Feature on Seton Hall Law School Website

Seton Hall Law School is running a program feature on The Entertainment and Sports Law Society and the Industry Night event on November 4th! Check out the website HERE!

Review- Industry Night: Breaking Into Sports and Entertainment Law

On Wednesday, November 4^th, 2009, The Entertainment and Sports Law Society presented “Industry Night: Breaking Into Sports and Entertainment Law”. Guests included Bill Campbell, Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs at Sony Music Entertainment, Andrew Fisher, former Sr. Writer and NBC-Universal, Michael Gold, Sr. Counsel at the National Hockey League, and Ronald Bienstock, founder/partner at Bienstock & Michael, P.C.

Embracing a different format and structure than the traditional setting used for such a distinguished panel of speakers, the event was standing room only in the multi-purpose room of the law school and featured he speakers immersed amongst the students in attendance. Andrew Fisher, former senior writer for NBC-Universal, commented that, “It was wonderful to be sitting right next to the students, rather than on a pedestal above them or behind a podium. This allowed the students to be more comfortable with the speakers, with each other, and provided a chance for us to answer them by looking them directly.”

The evening began with an introduction to guests and visitors by ESLS President, 2L Krista Lynn Peckyno. Miss Peckyno set the tone for the evening by reminding speakers and students alike as to the purpose of the event- to facilitate an intimate conversation between the movers and shakers of the sports and entertainment industries and the students who desire to be in those positions in the future. This led to a brief introduction by each of the guests as to their background and what it is like to spend a day in their shoes at their respective companies. Michael Gold spoke of what it is like to work in house for a major sports league, noting that, “Every day is different. Some days are filled drafting and negotiating contracts, others I feel like I am cleaning up a lot of messes.” He further noted that the main function of an attorney working in house is to prevent your company from getting into messes- being proactive and taking steps to ensure that the actions taken by the organization are methodically thought out and analyzed. Ronald Bienstock spoke of creating his own company and what he specifically looks for in hiring associates at his firm. Ronald said, “I get hundreds of resumes every year from students saying- ‘I took copyright, I can be a great asset to you!’ What they don’t understand is it is a major investment for me to hire a new person, and they don’t know everything. It takes a special kind of person to work in entertainment law, and it is similar to being an artist. You shouldn’t be in this particular kind of law unless you can’t imagine doing anything else. Your passion, your determination to work in this field, is what I look for. I look for someone who can’t live without practicing entertainment law.”

Andrew Fisher engaged the membership of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society on what it is like, as a non-attorney working in the arts, to work with attorneys. He noted common frustrations and complaints, and educated the students on how to avoid similar paths. He also spoke of how a lawyer interacts with a writer in editing content that will eventually be shown on the air. Seton Hall Law School alumni (’94) Bill Campbell first discussed his route from Seton Hall to Sony Music, and how he took lower level jobs in the company at first just to “break in” to the industry, and then the systematic and well-thought out approach he had to climbing his way up to his current position. He also spoke of his recent decision to leave Sony Music to work as Director of Digital Music Development for Universal Music Group. Bill, along with all of the guests, spoke of the importance of networking at every possible moment, and each had a personal story of how networking out of the office led to an opportunity for them in the future.

Following introductions and brief background, the remainder of the evening was spent with students asking questions to the guests. 2L Nicole DeMuro, ESLS Vice President of Sports, began by asking each panelist to name a particular quality or attribute that attorneys are looking for in hiring associates. The panelists responded to Miss DeMuro by first agreeing that grades are perhaps the most crucial deciding factor, with journal or moot court participation coming in a close second. Michael Gold added that he couldn’t imagine someone being in sports law without participating in an organization such as ESLS on an executive level. Ronald Bienstock added that grades are less important to his company, as he first seeks someone that is committed and dedicated to entertainment law. 2L Nima Ashtyani asked Bill Campbell for his thoughts on whether the music industry might be wasting time and resources pursuing individual music “pirates” rather than trying to eat the loss until they learn to adapt technology to prevent the problem. Bill spoke as to how there were changes being made in the industry to prevent this problem from happening again, but right now the technology being developed by hackers is too quick to keep up with it and that their time and resources are often far greater than what the music industry can keep up with.

Many questions asked by students were predominantly focused on each of the panelist’s particular journeys to their current positions. While each spoke of a journey comprised of hard work, networking and determination, they also spoke of the role luck played in their journey. Andrew Fisher complemented this thought by adding that, “You make your own luck by the things you do every day.” Seton Hall Law School Professor and Faculty Advisor of ESLS Brenda Saunders concluded this discussion by informing students how the externship program in entertainment law provided students remarkable opportunities to “create their own luck” by working with attorneys and executives at any one of the law school’s entertainment partners, such as Warner Brothers Music, Sony-BMG Music, Universal Music Group, or MTV Business and Legal Affairs.

Following the event, both panelists and students alike enjoyed a wine and cheese networking reception where students had the chance to speak one on one with the panelists and ask any additional questions they didn’t get a chance to answer. Due to the response by the student body, the Entertainment and Sports Law Society will likely host a similar event in both the fall and spring semesters of the 2010-2011 academic year. Questions can be directed to Krista Lynn Peckyno or any of the executive board at SHUlawESLS@gmail.com or by visiting the ESLS student blog at http://shulawesls.blogspot.com.

Meet our Panelists... Introducing Bill Campbell!

BILL CAMPBELL

Since January 2008, Seton Hall Law alum Bill Campbell has been the SVP Business Development of US Digital Business for Sony Music Entertainment. His responsibilities included all aspects of strategic partnerships, content licensing deals, product and channel development for the digital distribution of Sony BMG content (including electronic media distribution, mobile, and streaming VOD). He has been a Senior Executive for 18+ years and has global expertise in Business Development, Operations, Strategic Planning, Business & Legal Affairs, and General Management

Meet our Panelists... Introducing Ronald Bienstock

RONALD BIENSTOCK
Prior to forming the Law Offices of Ronald S. Bienstock in 1987, earlier in the 80’s Ron was editor-in-chief and publisher of International Musician & Recording World and was General Counsel to Hoshino, U.S.A. (manufacturer of Ibanez Guitars, electronics, and Tama drums). In 1991, Ron was voted one of the top 100 “Most Influential People In The Music Business” by BAM Magazine.

Ron teaches Entertainment Law as an adjunct professor at New York University and is a frequent guest lecturer for various graduate and undergraduate schools at NYU. Ron has also been a music business commentator for Air America Radio, WBAI, Tech TV and CNN, and has been a guest lecturer and instructor for the BMI Moot Court Competition, ASCAP, CMJ, NEMO, SXSW, NAMM, PMA, RPMDA, the Florida Music Conference, Atlantic Records A&R University, the On-Line Music Conference, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, St. John’s School of Law, Pratt Institute, William Patterson University, Quinnipiac School of Law, New York High School of the Performing Arts, and Berklee College of Music.

Ron has been published in the New York Law Journal, on musicplayer.com, and NYSBA’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal. He has written a monthly column, “The Biz”, in Guitar Magazine, and continues to write for the influential artist website, getsigned.com. Ron has Co-Chaired the NYSBA committee on the Recording Industry and the Internet.

Recent interviews with Ron can be seen in Guitarist Magazine, Guitar World, The Orlando Sentinel, Billboard, Forbes, Vintage Guitar Magazine, the CSCPA Newsletter (Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants), the Long Island Business Journal, a feature bio in Bass Player Magazine, NJSBA Legal Eagle, The Tennessean, and many other publications and newspapers.

As a performing and recording musician since 1972, Ron has performed extensively with various major recording artists before and after law school. Ron began his recording career with New Jersey’s own “Another Pretty Face.” He continues to perform regularly with various acts at music trade shows, and performs and records with his band, “The Suits”, whose debut LP on Viceroy Records secured them national tours and numerous TV appearances including “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and CNBC. “The Suits” have released their recent LP’s on Transglobal Records, and performed over the last nineteen years with the Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, Jim Messina, Nils Lofgren, Taj Mahal, Curtis Mayfield, Govt Mule, Ziggy Marley, The Doobie Brothers, The Connells, Rory Gallagher, Hot Tuna, John Hammond, Foreigner, Bass Desires, Leslie West, Robben Ford, Ambrosia, Eric Burden and the Animals,among many others. Ron performs with jazz guitar great Ritche Deraney in their quintet, The Blue East Jazz Ensemble, also on Transglobal Records. Ron continues to perform studio work, such as the Alan Friedman debut LP (The Test Of Time) and the “Mach Five” debut LP for Island Records with whom he also performed the theme song for NBC TV’s “Wind on Water”. Ron has also appeared on the Brian Moore Artist LP along with famed guitarist Jimmy Vivino. Ron has scored and composed for off-Broadway, film and TV, including the “100th Anniversary of the Dodgers” video NBC’s “Sportstest,” the award winning play “Two” by Romulus Linney and recent productions at the Verticle Repertory Theater.

Meet our Panelists... Introducing Michael H. Gold!

MICHAEL H. GOLD

Michael H. Gold currently serves as Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs for NHL Enterprises, L.P., the licensing and marketing arm of the National Hockey League. He is the senior transactional lawyer in NHLE's in-house department and specializes in preparing agreements and counseling the NHL and the 30 NHL Clubs in the areas of licensing, marketing, sponsorship, intellectual property and events. Mr. Gold started his legal career as Legal Counsel for Major League Soccer where he handled primarily intellectual property, licensing and other contractual matters. He also spent a year with White & Case in New York. He is a 1999 graduate of the Villanova University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree in 1996 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.