Lommen Abdo's Entertainment, Intellectual Property & Sports Department




Our Philosophy:
The entertainment business is about passion and commitment. We practice law with a passion for creativity and a commitment to our clients’ success.

Our Team:
The Lommen Abdo Entertainment & Sports Law department is chaired by Ken Abdo, who brings extensive experience and expertise to helping individuals and businesses in the entertainment industry meet their needs.  Bob Donnelly adds 30 years as an attorney focusing solely on the representation of music industry clients.  Paul Bezilla's 25-plus years in the entertainment industry includes legal services for an array of high profile individuals and companies.  Barry O'Neil litigates entertainment law disputes.  Tim Matson adds his considerable expertise in the intellectual property area, including IP litigation, to the group.  Dan Young brings his experience with technology businesses. Lee Hutton is an NFL contract advisor and contributes his expertise of sports law to the group. Bryan Feldhaus is the associate attorney in this practice group.  Christie Healey, paralegal with the Entertainment & Sports Law Department, has a great depth of experience, having been a business affairs executive for major motion picture studios and distributors and television producers and financiers. Theresa Abdo Whelan has excellent credentials and many years of experience as an entertainment paralegal. Our team offers a broad range of capabilities and a depth of experience that make us competitive with entertainment firms anywhere.

Clients: Our clients include GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriters, recording and performing artists, producers, publishers, record companies, and studios in the music industry; authors and publishers in the literary and electronic publishing industry; Academy Award®, Emmy Award®, and Peabody Award-winning independent producers, writers, and television stations in the film and television industry.


Representative Services:  
Motion Picture and Television
  • Option and Purchase Agreements
  • Production Agreements
  • Rights Acquisition Agreements
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Broadcast Licenses
  • Cable Network Agreements
  • Licensing Agreements
  • Talent and Employment Agreements

Trademark 
  • Evaluations of potential marks, including searches for availability of trademarks and consultation as to selection
  • Applications and registration of trademarks
  • Enforcement of trademark rights and trademark disputes
  • Trademark protection and development programs -- including training of client personnel
  • Oppositions and cancellations
  • Sending and responding to cease and desist notices
  • Trademark licenses and other transactions involving trademarks
  • Domain name protection
  • Trademark portfolio management
  • Litigation

Technology Companies/New Media 
  • Content Acquisition Agreements
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Agreements
  • Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
  • Nondisclosure/Confidentiality Agreements
  • Noncompetition Agreements
  • Licenses
  • Application Service Provider (ASP) Agreements
  • Web Designer Agreements
  • E-commerce Agreements
  • IP Escrow Agreements
  • Franchise Agreements

IP Evaluations and Due Diligence
  • Rights clearance work for entertainment properties (motion pictures, television programs, computer software, books, music, and websites) involving issues such as copyright, trademark, right of privacy/publicity, defamation, etc.
  • Errors and Omission insurance matters, including attorney opinions
  • Investor side evaluations
  • Intellectual property audits
        
Music 
  • Recording Contracts
  • Music Publishing Agreements
  • Producer, Mixer, Engineer Agreements
  • Endorsement and Sponsorship Deals
  • Touring and Live Performance Transactions
  • Band Agreements
  • Music Licensing Agreements
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Talent Agreements

Copyright
  • Registration
  • Enforcement of copyrights
  • Copyright licenses and other transactions involving trademarks
  • Disputes involving copyrights
  • Sending and responding to cease and desist notices
  • Clearing rights in copyrights owned by others
  • Copyright portfolio management including, for example, music publishing
  • Litigation

Litigation
  • Lommen Abdo attorneys are well known as successful litigators of complex and high-stakes law suits. We bring that successful experience to litigated disputes involving entertainment industry issues including, for example, transactions, copyrights, trademarks, and business disputes
  • Mediation and other dispute resolution methods
  • Arbitration

Business Law for Entertainment Companies
  • Business Structures: Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Partnerships
  • Financing
  • Securities Law

    Book Publishing
     
    • Publishing Agreements
    • Distribution Agreements
    • Collaboration Agreements
    • Licensing Agreements 
     

Ken Abdo's quote in the New York Times article on August 15, 2011 ignited national and international interest in the topic of termination of copyright transfers. 

  • - Listen to the Ken Abdo interview on the nationally syndicated Public Radio International show, The Takeaway.
  • - Listen to the Ken Abdo interview on BBC Radio's Today show.
  • - Check out the interview of Tim Matson by award-winning journalist and Toronto talk radio host Arlene Bynon.   


We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the services of our Entertainment, IP and Sports attorneys.  Any questions may be directed to:

In Minnesota:
Ken Abdo at 612-336-9316 or ken@lommen.com.

In New York:
Bob Donnelly at 212-683-8775 or bobdonnelly@lommen.com.

 

Additional Information:


Ken Abdo knows music from the performing side. He knows it from the business side. And he knows it from the legal side. These days, Abdo is girding for a legal battle with the recording industry over a 1976 amendment to federal copyright law that allows artists to reclaim their work after 35 years and do with it as they please. The process legally is called "termination of transfer of copyright" and Abdo filed the first such notice with the U.S. Copyright Office on behalf of Greenberg. Abdo and Greenberg will know in 2013 whether the retrieval of "Funkytown's" copyright will go smoothly or require litigation. Read the rest of the Star Tribune article, "A Second Bite at the Apple."

John Simson interviewed Ivan Barius, Songwriter/Producer, Karma Productions at the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit 2011 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.  Watch the interview.

Read John Simson's Billboard Bulletin guest post entitled "Artist Revenue Stream Survey -- The Importance of Being Data."

Termination of Copyright Transfers in Music Receives National and International Interest - Ken Abdo's quote in the New York Times article on August 15, 2011 ignited national and international interest in the topic of termination of copyright transfers.

From Playroom to Pop Stardom - Ken Abdo was interviewed for this April 13, 2011 Star Tribune article concerning young artists.

Listen to the interview of Ken Abdo by Beet Street in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Final Regs Issued on Treating Musical Works as Capital Assets - The IRS issued final regulations on February 4, 2011 governing how to elect to treat the sale or exchange of a musical work or copyright in a musical work as a sale or exchange of a capital asset (TD 9514).

3rd Annual Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium reaches new level with national speakers. Lommen Abdo presented its 3rd Annual Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium for industry professionals in sports, music, interactive, film and other entertainment businesses on Friday, November 12, 2010 on the 50th floor of the IDS Center in Minneapolis.

Though opening night is delayed until early 2011, Lommen Abdo client Reeve Carney readies for his lead role as Spiderman in Broadways most expensive play ever.  Check out the article and photos on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark in Vogue.

Read Bob Donnelly's Billboard Magazine article, "Buyer Beware: Why Artists Should Do a 180 on "360" Deals."

Ken Abdo was interviewed for an article on the MinnPost.com news blog on the Performance Right Act. Read the article: "As stations bombard us with ads against the 'radio tax,' here's the other side of the story."

The Second Annual Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium was held on November 12, 2009.  Lommen Abdo attorneys, partnering with Minnesota Law & Politics® and the GRAMMY Foundation®, spoke to attorneys and industry professionals about substantive legal and business issues addressed in the practice of entertainment and sports law.

Owl City Hits #1 on Billboard Hot 100 - Read the press release.

View this Billy McLaughlin video about his determination to learn to play guitar left handed when he became unable to play right handed.

Bob Donnelly has had another article published…this time in the April 2008 Julliard Journal, which is one of the most prestigious publications in classical music.

An article which appeared in the March 15, 2008 Boston Globe covering the SXSW Music Festival.  Ken Abdo was quoted in the article.

An article on Ken Abdo which was published in the American Bar Association’s Forum in the Entertainment and Sports Industries quarterly publication.

DAN SATORIUS BLOGGING FROM SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL - Link to Dan's blog for Minnesota Public Radio and Gather.com from the Sundance Film Festival from January 19 to 23, 2008.

DIGITAL AGE SHIFTS ROLES OF LABELS, MUSIC PUBLISHERS

DAN SATORIUS'S GUEST APPEARANCE ON TECH TALK ON TPT-17 - Dan discussed digital rights management. The program was produced by the University of Minnesota. Lommen Abdo client, Professor Jon Riedl, was also a guest. 

LAW AND BUSINESS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES, 5TH EDITION

FROM BOOK TO SCREEN:  MINING LITERARY WORKS IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY: FINANCING THE LOW-BUDGET INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM WITH PRIVATE EQUITY SECURITIES OFFERINGS

CLEARING RIGHTS FOR FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS

ENTERTAINMENT LAW ETHICS

SHOPPING RECORD DEALS

NET PROFITS

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH PRODUCTION DEALS?

MANAGERS SHOULDN'T BE ENDANGERED SPECIES

 
 
 
 
 

Attorneys (Alphabetical Order)

Kenneth J. Abdo - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Kenneth J. Abdo

ken@lommen.com
612-336-9316
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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Paul J. Bezilla - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Paul J. Bezilla

paul@lommen.com
612-336-9344
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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Bob Donnelly - New York, New York Attorney

Bob Donnelly

bobdonnelly@lommen.com
212-683-8775
New York, New York Attorney

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Bryan R. Feldhaus - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Bryan R. Feldhaus

bryan@lommen.com
612-336-4389
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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Timothy C. Matson - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Timothy C. Matson

tim@lommen.com
612-336-9331
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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Barry A. O'Neil - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Barry A. O'Neil

barry@lommen.com
612-336-9342
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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Daniel M. Satorius (Of Counsel) - Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

Daniel M. Satorius (Of Counsel)

dsatorius@lommen.com
612-336-9332
Minneapolis, Minnesota Attorney

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John L. Simson (Of Counsel) - Washington, D.C. Attorney

John L. Simson (Of Counsel)

johnsimson@lommen.com
202-460-9252
Washington, D.C. Attorney

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