Music and technology conference Mondo.NYC have announced that the keynote speakers for its Music & Tech Law Symposium will be the newly-appointed Recording Academy Co-Presidents Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos A. Panay, interviewed by attorney Adrian Perry, Partner and Co-Chair of Music Industry Practice at Covington & Burling LLP.
In one of their first public appearances together in their new roles, attendees will hear the two discussing the Recording Academy’s plans to drive innovation and accountability in the organization at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, October 15, the closing day of Mondo’s 6th annual conference. The 2021 Mondo.NYC Music & Tech Law Symposium is presented in conjunction with Michelman & Robinson, LLP and Covington, and sponsors include Manatt, RAP @ Harvard Law School, TIDAL and Angielaw.
Mondo.NYC 2021 runs October 12-15 in venues in New York City and online worldwide. Head here for more information.
“We are so proud to welcome Valeisha and Panos as this year’s CLE Symposium keynote speakers with Adrian Perry – what an extraordinary opportunity for all our attendees to hear from them,” said Joanne Abbot Green, Managing Director and Executive Producer of Mondo.NYC. “Our participants will be treated to an insightful conversation discussing diversity, the future of the Recording Academy, and more.”
“We are thrilled to take the Mondo.NYC stage as we continue to build a strong community and work towards a shared vision across our industry,” said Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Co-President of the Recording Academy. “What a fitting setting for Panos and I to discuss the increasing complexity and global nature of today’s music business as we continue to usher in a new era at the Recording Academy, and address the ways that we can better serve our members, as well as the industry at large.”
“Coming to Mondo.NYC and speaking at the CLE Symposium is an important moment for the Academy and also for Valeisha and I in our new roles,” said Panos A. Panay, Co-President of the Recording Academy. “We are committed to modernizing the Academy in ways that ensure our industry is as diverse, inclusive and forward thinking as possible. There is no better audience with which to engage for these kinds of conversations.”
The Mondo.NYC Music & Tech Law Symposium brings together top music lawyers and thought leaders for an all-day, virtual entertainment law seminar addressing some of the biggest legal developments affecting the music industry. Up to seven Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits can be earned for the New York and California Bar, and a Uniform Certificate of Attendance will be provided for all other jurisdictions, which attendees may submit to their respective state bar associations for CLE review.
The agenda for October 15 is below, with additional speakers to be announced (all times ET):
10:00-10:55 am Digital Streaming: Envisioning a More Equitable Model
The recent pandemic has led many streaming royalty recipients to take a hard look at their royalty statements and question the fairness of how streaming and other digital royalties are split. This panel will look at the recent UK-based government hearings on this issue, user-centric and other digital payment models, and the laws and regulations which would have to be changed in order to start rebalancing digital royalty payments.
11:00-11:55 am International Deal Making
With Latin and K-pop music infiltrating US pop culture, we believe it is time to take a closer look into the nuts and bolts of deal making in those genres. From recording agreements, publishing agreements, endorsement agreements and the general advantage of cross-cultural collaborations, it is important to understand the distinctions in business models, accounting practices, and strategies, along with the development of multicultural literacy when working with global talent. Join us as a diverse and dynamic group of practitioners with deep knowledge in the area engage in a conversation about important issues pertaining to these exciting and growing markets.
Moderators
Sonja J. Kim, Vice President, Commercial Counsel, TIDAL at Square
Angela Martinez, Angielaw
Panelists
Jessie M. Abad, VP, Business & Legal Affairs, Rimas Entertainment LLC
Bernie Cho, President/Founder, DFSB Kollective
Ginam Lee, Principal Attorney, LPL Lawyers
Simran Singh, Managing Partner, Singh, Singh & Trauben Law, LLP
12:00-12:55 pm The Risks and Rewards of NFTs in the Music Industry
NFTs continue to present exciting revenue opportunities and novel legal risks for both music industry players and the NFT platforms working with them. This panel will discuss the ever-changing landscape of NFTs in the music industry, touching on the latest developments from a legal perspective, trends in commercial opportunities, and common intellectual property rights and regulatory issues impacting NFT partnerships. This panel will also explore how the NFT explosion may impact royalty and rights tracking in the music industry.
Moderator
Adrian Perry, Partner, Co-Chair of Music Industry Practice, Covington & Burling LLP
Panelists
Joe Conyers III, EVP NFT, Crypto
Tonya Evans, Professor, Penn State Dickinson Law School
1:00-1:55 pm: Keynote Conversation with Recording Academy Co-Presidents Valeisha Butterfield Jones and Panos A. Panay
Interviewed by
Adrian Perry, Partner, Co-Chair of Music Industry Practice, Covington & Burling LLP
2:00-2:55 pm Catalog Shopping 2021:
The catalog sale market continues to expand and evolve, with existing buyers expanding their holdings, the major labels getting back into acquisitions, and new players emerging on a weekly basis. In addition, the types of assets being acquired, and the deal sizes (both larger and smaller), are broadening in ways never before seen. This panel will discuss these changes in the marketplace and will feature the voices of several prominent buy-side and sell-side experts as they discuss how these changes are affecting the deal-making process.
Moderator
Michael Poster, Partner; Head of Corporate Securities Group, Michelman & Robinson, LLP
3:00-3:55 pm Music Litigation Update:
From the recording studio to SDKs to virtual worlds and NFTs, litigants and courts are delving more deeply and broadly into novel applications of copyright at the intersection of music and technology. This panel of established litigators will distill recent developments in music litigations and discuss risk assessment and enforcement strategies in this dynamic and evolving music ecosystem.
Moderator
Phil Hill, Attorney, Covington & Burling LLP
Panelists
John M. Gatti, Partner, Entertainment Litigation, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Luke Nikas, Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
4:00-4:55 pm Better, Stronger and Recouping Faster: The Super Powers of the Audit
There are few rights in any contract that have the power, the might, or the righteousness of the audit. It has the power to expose human errors, bad business practices, and outdated customs. It can accelerate income, facilitate communication, and expose systemic problems. Audits are essential to good business hygiene and to getting artists paid what they are due, but they are especially important if you are contemplating an asset sale and want to maximize a catalog’s valuation. This roundtable discussion will include when and how to initiate an audit, what to expect during the process, and how you can ensure you are harnessing its full potential to improve your business and its bottom line.
Panelists
Chris Hull, Partner, Citrin Cooperman
Michael Closter, President, Reach Music Publishing
Lewis Kovac, Chief Operating Officer, 10th Street Entertainment
Monika Tashman, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
5:00-5:55 pm The Restatement of Copyright: What You Need to Know
The American Law Institute’s Restatement of Copyright project has garnered unprecedented attention from practitioners, scholars, the RIAA and NMPA, the Register of Copyrights, and even members of Congress. In this session, we will explore the Restatement project and its implications. Panelists will include members of the advisory group for the Restatement Project and will offer a range of perspectives and insights.
Moderator
Simon Frankel, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
Panelists
Robert Brauneis, Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School
Jane Ginsburg, Professor of Law, Columbia University
Hon. Pierre N. Leval, Senior Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Lydia Loren, Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School
Registration with the option for CLE credit is now available; lawyers seeking to earn up to seven (7) CLE credits in New York or California can register for $349; a Uniform Certificate of Attendance will be provided for all other jurisdictions, which attendees may submit to their respective state bar associations for CLE review. CLE attendees have access to all four days of Mondo.NYC virtual and live events, October 12-15. The Symposium panels can also be viewed by all registrations without CLE credit; Professional Pre-Registration rates are currently $175 (regularly $199), and the Student & Indie rate is $148.78 (regularly $169).
