Monday, October 20th

Artists in Hollywood - Actors - Writers - Performers - Directors - Producers Summit

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM - Marina Vista Room – Live Webcast

Multichannel Networks, the Next Wave in Entertainment and Media Programming, Part I

John W. Ferrie, Senior Counsel, YouTube/Google

Alan Friel, partner,  Baker Hostetler

Yemi Adegbonmire, Associate Principal Counsel, Walt Disney Company

Thom Zadra, Head of Business Development for Video at Yahoo!

Dan Schechter, Managing Director and Partner, Global Media, Entertainment & Technology practice, L.E.K. Consulting

Judith Dornstein, Esq., Law Offices of Judith C. Dornstein, Moderator

between media, marketing, technology, distribution, commerce, data, Big Data, and communication brought about by the ongoing digital revolution. Alan represents clients in acquisitions, financing, distribution, development, publishing, and financing transactions, especially in cases where complex intellectual property and regulatory concerns exist. He brings the experience and foresight necessary to help companies and entrepreneurs navigate the compelling, yet complex, opportunities disruptive technology creates. He coordinates the firm's Advertising, Retailing, and e-Commerce industry initiative. Alan has been contributing to the development of the legal and business paradigms of cyberspace since the days of CD-Rom and bulletin board services, and negotiated the first experimental Internet production agreements with traditional Hollywood talent unions—SAG, DGA, and WGA—in the 1990s. Alan remains on the cutting edge of emerging media, crafting alliances between TV producers and distributors and online services, as well as between big brands, social game publishers, and "app" developers. A sought-after speaker and counselor regarding the practical application of substantive legal issues, Alan is affiliated with UCLA as an Assistant Professor in a multi-disciplinary project at the Graduate School of TV, Film and Digital Media, and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Law. Alan is ranked amongst the 2013 Top Rated Lawyers in Technology by American Lawyer Media and was recognized by Legal 500 in its 2013 Technology, Media and Telecom (Technology/Data Protection and Privacy) ranking.

John Ferrie is Senior Counsel for YouTube/Google.  As an attorney focused on the entertainment and media industry, he advises management and product teams at YouTube/Google on corporate and intellectual property-related matters.  John currently serves as the legal lead for YouTube's "Advertisers as Content Creators" initiative where YouTube is working with advertisers to create smarter, more appealing content for our users.  In addition, John served as legal lead for YouTube’s “Funded Channels” initiative (where Google made unprecedented investments in the creation of original video content for YouTube) and for the creation of the YouTube/Google Play transactional content service.  Prior to YouTube/Google, John was an attorney at Sony Pictures Entertainment and the law firm of Ropes & Gray.   Although he hates to admit it, John also worked as a management consultant in a former life.  He graduated from Dartmouth College a long, long time ago and has a JD/MBA from Northwestern University.  Much of what he learned at those schools has long been forgotten.

Thom Zadra, Head of Business Development for Video at Yahoo!; Thom Zadra is a seasoned film and new media executive, with more than fifteen years of diverse industry experience.  As the head of business development for Yahoo! Video, Zadra plays a significant role in shaping the company's video strategy, sourcing and negotiating content deals (both acquisitions and productions) and maintaining business relationships.  Prior to Yahoo!, Zadra was the head of business affairs for Netflix's subsidiary company, Red Envelope Entertainment, which was Netflix's foray into ownership and distribution of original content.  Prior to joining Netflix/Red Envelope Entertainment, Zadra spent a few years representing talent at the entertainment boutique law firm of Stone, Meyer & Genow.  Zadra started his career in the entertainment business at Miramax Films where he worked for six years and was a vice president of business and legal affairs.

Dan Schechter, Managing Director and Partner, Global Media, Entertainment & Technology practice, L.E.K. Consulting; Dan Schechter is a Managing Director and Partner, and leads L.E.K.’s Global Media, Entertainment & Technology practice. He has been with L.E.K. Consulting since 1986, starting in the London office before helping found the Los Angeles office. He has more than 29 years of experience consulting to major companies. Dan’s broad experience within the media, entertainment, & technology sector includes movie production and finance, cinemas, new cable channel development, TV production and syndication, profitable Internet companies, radio, magazine, theme parks, news, and many other sectors. He has formerly led various practices for L.E.K., including utility, oil & gas, airline, environmental, marketing ROI, shareholder value, and destinations and tourism. He has also worked on over 200 transactions for corporate and private equity clients, and has experience working with retail, consumer products, aviation & travel and energy clients. Prior to joining L.E.K., Dan created and funded new businesses, evaluated business plans, and optimized company operations for many high-growth companies while at Xerox Venture Capital. He also advised diverse clients within all aspects of management consulting, while working at Boston Consulting Group. He has also worked as an econometrician, mediator, teacher, and academic administrator. Dan was awarded his Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Harvard University with a concentration in applied mathematics with economics, operations research, and computer science.

Yemi Adegbonmire, Associate Principal Counsel, Walt Disney Company:  Yemi Adegbonmire is a Los Angeles based intellectual property and entertainment attorney. As lead counsel for branded entertainment embedded at Disney subsidiary Maker Studios, Inc.  Yemi is responsible for structuring, negotiating and closing sophisticated entertainment, SaaS and digital platform deals for the studio's domestic and international Sales, Distribution, Ad Ops and Branded Entertainment endeavors and monitors statutory and jurisdictional issues related to privacy, data collection and intellectual property rights. Prior to joining Maker Studios, Ms. Adegbonmire developed a private practice focused on structuring and negotiating agreements for cable distribution, consumer products licensing, viral marketing, digital content production, product acquisition, international film and prime time television distribution for Fortune 500 companies to start-up ventures. She is also a former attorney in the Disney ABC Television Group responsible for the legal affairs of SOAPnet.com along with over a dozen prime-time shows airing on the ABC Television Network.

Judith Dornstein, Esq., Law Offices of Judith C. Dornstein:  Judith has been honored to be named consistently to the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers by Martindale Hubbell. This is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standard from her peers. Less than 5% of women lawyers are recognized with an HV Preeminent rating. In that capacity she has drafted and negotiated above-and-below the line contracts for many television and motion picture productions, and has negotiated deals and contracts for many actors, writers, directors, producers, authors, musicians, songwriters, publishing companies, companies in the motion picture, television, music, video and Internet fields. Her expertise ranges from the acquisition of rights, through the development, production, exhibition, distribution, merchandising and exploitation of projects. In such capacity she has negotiated and drafted agreements with above-the-line and below-the-line talent (casting agents, writers, producers, actors, directors, composers, consultants, executives), financing agreements, location agreements, product clearance releases, guild and union agreements, composer, conductor and arranger agreements, soundtrack agreements, animation agreements, reality show agreements, synchronization and master use licenses, management agreements, tour agreements, merchandising agreements, network agreements, licensing agreements for television (free and cable) and video, joint venture/co-production agreements, distribution and financing agreements, minors' agreements, as well as copyright and trademark filings, and production joint ventures, partnerships and corporations. Judith has previously served on the Board of the Beverly Hills Bar and of Women in Film,as Chairperson of the Los Angeles County Bar Intellectual Property Committee, as a lecturer at UCLA Extension on "Starting and Operating a Production Company" and many other forums, and most recently as Chairperson and Moderator of the Brand Integration seminar on May 19, 2010 for the Beverly Hills Bar Entertainment Section. Judith is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Entertainment Executive Committee, the LA County Bar Entertainment and Intellectual Property Executive Committee and the Subscreen Section, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS), the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel (AMEC), the National Association of Recording Industry Professionals (NARIP), the Planning Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar/USC Entertainment Law Institute, and has been a mentor to students in the L.A. city schools through the Fulfillment Fund and the Community Magnet School.