues and what obligation an attorney may have to help clients save and protect their assets through estate planning and other mechanisms.

Moderator:

Lynn Gonzalez Attorney

Speakers:

Bob Celestin The Law Offices of Robert A. Celestin

Leron Rogers Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

Sharon Tapper Executive Director, Music Managers Forum-US