Thursday, November 14th, 2019

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Track II: Herscher Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 202

Digital Deals - Networks, Studios and Producers - Monetizing Content Across Platforms

Nina N. Ameri, Esq., Managing Partner, Ameri Law PC

Thomas Vidal, Partner, Pryor Cashman

Bruce Eisen, founder and president, The Law Offices of Bruce David Eisen

Gary Goldberger, Law Offices, Gary G. Goldberger

David Tenzer, Entertainment Attorney, formerly Generate, CAA

Michael Sid, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Mediamorph, Moderator

Nina N. Ameri, Esq., Managing Partner, Ameri Law PC a boutique entertainment and intellectual property law firm.  Mrs. Ameri has vast experience in the field of entertainment law. She has handled production legal on a multitude of independent films, new media and television projects. Mrs. Ameri is also counsel to individual producers, writers and directors negotiating and drafting their talent agreements on their behalf.  Mrs. Ameri represents filmmakers who need assistance and counsel navigating the development, production and distribution of independent films. In addition, Mrs. Ameri regularly represents clients in the following entertainment transactions: acquisition of intellectual property and life story rights, entity selection and entity formation, talent agreements, investor agreements, attachment and shopping agreements and distribution agreements. During her free time she enjoys binge watching independent films and going to amusement parks with her husband, son and daughter. She is a Los Angeles native and an avid networker.

David Tenzer is an entertainment lawyer and business consultant, with extensive experience in many sectors of the media industry. His clients include talented artists and companies in all areas of entertainment, including actors, writers, directors, producers, on-camera personalities, lifestyle experts, film and television distributors and digital content providers. For 24 years (1982-2006), Mr. Tenzer worked at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, one of the world’s leading talent agencies. He started at CAA as an executive in Motion Picture Business Affairs, then transferred to the Television Division, where he soon was named the head of Television Business Affairs. After several years, he became a Television Agent, working first in television movies, then covering CAA’s projects at CBS. Mr. Tenzer co-founded and operated the agency’s International Television Department, Alternative Programming Department, and later its Lifestyles Department. During his tenure at CAA, he also worked with the agency’s New Media, Film Financing and Marketing Departments, handling clients such as eBay, Delta Airlines and Procter & Gamble. As a Television Agent, Mr. Tenzer was responsible for selling over 40 produced series, movies and specials, with budgets in excess of $800 million. These included scripted prime-time series for broadcast and cable networks, reality shows, documentaries, children’s programming and international co-productions, as well as projects (such as “Home Made Simple” and “Dear Santa”) directly underwritten by advertisers. As a Business Affairs executive, he negotiated virtually every type of television production contract, including license agreements on behalf of production companies, distribution and co-financing arrangements, overall deals with studios, sponsorship and endorsement deals, contingent compensation definitions and agreements with above-the- line talent. He was also responsible for all commission and packaging issues within CAA’s Television Division. Mr. Tenzer has served on the Board of Directors of the International Documentary Association, the Banff World Television Festival, NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) and the Hollywood Radio and Television Society. He traveled to Beijing and Shanghai with Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan as an entertainment delegate on the city’s Trade Mission to Asia. He was named one of “Twelve to Watch” by Electronic Media in one of its annual cover stories. Prior to joining CAA, Mr. Tenzer was a contracts attorney with IBM Europe in Paris and Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles. He also worked in private practice with the law firm Rosen, Wachtell & Gilbert, where he specialized in commercial transactions and business litigation. Mr. Tenzer has an undergraduate degree in Politics from U.C. Santa Cruz, a law degree from U.C. Davis and an M.A. in Urban Studies from Occidental College. He was a Coro Foundation Public Affairs Fellow, and earned a Certificate in Advanced International Legal Studies from McGeorge School of Law. Mr. Tenzer is a member of the State Bar of California and a licensed real estate broker. He is an experienced public speaker, and has testified as an expert witness in several lawsuits and arbitrations, including the recent Golden Globes litigation in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He is a native of Los Angeles.

Thomas H. Vidal is a partner in Pryor Cashman’s Litigation, Media + Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Technology Groups. He represents a diverse roster of clients including media companies, software developers, entrepreneurs, film distributors, VOD platforms, recording artists, motion picture production companies and retailers, among many others.  An experienced and trusted trial attorney, he handles a range of civil matters on the state and federal level. Thomas brings a considered, practical approach to all of his representations, which run the gamut from multinational businesses to entrepreneurs and executives. Drawing from a breadth of experience litigating copyright, trademark and patent infringement claims, he maintains a robust intellectual property practice. He argues cases involving licensing, misappropriation, contract disputes, false advertising and deceptive practices, and counsels media and advertising companies on state and federal advertising regulations. Clients in the technology sector benefit from Thomas’s deep industry knowledge. Having worked as a software developer and in programming prior to becoming a lawyer, he is intimately familiar with the issues and challenges facing the industry, and has successfully litigated matters on behalf of web developers, hardware designers, end users and gaming companies. Sought after for his skillful handling of entertainment law matters, Thomas provides comprehensive representation to clients in the film, music, fashion and publishing industries, securing victories in cases involving rights of publicity, defamation and First Amendment issues. Beyond his litigation capabilities, Thomas is a trusted and savvy negotiator, adept at structuring transactions related to film, music, and literary projects. He helps his clients obtain optimal terms in film acquisition, production, financing and distribution deals as well as recording and book publishing agreements.

Bruce David Eisen is a veteran entertainment attorney and media executive.  Eisen’s legal practice focuses on the intersection of new and traditional media whose clients include Shout! Factory, Brainstorm Media, Rubicon Entertainment, Random Media and Hollywood Media Bridge, among others. Recent services include providing production legal services for an upcoming Chiller network movie, providing out-sourced legal and business affairs services that includes drafting and negotiating distribution agreements with various entities including Hulu, Redbox, iN DEMAND,  Amazon, PlayStation Network and Vimeo; structuring and drafting development and writer agreements as well as  drafting and negotiating content acquisition agreements.  Other recent activities include M&A legal work representing the seller of an entertainment company as well as the seller of a music library, each of which sold for seven figures. From 2009 through 2012 Eisen was the Vice President Online Content Development & Strategy for DISH Network where he negotiated agreements with most of the major television networks on behalf of DISH, licensing over 20,000 television shows for distribution and acquiring on-demand rights from the major Hollywood studios including VOD/EST/SVOD rights for distribution of their content across multiple platforms including set-top boxes, DishOnline.com, iPad, iPhone and Android devices. Eisen was one of the principals who started CinemaNow in 1999 and, as the company’s general counsel, negotiated financing for the company in excess of $40 million, negotiated CinemaNow’s agreements with over 200 content licensors including all of the major Hollywood studios as well as agreements with local ISPs, portals and film distributors to bring CinemaNow to the U.K., the Netherlands, Taiwan, Philippines, Latin America, and Singapore.  In addition, Eisen was instrumental in creating CinemaNow Japan, Inc., an affiliated entity that raised over $15 million in funding. Eisen structured the strategy and business aspects of CinemaNow’s technology requirements to enable the efficient, cost-effective distribution of content on a worldwide, video-on-demand basis and, in that regard, licensed all required technology including agreements for content delivery network services, data services, data hosting, geo-targeting, recommendation engines, web analytics, network storage  and customer relation management with companies such as Akamai, Limelight, Savvis, Intel, Qwest, RightNow Technologies and WebSideStory. Eisen started his career as the head of Legal and Business Affairs for Trimark Pictures where his responsibilities included negotiating the company’s distribution agreements with companies including the Walt Disney Company, Miramax, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Columbia Pictures, HBO and others.   Eisen also negotiated and drafted Trimark’s development agreements as well as its production legal agreements including those with such talent as Samuel L. Jackson, Renee Zelweger, Peter Jackson and Jim Belushi.  In addition, Eisen structured the company’s relationships with the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America and was instrumental in negotiating Trimark’s $25 million line of credit with Bank of America and Trimark’s $75 million line of credit with The Chase Manhattan Bank as well as numerous production financing agreements with various lenders and bond companies. Eisen received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1991 and his B.A. cum laude with high honors in Philosophy from Clark University in 1984.

Gary Goldberger, Law Offices, Gary G. Goldberger: Since mid-2007, Gary Goldberger his operated a solo law practice in which he focuses on transactional entertainment law (television, independent film, Internet and new media, licensing,  distribution, publishing, music) and general business law.  He is able to combine his experience in legal, business, creative and international areas to help his clients make decisions not just from a legal standpoint, but also from a strategic and long-term perspective. Clients include production/distribution companies, growing small to mid-sized companies, independent filmmakers, documentarians, publishers, talent, writers, musicians, Internet businesses, and authors. From mid-2004 to early 2007, Goldberger was an independent producer, a consultant to companies in the area of international and domestic television distribution, and an attorney.  During that time, he was the executive producer of four movies that have been distributed internationally (three of which have premiered on Lifetime Television in the United States). For over twelve years through 2004, Goldberger was a senior executive in the domestic and international television production and distribution arena.  He was the Executive Vice President of Carlton America, the U.S. office of Carlton Communications, a large UK-based international media company.  Over the 13 years in his position with Carlton America (and under its previous names), he helped manage, diversify and grow the company to where it became one of the leading independent distributors and producers of television movie programming.  Goldberger was responsible for Carlton’s developing relationships with and acquiring programming from many of the premier television movie producers.  He also headed the business affairs of the company and acted as the General Counsel, participated in international television markets and in product licensing to buyers worldwide, and was an executive producer or co-producer on seven television movies produced by Carlton America.Before moving to Los Angeles in 1990, Goldberger served as a legal counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the US House of Representatives.  He developed legislation on behalf of a Congressional Subcommittee, and advised Members of Congress on policy in areas of bankruptcy, entertainment and broadcast industries, antitrust, professional sports, and commercial matters.  Goldberger is also the co-author of Disability Law Compliance Manual, a legal treatise on the Americans With Disabilities Act published in 1991. He spent the first five years of his legal career in the business litigation department of Semmes, Bowen and Semmes, a large law firm in Baltimore, Maryland. Goldberger is a Board Member and serves as Secretary of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles.  Goldberger is a Board Member of California Lawyers for the Arts, a non-profit organization, and has presented several workshops on behalf of CLA.  Goldberger served for two terms as a Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and was Chair of ATAS’ Sponsorship Committee for four years.  He is a past-president and current Board Member of the Encino Lawyers Association. Goldberger is a 1976 graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and received his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1979.

Michael Sid, CEO, Mediamorph: Mr. Michael Sid, also known as Mike Co-founded and has been the Chief Executive Officer and Director of MediaMorph Inc. since April 10, 2007 and serves as its President. From November 2004 until founding MediaMorph, Mr. Sid served as President of Michael Sid & Associates, a private consulting firm providing management consulting services to clients. From September 2005 to April 2007, he served as Vice President of Services for Connotate Technologies, a software provider. Previously, Mr. Sid served as a Senior Manager of BearingPoint from January 2004 to November 2004 and was a Senior Director at Sony Music Entertainment from August 2002 to January 2004 where, he oversaw the technology group. Prior to that, Mr. Sid served as a Managing Director at Context Integration from September 1998 to August 2002, which provided technology consulting services. He received a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988.