LAS VEGAS – Sept. 28, 2016 – Shareholders Mark G. Tratos, Lauri S. Thompson, Charmaine D. Smith, Tom K. Ara, and Michael X. Marinelli of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP will speak at the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2016 Forum on Entertainment & Sports Oct. 6 – 8, 2016, at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Key topics Greenberg Traurig shareholders will discuss include:
- The Non-Profit General Counsel: The Next Frontier for Entertainment Lawyers, panelists are Lauri S. Thompson and Mark G. Tratos.
- Legal Issues in Live Entertainment Part I: Using New Technologies in Theatre Venues and Nightclubs – moderated by Mark G. Tratos and Lauri S. Thompson is a panelist.
- The Digital Life of Songs and Recordings –The Anatomy of Digital Licenses, Charmaine D. Smith is a panelist.
- Doing Business in China: Challenges and Opportunities, moderated by Tom K. Ara and Michael X. Marinelli is a panelist.
According to the brochure, the focus of the annual event is “Improving Your Odds in Entertainment and Sports Law.” Attendees will benefit from an unparalleled variety of entertainment and sports education programming along with social events for attorneys and other professionals practicing in each sector of the industry. Former United States Senator and former Nevada Governor, Richard Bryan, will serve as keynote speaker at the forum.
Tratos, focuses his practice on a variety of entertainment, intellectual property, and litigation matters. He represents numerous artists and performers, resort, hotel, and casino entities in federal court litigation involving trademark, copyrights, domain names, rights of publicity, and privacy law for known casino brands. He has represented numerous artists and performers, including the estates of Orson Welles, Anthony Quinn; performers Teller, Ozzy Osbourne, David Copperfield, Val Valentino, and The Masked Magician; visual artists Ronnie Cutrone, Deny Dent, Vladamir Kush, Tim Bavington and Peter Lik; and athletes like world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. Tratos has acted as coordinating attorney between the 2016 ABA Forum planning committee, UNLV, and the Las Vegas Entertainment community on planning this year’s agenda.
Thompson, focuses her practice on intellectual property, including working with gaming resort companies, software companies, and entertainment companies to protect and enhance their key brands and corporate images through strategic management of their worldwide trademark and copyright portfolios. She works to help increase the visibility and value of their names and images, through trademark, copyright, and domain name registration, and internet monitoring and enforcement. Additionally, she works with interior design groups for hotels and casino resorts on third-party vendor agreements, purchase orders, and strategies to control intellectual property rights.
Smith, focuses her transactional practice on the licensing of music, videos, and other entertainment-related content, and the protection, maintenance, exploitation, and enforcement of trademark, copyright and publicity rights. She has wide-ranging experience drafting and negotiating digital content agreements (with record labels and other content providers/licensors) on behalf of clients with digital music/media services and offerings, managing domestic and international trademark portfolios, drafting and negotiating trademark purchase/sale and license agreements, and counseling and strategizing with clients on trademark, copyright, publicity rights, and entertainment-related new media issues.
Ara, focuses his practice on complex entertainment and media industry transactions spanning the globe, with broad experience working with Chinese media companies. As a result, he brings a keen understanding of the cultural and business complexities that characterize such cross-border transactions. Ara represents an array of banks, private equity groups, hedge funds, investors, and borrowers in an assortment of financing and strategic industry transactions. In addition, he advises feature film studios, television networks, production companies, internet and mobile-based content producers and distributors in corporate transactions as well as in the development, production, and distribution of motion picture, television, and new media content. A frequent presenter in the U.S. and internationally on Chinese film investment and transnational film and television production, Ara serves on the Board of Trustees of the prestigious U.S.-Asia Institute.
Marinelli, a member of the Global Trade and Investment and the FCPA & Global Anti-Corruption practices, focuses his practice on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), as well as U.S. export control regulations, including the EAR, the ITAR, and the economic sanctions regimes enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). He counsels clients on complying with the broad array of statutes and regulations regimes that apply to cross-border transactions.
Dan Black, chair of the firm’s West Coast Entertainment and Media Practice, is co-chair of Motion Pictures, Television, Cable and Radio Division and Bobby Rosenbloum co-chair of the Atlanta Entertainment and Media Practice, is chair of Digital Music and Other Digital Media Division.
Greenberg Traurig is also a sponsor of the forum.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Entertainment & Media Practice
With offices situated in the centers of the entertainment industry, Greenberg Traurig has established a highly experienced, international multidisciplinary entertainment and media practice. The Greenberg Traurig Entertainment & Media Practice focuses on the music, motion picture, television, sports, internet, digital media, publishing and theater industries. The team has access to key players in the entertainment industry and provides clients with the business-oriented and dedicated counsel needed to thrive in today’s multidiscipline, multimedia entertainment marketplace. The entertainment and media attorneys have consistently been ranked by The Hollywood Reporter’s “Power Lawyers,” Variety’s “Dealmakers Impact Report” and “Legal Impact Report,” Billboard’s “Power Lawyers,” The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA Guide and Super Lawyers.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.