A Conversation With...

Ever wondered what it takes to represent A-list talent in Hollywood? Listen to this episode of "A Conversation With" Dannielle Thomas, Vice President at Untitled Entertainment and Management, moderated by Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, Managing Partner at 1022m Management. Together, they explore the state of talent representation in the entertainment industry and the intersection of talent management and legal representation. With years of experience representing top talent in TV, film, and theatre, Thomas and Schoenbrun Carter share insider perspectives on navigating today's fast-changing entertainment industry. 

Ben Tenzer is the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA Team Denver Nuggets, General Manager of the Grand Rapids Gold, the NBA G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets. In this episode, The Biederman Entertainment, Media, & Sports Law Institute hosted alum Ben Tenzer '12 for a conversation with Southwestern student Elizabeth Houston. Ben will share insights about his career with the Denver Nuggets, his path from Southwestern to the NBA, and the legal and business challenges that come with managing basketball operations for a championship team. He discusses key issues in sports law, including player contracts, salary cap management, and collective bargaining, as well as provides advice for students interested in pursuing careers in sports and entertainment law. 

Listen to an engaging conversation with Southwestern Law School alum Jeff Borris, one of the country's leading sports agents. Jeff is an MBLPA-certified player agent who is currently General Counsel at Ballengee Group. Borris is also an accomplished poker player and appeared in High Stakes Hold 'Em Season 2. Come learn about Jeff's career and the world of sports representation.

Biederman Entertainment, Media, & Sports Law Institute's Orly Ravid sits down with Ksenia Maiorova and Stephanie M. Scamman. Ksenia is a Partner in Green and Spiegel, LLC in the Orlando office. Ksenia is recognized as one of the nation’s leading specialists in sports immigration and has vast experience representing sports industry professionals in connection with their applications for visas and permanent resident status.

Stephanie M. Scamman is an Associate Attorney at Green and Spiegel, LLC based in Orlando, Florida. Her practice has focused on extraordinary ability immigrant visas, nonimmigrant visas, and national interest waivers for athletes and other sports industry professionals. Stephanie’s passion for working with athletes on their immigration matters comes from her extensive background in sports. She competed at the collegiate level in both basketball and Track & Field. She graduated cum laude from Southwestern Law School in 2022. 

We speak to Chris Perez and Dale Nelson; partners at Donaldson Callif Perez, LLP. Chris specializes in all aspects of the firm’s practice, representing independent filmmakers through development, financing, production, rights clearance, and distribution. Additionally, he serves as counsel to writers, podcast producers, radio personalities, museums, foundations, and Film Independent. Prior to joining the firm, Dale Nelson served as Vice President and Senior Intellectual Property counsel at Warner Bros. for over 25 years. Dale specializes in issues related to copyrights, trademarks, personal rights, and clearance, championing the free speech rights of clients in the filmmaking and creative industries. Dale is also a frequent speaker on IP topics and is currently Chair of AIPPI-US, the US chapter of AIPPI, an international IP organization with over 80 countries represented

Ken Basin is the Global Head of Business Operations (Film/TV) for Riot Games, where he manages all aspects of operations, strategy, business affairs, and production for the new and growing film and television division of Riot Games, the publisher of blockbuster video games such as League of Legends and Valorant, and producer of the 2021 worldwide hit series Arcane, based on its League of Legends franchise. Recognized by Variety as one of “Hollywood’s New Leaders” and by The Hollywood Reporter in its annual “Next Gen Executives” (“35 Under 35”) feature, Ken has previously worked in senior Business Affairs roles at Paramount Television Studios, Sony Pictures Television, and Amazon Studios. Ken is also a published scholar on copyright law, adjunct professor of Entertainment and Media Law at Harvard Law School, and the author of The Business of Television, a comprehensive overview of the business, financial, and legal structure of the U.S. television industry that has been adopted as a leading reference guide by practitioners and as an educational text by universities across the country.

Southwestern Law School's head of the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Institute, Orly Ravid, speaks to Henry Lydiate, a renowned London-based International Art Lawyer who has specialized in the law relating to visual art and design for over 35 years. A founding partner of The Henry Lydiate Partnership LLP—an international art business consultancy, Henry Lydiate showcases a lifelong commitment to the arts and the support of creative arts practitioners and cultural organizations through innovation, people development, and co-creation.  Professor Lydiate also designs and delivers international legal and art business modules for Sotheby’s Institute of Art and Southwestern Law School's London Study Abroad Program. In this episode, Henry Lydiate discusses what it takes to be an art lawyer, the challenges of using existing IP law to apply to visual art, the explosive rise of AI-derived art, and how best to represent clients and protect their art.

In this episode, Southwestern Law School's head of the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Institute, Orly Ravid, speaks to Erika Kirkwood, executive Vice President and Head of Business Affairs at Paramount Television Studios (PTVS), about Erika’s journey from doing litigation to being a studio entertainment business affairs executive.

Erika has been a pivotal figure in the entertainment industry, successfully spearheading negotiations for acclaimed projects such as The Offer, Home Before Dark, Defending Jacob, Before, Maniac, and Looking for Alaska. Erika discusses her instrumental role in guild negotiations alongside Paramount's labor team and her careful approach to complex circumstances, utilizing her keen insight into the intersection of media and law.

Kenneth Trujillo-Jamison, a partner for Willenken LLP was named "One to Watch" in the 2021 and 2022 editions of Best Lawyers. He efficiently handles his clients' most complex and challenging matters and knows the importance of aligning litigation strategies with his clients' business objectives. His experience encompasses matters in technology, entertainment, consumer class actions, and copyright infringement. Prior to joining Willenken, Kenneth practiced at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, and served as a law clerk for The Honorable Judge Paul J. Watford of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In this episode, Kenneth joins Southwestern Law School’s head of the Entertainment and Media Law institute Orly Ravid for an insightful and informative discussion on his journey to becoming the successful lawyer he is today. Kenneth also offers tips and tricks for students and lawyers on how to progress their skills and further their careers while practicing law.  

Read more about Kenneth here: https://willenken.com/attorneys-people/kenneth-trujillo-jamison/

Meet Carolyn Forrest, the EVP and General Counsel of Tubi, Inc. and a prominent entertainment and media lawyer. She leads Tubi's legal team, comprised of twenty lawyers and six paraprofessionals.

She oversees all legal matters for Tubi and advises on corporate compliance, data privacy, content acquisition, distribution and production, sales, growth, marketing, intellectual property, and employment matters.

Carolyn began her career at Skadden Arps Meagher and Flom as a corporate litigation associate after clerking with the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Carolyn served as chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law and chairperson of its Governing Committee. She also serves on the board of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. She is a graduate of Columbia University School of Law and Princeton University.