Copyright Fundamentals for the LCA Volunteer:

Copyright Litigation (1.0 CLE Hours)

Selected Topics and Model Agreements Covered in Video and Materials

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Speaker Biographies:

Jeffrey Becker

Partner - Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP

Jeff Becker is Chair of Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP’s Entertainment and Media Law Practice Group. Among his clients are Grammy Award-winning musicians, producers and songwriters, publishers and record labels, professional athletes, authors, independent filmmakers and other creative individuals and entertainment related businesses. For these clients, Jeff provides comprehensive representation in the transactional and litigation aspects of their businesses. In doing so, he counsels clients in the preparation, analysis and negotiation of various issues, including licensing and distribution rights, royalty negotiations and disputes, rights acquisition and clearances, talent agreements, production and performance agreements, music publishing and licensing agreements, recording contracts and master license agreements, sponsorship and endorsement agreements, and artist management agreements. Jeff strives to find the most cost-efficient way to help clients secure and protect their rights. He is an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University College of Law, where he teaches Music Law, and has guest lectured on entertainment-related topics at various colleges, law schools and conferences across the country. 

Jeff also previously served as Chair of the Swanson Martin & Bell, LLP’s Community Service/Pro Bono Committee. He proudly volunteers his time to Lawyers for the Creative Arts, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to eligible clients in all areas of the arts.

Julianne Hartzell

Partner - Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

Ms. Hartzell has significant experience in intellectual property litigation, including cases involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. She also has experience enforcing covenants not-to-compete and confidentiality agreements. Clients hire her to protect their intellectual property rights and to defend them against infringement allegations. She works closely with her clients to understand their business needs and aggressively defends her clients’ interests, seeking the most efficient route to resolve litigation in a way that satisfies those needs.

Ms. Hartzell brings strong experience as a litigator protecting her clients’ intellectual property rights and defending those accused of infringement. She has been lead counsel in numerous intellectual property disputes, including copyright and trademark jury trials. She is also a registered patent attorney.

Ms. Hartzell earned her J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School. As a student, she also interned for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, where she received valuable courtroom experience. 

She obtained her B.S. in mechanical and biomedical engineering from Duke University. As an undergraduate, she interned with Procter & Gamble and Visteon (then a division of Ford Motor Company), and also worked as a research assistant focusing on MRI imaging technology and failure analysis.

Gwen Hochman Stewart

Associate - Sidley Austin LLP

An associate in Sidley’s Chicago office, Gwen practices in the firm’s IP Litigation group, with an emphasis on complex patent and copyright litigation. She has represented clients in a wide variety of industries, including biologics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, mobile computing, communications networking, consumer electronics, software, construction materials, automotive technologies, professional services and fine art. She has experience litigating in various forums, including federal district and appellate courts as well as the United States International Trade Commission. She also has experience obtaining results for clients through various forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Committed to serving pro bono clients, Gwen has received both the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (May 2014) and the Thomas H. Morsch Award for Pro Bono Achievement from Sidley Austin LLP (Feb. 2014). These awards recognize Gwen’s work in bringing the copyright-infringement action Suarez v. Glassner, et al. (N.D. Ill.) on behalf of a local artist.

Before joining the firm, Gwen clerked for the Honorable William Alsup at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. During law school, Gwen served as Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology.

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