(CMJ) John Scher, Co-CEO of Metropolitan Talent, Inc. will deliver the keynote address at the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) accredited Entertainment Business Law Seminar at CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival in New York City on Friday, October 23, 2009 at New York University's Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for University Life, in the Richard L. Rosenthal Pavilion. [That's a mouthful]The keynote address is part of an all-day seminar titled The New Deal: Music and Film in a Brand New Environment and is hosted by the Entertainment Arts & Sports Law (EASL) Section of the New York State Bar Association, in association with CMJ Network, Holland and Knight LLP and Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP.
Mr. Scher, who will speak at the MCLE luncheon, is one of the most well-known and highly respected veterans in live entertainment. He will share his thoughts on the rapid changes in the music industry while sharing experiences of a career that began at age 19 booking shows while attending college. Named Pollstar Magazine's Bill Graham/Promoter of the year in 2000, Mr. Scher was inducted into Performance Magazine's "Touring Hall of Fame" and was listed three times as the magazine's top grossing promoter in the nation.
During the course of the seminar, other entertainment industry leaders will discuss critical legal topics affecting the future of the film and music business including recession-era dealmaking, Internet start-up companies, online privacy rights, ethical negotiation practices, the basics of independent filmmaking and future trends in the film and music industry.
"'The New Deal' sums up the business landscape attorneys must understand if they are to help rock stars, filmmakers and other entertainment professionals be successful in a tough economy. This year's program, including the legendary John Scher, is the best chance for attorneys to stay on top of the complex business, technological and legal issues swirling around the industry," said Ken Swezey, chairman of the State Bar's EASL section. "This is one 'Deal' that every entertainment attorney should not pass up."
Joanne Abbot Green, co-owner of CMJ Network Inc. and founder and executive producer of CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival said, "The entertainment industry knows how important the legal profession is to its continued success in these turbulent but exciting times. CMJ is delighted to be a partner in creating a forum for attorneys to discuss the continuing evolution of our industry and the role they must play."
"Attorneys and business executives from all over the country will learn and share perspectives about practicing entertainment law in this challenging environment. This seminar is a must-attend event that gives lawyers a leg up on the ins and outs of the industry while providing a perfect forum for networking," said EASL program committee co-chair Rebecca A. Frank.
Lawyers attending the seminar will receive six New York State MCLE credits, consisting of four in Practice Management, one in Skills and one in Ethics, plus a breakfast and luncheon. Both two- and five-day CMJ/CLE registration options also are available to attend all CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival events in addition to the Entertainment Business Law Seminar. The event is open to all CMJ registrants. For two- and five-day registration please visit CMJ's Web site at www.cmj.com/marathon/cle_registration
Called "the Sundance of Rock n' Roll," the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival has featured many of the world's most influential and revolutionary musicians, artists, cultural and political figures at a variety of events including screenings, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and over 1,300 live music performances. CMJ 2009 continues in that tradition, highlighting the best new music and groundbreaking films. New York City's largest music event, CMJ Music Marathon is the world's largest emerging music festival, drawing over 12,000 professionals from all sectors of the music business and over 120,000 music fans, all of whom converge on New York to discover the world's best new music.
