March 15, 2011 - Press RElease

For Immediate Release:
The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel announces 2011 Advisory Board Members

LOS ANGELES - March 15, 2011 - The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel (AMEC), the leading trade association serving general counsel and business affairs attorneys, is pleased to announce its 2011 Advisory Boards and Steering Committees.  The AMEC Board and Committees are made up of both domestic and international companies and law firms from across the media and entertainment industries. 
The newest addition to AMEC’s impressive roster is the Law School Advisory Board. Steve Krone, Director of the Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School, and Nancy Rapoport, Gordon Silver Professor of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, shall be heading up this new section. Through its Law School Section, AMEC will host student sponsored events at law schools throughout the country and hold an annual essay competition, with the winner invited to attend AMEC’S Counsel of the Year Awards Ceremony in Hollywood. The winning essay shall also be printed in AMEC’s award winning news magazine:  M/E Insights Magazine. The purpose of the Law School Section is to promote interest in, and advance the education of entertainment, media and sports law. The new board includes:

  • Steve Krone, Co-Chair, Director of the Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School
  • Nancy Rapoport, Co-Chair, Gordon Silver Professor of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Samuel Fifer, Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University Law School
  • Ellen Goodman, Professor of Law, Rutgers University School of Law, Camden
  • Brenda Saunders Hampden, Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law
  • John Kettle, Professor of Law, Rutgers University School of Law, Newark
  • Silvia Kratzer, Professor of Film and Television, UCLA and Chapman University

AMEC’s Leadership Advisory Board consists of in-house counsel and business affairs executives at top media and entertainment companies and organizations.  “AMEC is a unique organization in that it brings together all the movers and shakers of the business and legal entertainment communities around the world,” said Board Chair David Matlin, Vice President Legal Affairs of Scripps Networks. Joining the Leadership Advisory Board for 2011 are:

  • Andy Levin, Chair Emeritus, Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
  • David Matlin, Chair, Vice President Legal Affairs, Scripps Networks
  • Jeff Friedman, VP Business & Legal Affairs, Reveille Productions LLC
  • Alan Lewis, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Disney ABC Networks Group
  • Tricia Lin, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Yahoo! Inc.
  • Shelley Reid, Senior Vice President Business & Legal Affairs, Fox Television Studios
  • Peter Steckelman, VP Legal Affairs, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
  • Shai Stern, Co-Chairman and CEO, Vintage Filings and Vcorp Services
  • Claudia Teran, SVP Legal & Business Affairs, Fox Cable Networks

AMEC’s Law Firm Advisory Board consists of attorneys in private practice, specializing in cutting edge entertainment issues at leading law firms across the country.  “Having an organization like AMEC is an incredible resource for law firms to strengthen existing relationships and to building new ones,” said the Board’s Chair, Jordan Yospe of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP. Joining the Law Firm Advisory Board for 2011 are:

  • Alan L. Friel, Chair Emeritus, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP
  • Jordan K. Yospe, Chair, Counsel, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
  • Thomas Guida, Partner, Loeb & Loeb
  • Adam Paris, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Glen A. Rothstein, Partner, Blank & Rome LLP
  • Patrick Sweeney, Counsel, Reed Smith

AMEC’s Emerging Leaders Board consists of attorneys in private practice, in-house counsel, business affairs executives, and attorneys in non-legal position in entertainment and media companies who have less than five years professional experience, or are under the age of 35.  “Whether through dynamic roundtables, timely panels, or good old-fashioned networking, AMEC’s Emerging Leaders Section provides the ultimate ‘foot in the door’ for future titans of the entertainment business,” said Chair of the board Drew Wheeler, Attorney at Law.  “Each year, our events draw from and build upon the strengths of each individual Board seat, but we are always looking for the next great idea from our general membership. In fact, my own AMEC involvement began with a simple offer to support an Emerging Leaders event. The greatest honor in serving as Chair of this Board is unquestionably the chance to provide similar opportunities when the next generation of entertainment visionaries come knocking.”  New to the 2011 Emerging Leaders Board are:

  • Christian Vance, Chair Emeritus, Fox Television Studios
  • Drew Wheeler, Chair , Attorney at Law
  • Joanna Mamey, Vice-Chair, Business Representative, Theatrical & Interactive Game Contracts, Screen Actors Guild
  • Joseph Balice, Attorney at Law, Anderson Kill Wood & Bender
  • Linden Bierman-Lytle, Production Attorney, Mark Burnett Productions
  • Alison Chin, Corporate Counsel, Bandai America, Namco Networks
  • Bayan Laird, Business & Legal Affairs, Fox Television Studios
  • David Lin, Loyola Law School
  • Maurice Pessah, Attorney, Peter Law Group

AMEC’s International Advisory Board consists of top entertainment lawyers from outside the United States. The purpose of this group is to broaden the reach of AMEC around the globe. “The international global entertainment community is close-knit. Bringing these specialist firms together provides a readily available pool of legal talent for AMEC members. Most of these firms have previous experience of working together. It provides the possibility of assembling an effective and independent international legal team at short notice,” said Chair Tony Morris of Marriott Harrison. The new 2011 board consists of:

  • Tony Morris, Chair, Marriott Harrison, England
  • Safir Anand, Anand and Anand, India
  • Hiroo Atsumi, Atsumi & Partners, Japan
  • Ken Dhaliwal, Heenan Blaikie LLP, Canada
  • Enrique A. Diaz, Goodrich Riquelme Y Asociados, Mexico
  • Eric Lauvaux, Nomos, France
  • Charmayne Ong, Skrine, Malaysia
  • Francesco Portolano, Portolano, Italy

AMEC’s Women Who Lead Board is a group of leading executives from the entertainment business and legal communities. The purpose of this group is to promote and encourage women in leadership positions within the entertainment community. “The Women Who Lead Board would like to thank AMEC for all its efforts in supporting women’s role in the entertainment business and legal communities,” said Co-Chair Pam Reynolds, Senior Vice President Business & Legal Affairs, MGM. The 2011 Board includes:

  • Pam Reynolds, Co-Chair, Senior Vice President Business & Legal Affairs, MGM Studios
  • Jessica Kantor, Co-Chair, Associate, Sheppard Mullin
  • Kavita Amar, Senior Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs, New Line Cinema
  • Alexsondra S. Fixmer, Director of Business & Legal Affairs, The Tennis Channel Inc.
  • Tracey L. Freed, Counsel, Corporate & Distribution Legal Affairs, Sony Pictures
  • Sharmalee B. Lall, Director, Legal Affairs, Warner Bros. Animation Inc.
  • Kristin L. McQueen, Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
  • Kavi Mehta, Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs, Disney Cable Networks Group

The 2011 New York Steering Committee is headed by Cynthia Arato, Partner at Macht, Shapiro, Arato & Isserlers LLP. “AMEC’s presence on the East Coast is growing rapidly. I’m honored and excited to be a part of such a prestigious organization that is recognized on both coasts,” said Arato. The 2011 committee includes:

  • Ezra Doner, Chair Emeritus, Law Offices of Ezra Doner
  • Cynthia Arato, Chair, Partner, Macht, Shapiro, Arato & Isserles LLP
  • Aydin Caginalp, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
  • Joshua Cammaker, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
  • Cory Greenberg, Director of Operations & Special Projects, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
  • Oliver Herzfeld, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, The Beanstalk Group
  • Wade Leak, Deputy General Counsel, Sony Music Entertainment
  • Debra A. White, Partner, Loeb & Loeb

Rounding off AMEC’s 2011 boards and committees is the Chicago Steering Committee which is chaired by Jamie Rubin, Partner at Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP. “AMEC’s growth within the Chicago entertainment community is impressive. Since its inception in 2009, the number of members has increased and include a variety of attorneys and executives from local studios to sport giants like Chicago Cubs,” said Rubin. The 2011 Committee includes:

  • Jamie Rubin, Chair, Partner, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP
  • Michelle Askew, Associate Counsel, Johnson Publishing Company Inc.
  • William L. Becker, Vice President & General Counsel Harpo Inc.
  • John Corvino, General Counsel, Chicago White Sox, Ltd.
  • Pedro DeJesus, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary Tampico Beverages, Inc.
  • Bernard Gugar, Associate General Counsel, Harpo Inc. 
  • Michael Lufrano, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs and General Counsel, Chicago Cubs

With the help and support of these new board members, AMEC aims to better represent the interests and aspirations of in-house counsel and business affairs attorneys at entertainment and media companies,  provide training and career guidance for the unique needs of those individuals, and formally recognize their achievements at the annual Counsel of the Year Awards.
ABOUT AMEC
AMEC is the only organization of its kind, promoting excellence in entertainment law. Formed in late 2005, AMEC is designed to support the career development, and honor the achievements, of in-house counsel and business affairs attorneys at entertainment and media companies. For more information about AMEC please visit www.theamec.com.  Key programs of the AMEC include:  Media and Entertainment Counsel of the Year Awards; M/E Insights quarterly newsletter, distributed to over 30,000 media, entertainment and communications industry decision makers globally; and a variety of other continuing education seminars and industry news and information.
MEDIA CONTACT:  SERRA ALADAG at serra@theamec.com


About Vcorp Services LLC

Vcorp Services assists in the creation of new businesses and helps maintain existing businesses in
all 50 states. Quick, accurate and at the lowest rates, Vcorp’s knowledgeable and experienced staff
has helped form thousands of new businesses including: LLCs, S-Corporations, C-Corporations,
Partnerships, Non-Profits and Professional Corporations. Vcorp works with entrepreneurs, legal and
tax professionals, as well as real estate experts to set up and maintain businesses across the
country. Vcorp also specializes in helping small businesses to get started, grow and remain in
compliance with federal and state regulations.