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Summer 2021
Welcoming Our New Executive Director
and New Faculty Co-Director
All of us at the Ziffren Institute are excited to introduce Cindy X. Lin, our new Executive Director, and Mark McKenna, our new Faculty Co-Director.
Cindy joins the Institute from Sega of America, Inc., where she was Senior Director of Legal & Business Affairs. She brings with her 15 years of leadership experience and collaboration with executives and creatives across media, entertainment, and technology. While at Sega, Cindy oversaw the company's North American Legal & Business Affairs functions as it brought its games to a new generation of streaming platforms and achieved recognition as Metacritic's "2021 Game Publisher of the Year." She also played a key role in helping the company transform its Sonic the Hedgehog character into a top entertainment property across games, film, animation, and consumer products. Prior to her time at Sega, Cindy was a member of the Business & Legal Affairs team at Twentieth Century Fox. There, she negotiated licensing, co-promotion, and brand integration deals for iconic movie and television properties such as Avatar, Titanic, The Simpsons, and Modern Family. Cindy began her legal career as an associate at Morrison & Forester LLP, practicing general and patent litigation for both commercial and pro bono clients.
Mark joins the Law School faculty from Notre Dame, where he was the John P. Murphy Professor of Law and the founding director of Notre Dame’s Technology Ethics Center. Though his core expertise is in trademark law, Mark has written broadly on topics in nearly every area of intellectual property. Much of his recent work has focused on design and on the boundaries of different forms of intellectual property. He is also working on several projects relating to the regulation of new technologies, particularly those that employ predictive algorithms. Mark began his legal career practicing with Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson, an intellectual property firm in Chicago with a primary focus on trademark and advertising law. He continues to be actively engaged with litigation practice and is a frequent amicus brief writer. Mark will be teaching Torts this fall and Trademarks & Unfair Competition and Design Law in the Spring.
The Show Must Go On... Line.
The 45th Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium could not convene in person this year, so we went virtual, transforming the event into a four-part, month-long webinar series. The aptly titled “The Show Must Go On… Line? Life After Hollywood’s Longest Year” featured discussions of some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including: Tom Wolzien's annual update on the state of the industry; the future of theatrical coming out of a global pandemic; a discussion of the new backend model in the streaming wars era; the changing landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment business; the booming business of Influencer marketing; and a discussion of free speech online with the General Counsels of Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. The series was capped by the John H. Mitchell Panel on Ethics and Entertainment, where panelists discussed an attorney’s obligation to truthfulness, followed by an insightful and thought-provoking keynote address by Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions.
Our Year in Review
Defined by hours of weekly zoom classes, faulty wi-fi connections, and speaking while accidentally muted, the 2020-2021 academic year proved to be an especially challenging year as the university settled into a fully-remote learning environment. However, the Ziffren Institute rose to the moment, offering a robust slate of virtual events for students and alumni throughout the year. With the echoes of “can everyone hear me?” hopefully behind us, we look forward to being together again in person this fall for future events.
Ziffren IN-Series Goes Virtual
On October 15, 2020, the Ziffren Institute hosted Andrei Iancu ‘96, (former) Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, as part of its signature IN-DC series. The event, co-sponsored by the Intellectual Property Law Association, was moderated by Professor Doug Lichtman and covered topics such as the USPTO’s COVID-19 response and Iancu’s work encouraging a more diverse population to apply for the legal rights that help bring new ideas to the fore.
On October 26, the Ziffren Institute welcomed Harry Sloan and Jeffrey Sagansky for an in-depth conversation on special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) as the latest installment of the IN-Sports series. Ken Ziffren ’65 moderated the discussion between Sloan and Sagansky, the respective chairman & CEO, and founding investor of, Eagle Equity Partners. The duo spoke at length about their extensive experience with SPACs, which included successfully navigating fantasy gaming platform DraftKings to an IPO, and their latest endeavor with mobile gaming company Skillz.
Alums Share Wisdom
For the fourth consecutive year, the ever-popular One Year Out event welcomed back a panel of young alumni, this time from the Class of 2019, who are practicing in media and entertainment and who shared their experiences and career insights one year after graduating from law school. The panelists represented a breadth of career paths. Featured panelists included Bess Benhamou, Gunderson Detmer (formerly at Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, LLP); Blake Leeper, Mark Music & Media Law, P.C.; Elias Patlakas (LL.M), Netflix (formerly at The Jim Henson Company); Max Patton, Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP (formerly at 20th Century Studios); Blaine Roth, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (formerly at Allen & Overy LLP); and Lawrence Traylor, Jr., Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
As a follow-up, the Ziffren Institute later welcomed alumni from the class of 2015 for our annual Five Years Out panel in February 2021. The panelists reflected on their first five years out of law school, speaking candidly about how they navigated their careers in the media and entertainment industry. Panelists included Rose Kautz, Cooley LLP; Drew Jackson, Sony Pictures; Benneth Sheeley, Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman, Wertheimer, Mandelbaum, Morris, Bernstein, Trattner & Klein; and Danielle Weiss, Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson, & Christopher. The panel was moderated by UCLA Law 2019 alumna, Paige Kaplan, Greenberg Traurig.
In Fall 2020, Brent Canter '14 and Brigitte Alanis '18, associates from boutique music law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano LLP, presented a SPLE (Supplemental Practical Legal Education) session on music law fundamentals. They walked students through a step-by-step guide to closing a producer agreement, analyzing typical comments made during the negotiations, and explaining how various common issues are resolved. We look forward to continuing and expanding our SPLE offerings in the upcoming year.
In Spring 2021, the Institute hosted Daniel Weinberger ‘04, Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs at WarnerMedia for a Q&A session with students. Weinberger spoke candidly with students about his career path from law school to his current position, while also fielding questions from students about the industry as a whole. The session was moderated by students Ankeet Ball ‘22 and Taylor Raffanti ’21.
Inclusive Storytelling
One of the core missions of the Ziffren Institute is to provide students with pertinent training on key issues arising throughout the ever-changing landscape of the media and entertainment industries. Our hope is that our students will lead the industry in identifying opportunities for meaningful growth and then themselves champion beneficial change. As such, the Institute was particularly proud to host the John H. Mitchell Visiting Scholar Lecture, "Inclusive Storytelling: What Does Inclusion Really Look Like in Entertainment?" presented by Ziffren Institute Advisory Board member extraordinaire Catrice Monson’97, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Right Size Media. The discussion explored what studios, producers, and executives are doing currently in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – and how lawyers can support these policies and procedures. (Monson would help us highlight a related topic a few months later, chairing a high-profile discussion on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for this year’s Entertainment Symposium.)
Documentary Film Legal Clinic Keeps Rolling
Despite the challenges presented this past year, the Documentary Film Legal Clinic and its clients had a remarkably successful year. Our student clinicians provided counsel and expertise on more than 20 documentary projects, many of which achieved notable success. These projects included Women in Blue (PBS), Lift Like a Girl (Netflix), Q: Into the Storm (HBO Max) and 100 Years from Mississippi (winner of Best Documentary Feature at both the Harlem International Film Festival and the National Black Film Festival). UCLA clinicians also worked with emerging filmmakers referred to the Clinic by many of the most prestigious documentary organizations, including FilmIndependent, Firelight Media, and the International Documentary Association (IDA).
Dale Cohen and Dan Mayeda ‘82, the Director and Associate Director of the Documentary Film Legal Clinic, also made numerous (virtual) appearances to educate filmmakers on legal issues and spread the word about the pro bono services the UCLA Clinic is providing. With help from student clinicians and new FRONTLINE Fellow, Loralee Sundra, Dale and Dan offered legal seminars to grantees and attendees at programs and festivals sponsored by the Sundance Institute, the American Film Institute, South by Southwest and American University.
Harmonizing Hollywood: New Ethics Course
The highly anticipated John H. Mitchell Signature Course on Ethics and Entertainment, “Harmonizing Hollywood: Entertainment Disputes, Ethics and Peacemaking,” was met with rave reviews and great success. Students identified the material as “unique” and “a lot of fun,” and welcomed the inclusion of several guest speakers. The course was taught by Jonathan Anschell, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Mattel Inc., and and it introduced students to a range of industry issues, from disputes over idea submission to the ethical challenges raised by the right of publicity. The course also reviewed approaches to dispute resolution that are often used in entertainment disputes, including arbitration and mediation. As part of our continuing mission to train the next generation of leaders, we are excited that UCLA Law will again offer the course in the 2021-2022 academic year. With new pandemic-accelerated disputes, cases, resolutions, and precedents arising every day in the media and entertainment space, students will have much to discuss this coming year.
Ziffren Institute Welcomes New Board Members
Catrice Monson ’97 is the Managing Director & Co-Founder of Right Size Media, an advisory firm focused on inclusive storytelling and customer engagement across media, entertainment and technology. Prior to launching the company in 2020, Monson was the SVP of Diversity and Inclusion at CBS in Los Angeles for four years, and before that spent 16 years in the company’s Labor Relations Department. She has made it her mission to make creative spaces more inclusive for the underrepresented.
Chad Fitzgerald ’01 is a Partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump Holley LLP (KWIKH) where he specializes in entertainment industry disputes regarding profit participation & vertical integration and boasts an extensive Hollywood clientele. Fitzgerald has previously been named to The Hollywood Reporter's "Power Lawyers" list and was most recently recognized among by Best Lawyers in the 2021 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” and named one of “Hollywood’s New Leaders” by Variety.
Amy Siegel is the Co-Head of O'Melveny’s Entertainment, Sports and Media Industry Group. She represents motion picture studios, television networks, distribution and production companies, sports organizations and other media clients in all business and legal aspects relating to the acquisition, financing, exploitation and management of media-related assets. Her robust practice centers on complex commercial licensing arrangements with a focus on intellectual property rights with traditional and digital means of exploitation. She also has broad experience advising US and international clients on the creation of strategic alliances, project financing and distribution, and industry-specific mergers and acquisitions. Siegel’s work has earned her a place on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Power Lawyers” list for both 2020 and 2021.
Gabriel Brakin ’05 is the Chief Operating Officer of Participant, the leading global media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Brakin oversees company-wide business operations, deal making, and corporate & legal affairs and is responsible for the integration and operationalization of Participant’s content and impact strategy. During his time at Participant, Brakin has overseen production, distribution and investment arrangements for more than 100 films, including Oscar® Best Picture winners Spotlight and Green Book; Best Documentary Feature winners, American Factory, CITIZENFOUR, and The Cove and; Best Foreign Language Film winners ROMA and A Fantastic Woman; as well as acclaimed, award-winning episodic and short-form digital content. Before joining Participant in 2008, Brakin was an entertainment and media transactions attorney in the Century City Office of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Brakin is a member of the Executive Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has also served as a member of the Board of Directors on the Constitutional Rights Foundation. A double-Bruin, Brakin also holds a B.A in Political Science from UCLA.
With the addition of these accomplished industry leaders, we look forward to continuing the critical work of educating and training the next generation of attorneys in the media, entertainment, and sports industries.
Recent Grad Spotlight
Recent UCLA Law graduate Tami Fashina ’21 was featured in The Sports Lawyers Journal for his article “Doping in Esports: How and to What Extent Can We Look to WADA for Guidance.” The article analyzes the current state of the esports industry and addresses one of its biggest integrity issues: doping. Tami attended undergrad at the University of Kent where he received his first law degree and was a member of the field hockey team. Last summer, Tami worked as a Summer Associate at Morrison Rothman LLP, primarily in their esports practice. Congratulations, Tami!
UCLA Law graduate Vukie Mpofu ‘21 has been named Manager of Hockey Operations and Legal Affairs for the Los Angeles Kings. During his time at UCLA Law, Vukie served as the President of the Sports Law Federation. He also spent time working as a Legal Intern for Team Sports at Wasserman and with Vegas Golden Knights as a Hockey Legal Affairs Intern. Go Kings Go!
We're #1 Again!
We are proud to announce that UCLA School of Law has once again been ranked the #1 entertainment law school in the country by The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. Bolstered by our wide breadth of poignant curricular offerings and a faculty of experts in their respective fields, we hope to continue to be the preeminent training ground for future leaders of the entertainment industry and beyond.
Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law
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