Law students, industry professionals recognized at GRAMMY Foundation event

GRAMMY.com
Laurel Fishman

As the Annual GRAMMY Awards rapidly approaches its 50th anniversary on GRAMMY Sunday, a second momentous anniversary was kicked into high gear. On Feb. 8, the GRAMMY Foundation's 10th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon & Scholarship Presentation was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Conviviality, humor, and respect and passion for the field of entertainment law were the order of the day, and there were several honors to go around.

In welcoming the 550-plus luncheon attendees, Scott Goldman, Vice President for the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, said the number of familiar faces and first-time guests exemplifies the primary purpose of the event: to recognize those who will practice entertainment law in years to come.

In his remarks, Recording Academy President/CEO and GRAMMY Foundation President Neil Portnow said, "Some of the fresh faces in this room today will become the attorneys, law professors, judges and power brokers of the future."

Portnow presented a special award to Ken Abdo, in appreciation of his service as chairman of the ELI executive committee for the past two years. Abdo encouraged applause for Portnow, "Let's give it up for the one great bass player of our generation!"

Abdo also noted other VIPs in the room, including Don Passman for authoring All You Need To Know About Following In My Footsteps (a send-up of the book's title, All You Need To Know About The Music Business). Abdo brought onstage "a man I've really admired for his loquaciousness," Lon Sobel, professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

In fact, Sobel was succinct and incisive in an absorbing presentation about the top music cases of the last 50 years. Sobel and Abdo spoke about precedent-setters such as the inviolability of artists' publicity rights, established when Bette Midler sued Ford Motor Co. and Tom Waits sued Frito-Lay for using soundalike singers.

Label executive Eddie Rosenblatt introduced the 2008 Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award to David A. Braun, "an attorney whose handshake is worth reams of paper." Longtime Braun client Neil Diamond took the podium, referring to Braun as "one of the great figures in my life," who showed Diamond "you could laugh and be serious at the same time."

Braun regaled the audience with witty but sage anecdotes, including one about his first offer to handle a music contract, when legendary talent manager Albert Grossman asked Braun if he was familiar with music contracts. Braun said yes, then promptly enlisted an experienced lawyer to walk him through it. "Always say yes," Braun told the luncheon crowd.

Zeeshan Zaidi, a finalist in the debut ELI legal writing contest and now chief content officer and head of business development of Nabbr, told the audience how winning gave him the credential that opened doors and the confidence to pursue his dreams.

This year's contest finalists spoke onstage about their entries: "Sparing Internet Radio From The Real Threat Of The Hypothetical Marketplace," by Mark D. Robertson, Loyola Law School; "Wringing Songwriters Dry: Negative Consequences Of Compulsory Licensing For Ringtones," by Daniel H. Mark, George Washington University Law School; "Yours, Mine And Ours: The Joint Authorship Conundrum For Sound Recording," by Abbott M. Jones, Tulane University Law School; "Illegal P2P File-Sharing On College Campuses — What's The Solution?," by Antionette D. Bishop, William & Mary School of Law; and "Why Music Should Be Socialized," by competition winner Matthew Reynolds of the UCLA School of Law. Reynold's paper explored existing and new ways the music industry can develop viable models by looking to the priorities and tastes of young music lovers.

For the finalists, networking with entertainment law's top professionals was "an amazing opportunity to get insights," said Bishop. That included attending the first-ever breakfast with the ELI executive commitee earlier that day. Contest finalist Mark found the breakfast an invaluable, learning experience, "You can't expect a linear career path," he said, noting the importance of having a community and joining the local American Bar Association.

In his luncheon address, Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music and marketing for Electronic Arts and GRAMMY Foundation Chair said, "Technical and legal issues facing our industry are more complex and challenging than ever."

Schnur acknowledged the GRAMMY Foundation's ongoing commitment to exposing young students to music business careers. "And there will always be a music business," he added.

Keynote speaker Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, concluded the event with his own optimism. "We have a great business; we just have to reinvent it. We have great faith in the music industry."