News

Welcoming Elsa Hiltner as our new Associate Director of Programs.

Starting on June 1, the full-time staff of Lawyers for the Creative Arts will increase by a whopping 33% with the addition of a new position -- Associate Director of Programs. Elsa Hiltner is joining LCA as the first holder of that position. 

Elsa brings a wealth of experience in the performing arts community. She began in theater as a costume designer and she has worked in various capacities for Collaboraction theater, including her prior position as head of Development. Along the way, Elsa developed insights into many of the structural challenges facing arts organizations and arts workers, and she has devoted her time and passion to making a difference. In particular, she has worked hard to create progress in the challenging area of pay equity. She has a national reputation as an arts advocate, based on her essays in industry publications, speaking on panels, and creating pay equity tools and resources for arts organizations. She is currently completing a project for a major Chicago arts school in analyzing and improving their compensation-related protocols. 

Amanda Alasauskas is an associate attorney at Arnett Law Group, LLC, where her practice focuses on general civil litigation and defense. She is the incoming President of the LCA Associate Board, as well as an LCA volunteer attorney. She graduated with a certificate in intellectual property from DePaul University College of Law, where she was involved with DePaul Law Review, and received her undergraduate education from Indiana University Bloomington. Amanda also serves as a Young Attorney Editor for the ABA Entertainment and Sports Lawyer.

We at LCA were shocked and saddened by the news of Richard Driehaus’ death this past Tuesday. 

Education, architecture, and especially the arts benefited from Richard’s personal passion for the culture of our City. He was an ardent advocate for philanthropy’s critical role in sustaining the arts and particularly in encouraging new arts ventures. 

David Lindner is a shareholder at Brinks Gilson & Lione, where his practice focuses on patent law. David has litigated cases in federal district and appellate courts, and has appeared before the Patent Appeals and Interference Board (now the Patent Trial and Appeal Board). David has also prosecuted patents both in the U.S. and internationally. Additionally, David is the chair of his firm’s Pro Bono Committee, and believes that helping others of limited means is an essential responsibility as a member of the bar. David attended DePaul University College of Law and worked in industry at a large telecommunications company before attending law school.

Continuing a long tradition, Lawyers for the Creative Arts announces several transitions in positions on its Executive Committee. The Board of Directors elected Barry Irwin to replace Michael A. Clark as Board President after Michael's third year in that position. Michael commented, "It was Barry's committment -- actually his passion -- for providing free legal help to artists that brought him to LCA more than ten years ago. During that time he has been one of our most consistent legal service volunteers. He is a regular lecturer in our educational programs both for the arts community and for lawyers seeking to expand their knowledge of Arts Law. And, he has been a reliable source of sound governance advice through his service on the Executive Committee. LCA is in good hands with Barry as Board President." 

Jed Enlow is currently a solo practitioner running Jed Enlow Law Offices out of an office at Stage 18 at Cinespace. Jed practices entertainment law, primarily representing production companies in the television and film fields. Prior to starting his own firm, Jed was a Partner at Leavens, Strand & Glover, Production Counsel on the Steve Harvey daytime talk show, and Senior Counsel at Harpo Productions. Jed went to law school at Suffolk University Law School in Boston and was a volunteer lawyer for LCA prior to joining the Associate Board.

John Moustis is Vice President of Sponsor Coverage for CBIZ Private Equity Advisory, the 10th largest financial services firm in North America. John and the CBIZ team support middle-market, private equity backed companies undergoing transitions and transactions with the overall mission to provide leadership, enhance visibility, and improve finance operations. 

John is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and previously worked at Chicago-based firms Liston & Tsantilis, and Parillo Weiss before transitioning into his current role. He currently practices law on the side as a solo practitioner assisting with intellectual property, real estate, family and corporate law matters, as well as LCA clients. Since 2018, John has also coached high school students during the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education’s annual high school mock trial competition. John graduated with a J.D. and a B.A. with Honors in Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
 

Carla Ham is co-founder of Ham Law Entertainment, a law firm that is devoted to serving the music and entertainment industry. A former entertainer herself, she has lived in the world of her clients, performing on stage with acts big and small from Kid Rock at the Aragon Ballroom, to Chris Casello at Reggies Music Joint and dozens of venues in between, giving her a unique perspective into the law by enabling her to anticipate problems before they arise. After years of watching her colleagues struggle to create their art under difficult contracts, she decided to attend law school to help the cause of entertainers everywhere.

Today, Ham is a licensed attorney and graduate of IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law (2011), a tier one national law school. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Northwestern University (2008) and a Masters in Communications and Public Relations from DePaul University (2006). Ham volunteers with Lawyers for the Creative Arts and is an LCA Associate Board Events Committee member. She is presently an associate attorney with Eldon L. Ham PC.

LCA's staff and board members were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Justice Ginsburg was a pivotal figure in legal battles for women’s and minority rights both before and after her appointment to the Supreme Court. She was a singular figure on the high court known for her judicial philosophy, the quality of her opinions and her incisive style of questioning at oral argument. She had a public following enjoyed by few other members of the judiciary. A law student dubbed her “R.B.G;” another law student composed an opera about her. Her judicial collar is an internet meme. She is the subject of movies and books as well as a current exhibition about her life at the Illinois Holocaust Museum.