Sports & Entertainment Law Section
The Dallas Bar Association’s Sports and Entertainment Law Section welcomes lawyers who practice sports or entertainment law, watch TV or movies, read or write books, make or listen to music, or participate in sports as a player or fan. The Section presents monthly CLE programs in its major substantive areas, bringing in experts from around the country. It also supports programs within the community. And it offers networking opportunities to its members.
Meeting Schedule:
The Section regularly meets at noon on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Belo Mansion. CLE credit is provided for our presentations. Each October, the Section typically presents a half day Boot Camp on a substantive area within the sports or entertainment business. Be sure to check the meeting dates in Headnotes or the DBA on-line calendar as our schedule sometimes changes to accommodate speakers.
Section News:
2012 is off to a great start. We welcomed Evan Fitzmaurice, Texas Film Commissioner, as the speaker at our January meeting. Our February meeting (Wednesday the 22nd) will feature Ameen Najjar, the Director of Enforcement for the NCAA.
2011 ended with our SPORTS LAW BOOT CAMP on Friday, October 28th, at Hully & Mo's sports-themed restaurant in the Quadrangle. Great panels and CLE were enjoyed by an overflowing house!
On September 28th, Kellie Fischer, CFO of the Texas Rangers, spoke about the ethical and business issues confronted during the bankruptcy of the organization. This moving and informative presentation provided an hour of participatory ethics credit.
On August 24th, Deena Kalai presented a wonderful lecture on the Fair Use defense to claims of copyright infringement.
On July 27th, Trey Branham discussed the Super Bowl seats fiasco and the litigation it has spawned. It was a very interesting presentation.
On June 22nd, our speaker was well-known entertainment attorney Chris Castle from Los Angeles. Chris discussed the Protect IP Act, the unlawful business models used on the internet, and enforcement actions by Homeland Security and other governmental units. His Power Point slides are uploaded on our Section website.
On May 25th, we welcomed Tamera Bennett and Ken Pajak, who spoke about ""Protecting an Artist's Legacy Through Estate Planning, Probate and Post-Death Administration of an Artist's Rights."
On April 27th, we had an hour of ethics, presented in an entertaining way by a lawyer from the State Bar of Texas. Our previously-scheduled speaker, Trey Branham, was rescheduled to our July meeting due to a conflict.
Our Section co-sponsored a free legal panel during the Dallas International Film Festival on April 4th. The lawyers, students and filmmakers who packed the ballroom at the Joule Hotel enjoyed a lively discussion and delicious lunch.
Our March CLE, "Immigration Strategies for Extraordinary and Ordinary Artists, Athletes and Entertainers," was outstanding and taught us about the various ways (legalities and tips) to bring foreign athletes, artists and entertainers to the United States.
In March we co-sponsored a panel on legal issues in the music industry during the annual Conferette in Denton (f/k/a 35 by Northwest).
In February, we enjoyed a wonderful panel discussion about writing and publishing books. Our Section includes published authors and future published authors.
In January, we welcomed Val Ackerman, first President of the WNBA and former President of USA Basketball, who spoke to us about how to start a sports league.
Section Officers:
Name: Mike Farris
Officer Position: Chair
Firm: Vincent Lopez Serafino Jenevein, P.C.
Firm Address: 1601 Elm Street, Suite 4100
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: (214) 979-7435
Email: mfarris@vilolaw.com
Name: Todd Krumholz
Officer Position: Vice Chair
Firm: Genesco Sports Enterprises
Firm Address: 1845 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Suite 1250
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: (214) 237-6935
Email: tkrumholz@genescosports.com
Name: Cat Hough
Officer Position: Secretary
Firm: DeLeon Law Group PC
Firm Address: 2500 Dallas Parkway, Suite 260
Firm City, State, Zip: Plano, TX 75093
Business Phone: (972) 826-4463
Email: chough@deleonlawgroup.com
Name: Marc W. Taubenfeld
Officer Position: Treasurer
Firm: McGuire, Craddock & Strother, P.C.
Firm Address: 2501 N. Harwood, 1800 St. Ann Court
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: (214) 954-6809
Email: mtaubenfeld@mcslaw.com
Name: Sally Helppie
Officer Position: Immediate Past Chair
Firm: Vincent Lopez Serafino Jenevein, P.C.
Firm Address: 1601 Elm Street, Suite 4100
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: (214) 979-7411
Email: sally@advocatepictures.com
Name: Aaron Tobin
Officer Position: DBA Board Advisor
Firm: Anderson Tobin, PLLC
Firm Address: 13355 Noel Rd, Ste. 1900
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75240
Business Phone: 972-789-1160
Email: atobin@andersontobin.com
Resource Links
Section Membership
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section, please send a letter of request and a $20.00 membership fee to:
DBA
2101 Ross Ave
Dallas TX, 75201
Please note that you must be a member of the Dallas Bar Association to join a section. If you have any questions regarding sections membership, please contact the membership department at the Dallas Bar.
Section Admin-Mass E-mail/Roster
