In this class, you will learn about the six most common and important agreements that you will encounter as an attorney in the music business: management contracts; exclusive artist recording agreements & production contracts; music publishing agreements; producer agreements; synch agreements and licenses; and investor agreements.
NY: 2.0 Professional Practice
NJ: 2.0 General
CA: 1.5 General
To obtain PA credit, you must send your PA bar registration number to info@marinolegal.com upon completion of the course.
NY: 2.0 Professional Practice
NJ: 2.0 General
CA: 1.5 General
To obtain PA credit, you must send your PA bar registration number to info@marinolegal.com upon completion of the course.
STEVE GORDON is an entertainment attorney with over 25 years of experience, including ten years as a Director of Business Affairs for Sony Music. His current and recent clients include emerging and major record label artists, managers, music producers as well as entertainment companies such Time Life Films and Soul Train Holdings, and cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian and the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. He also represents television, film and web based producers and production companies.
Other areas of his practice include serving as an expert witness, counseling producers of and participants in reality TV shows, registering trademarks and copyrights, and advising on copyright infringement and contract litigation.
Steve also operates a music clearance service for producers and distributors of feature films, documentaries, ad campaigns, musical theatre, concert programs, audio compilations, and music based apps and websites.
Steve is the author of The Future of the Music Business (Hal Leonard 4th ed. 2015). The book provides a legal and business roadmap to artists, entrepreneurs and music industry professionals for success in today’s music business. Steve updates the book at www.futureofthemusicbusiness.com.
In March 2017 Hal Leonard published Steve’s latest book, The 11 Contracts that Every Artist, Songwriter, and Producer Should Know . The book focuses on the most common and important contracts in the music business — including management, production company, exclusive artist agreements, sync licenses, and producer agreements — all paired with introductions to contract and annotations highlighting the issues in negotiating these deals. Also an educator, Steve frequently lectures on entertainment law and music business issues, and he is the recipient of two Fulbright scholarships. As a Fulbright scholar he lectured and taught courses at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and Tel Aviv University in Israel.
Bob Celestin is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia School of Law and has practiced entertainment law in New York City for over 25 years. Bob decided to become an entertainment attorney for two reasons: 1.) his love for music and 2.) he couldn’t sing or rap! Bob began his career in the music industry in 1986 as a staff attorney at Arista Records, Inc. – the home of multi-platinum recording artists Whitney Houston, Whodini and Kenny G. In 1987, he met Andre Harrell, president and founder of Uptown Records, Inc. (“Uptown”), the company responsible for the “New Jack Swing” movement merging Hip Hop and R&B, and he hired Bob to be the VP/General Manager overseeing the operating and administrative aspects of the company. While at Uptown, Bob was also responsible for the negotiation and signing of Uptown’s multi-platinum recording artists and producers such as “Mary J. Blige,” “Jodeci,” “Guy,” “Heavy D and the Boyz” and “Al B. Sure” and worked alongside Sean “P-Diddy” Combs.
In 1992, Bob went on to become the VP/General Manager of Untouchables Entertainment, Inc. (“Untouchables”), a production/management company founded by “Heavy D and the Boyz’s” producer Edward “DJ Eddie F” Ferrell and home of the groundbreaking rap duo, “Pete Rock and CL Smooth,” the R&B trio “Intro” and R&B vocalist “Donell Jones.” At Untouchables, Bob was responsible for overseeing the record and producer management division of the company and creating and implementing company-wide operating, promotional and artist development strategies. Bob then went on to work with music attorney (and his mentor) Louise West, Esq. of West Entertainment Services, LLC assisting her in the representation of clients such as “Timbaland,” “Missy Elliott” and “Ginuwine.”
In addition to being an attorney, Bob has also been a manager having co-managed the platinum selling R&B/Pop trio “City High” (“What Would You Do”). The experience of being an artist manager and having an independent label, has been invaluable in being able to provide practical and real-life advice and counsel to clients.
Bob now focuses his practice on counseling an array of domestic and international clients especially those utilizing a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) approach to establishing, and in some cases, extending their careers.