HALL OF FAME
Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon LLP - 2007
Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel
Until recently no organization existed to support the career development of in-house counsel in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, while awards such as the Oscars and Emmys recognize excellence in the industry, there was no similar recognition for corporate counsel who directly contributes to the success of a television program or motion picture. Therefore, we created the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel (AMEC). Established in late 2004, AMEC organizes and sponsors programs designed to equip in-house legal counsel with the skills necessary to excel. AMEC also publishes a quarterly news magazine and will soon launch a job board to assist AMEC members make career transitions. The Media and Entertainment Counsel Awards were inaugurated in 2005 to recognize those members who have achieved the highest levels of successes in their areas of expertise and are now held annually at the legendary Friars Club in Beverly Hills. www.raskinpeter.com
www.theamec.com
Question & Answer with Peter Arnold, Founder
What goal were you trying to achieve? Why was it important?
The AMEC’s objective in hosting the Counsel of the Year Awards was to reward in-house general counsel and business affairs attorneys at major media and entertainment companies for their work during 2007.
Not only does the AMEC recognize some of the industry’s hardest-working attorneys, but the event also serves as a networking event. The event has grown from a humble attendance of 50 in 2005 to a booming 250 in 2007. Not only does the AMEC serve the interests of the founder’s law firm, Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon, but its founders wish to utilize the AMEC in order to bring attention to the firms and media companies of all those involved, whether they be nominees of an award or supporters of the association. The AMEC hoped to recognize in-house legal counsel as well as attract more support for the organization through various high-profile sponsors like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Korn/Ferry International, HSBC Bank and Foley & Lardner LLP.
The association also marketed beyond the entertainment industry and delved into the realm of local politics. The AMEC had proclamations made for the nominees by the Los Angeles City Attorney, Rocky J. Delgadillo, and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also came to the event.
How did you gather the internal support, resources and personnel to make it happen? Was there resistance?
The AMEC hired a support staff, a party planner, and a stage manager to help implement the program. We also contacted friends and former colleagues from companies like Fox Television Studios and Teletrax to help us bring publicity to the event and the AMEC.
The Counselor of the Year Awards may seem like another Hollywood awards show, but it is quite different in that it serves to recognize a sector of the entertainment industry that is often ignored: the attorneys behind the studio contracts or the Writers’ Guild of America strike. There was no resistance, because this was a planned event.
What was the most satisfying aspect of making your project a reality?
The idea of creating a community that was not there before, and making a place in the media industry that generates and cultivates relationships through networking.
How have you measured the success of your innovation over time?
The AMEC firmly believes that the results of the 2007 Counselor of the Year show us that our organization will continue to grow exponentially. This year we had 250 guests, compared to our humble 50 in 2005. Feedback from our guests, nominees and winners tell us that the show was much smoother and more organized than previous years.
How have your lawyers, staff and clients responded to this innovative accomplishment?
They have been very supportive, and the association has grown tremendously by word of mouth. The staff is very proud to work for the organization that is being recognized for the hard work they do.
What has been the reaction from your competitors, or from the local legal community and media?
The reaction has been a very positive one. We have been able to garner more media attention through attracting some high-level speakers, such as the mayor, as well as industry VIPs. We are a unique association, so the legal community has been enthusiastic about our presence.
What advice do you have for others who might wish to make something new happen in their law practice or firm?
Patience. It’s a risk to start something new in any industry, but that is how we continue to innovate and evolve. It may not happen right away, but if it’s a good idea, it will get there.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about your experience with this project?
The founders of AMEC were concerned that no organization existed to represent the interests and aspirations of in-house counsel and business affairs attorneys at entertainment and media companies. No existing organizations provided training or career guidance for the unique needs of these individuals.
Furthermore, when the entertainment industry came together to honor those who had achieved the highest levels of success, virtually every discipline from actors to costumers were recognized in a formal way, with one exception — in-counsel and business affairs.
Through narrowing down the concerns and keeping the goals of our organization in mind, we have created an association that chiefly addresses the concerns above. Having a clear goal of what we wanted the organization to do allowed us to execute our plan in a very effective manner.
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Until recently no organization existed to support the career development of in-house counsel in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, while awards such as the Oscars and Emmys recognize excellence in the industry, there was no similar recognition for corporate counsel who directly contributes to the success of a television program or motion picture. Therefore, we created the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel (AMEC). Established in late 2004, AMEC organizes and sponsors programs designed to equip in-house legal counsel with the skills necessary to excel. AMEC also publishes a quarterly news magazine and will soon launch a job board to assist AMEC members make career transitions. The Media and Entertainment Counsel Awards were inaugurated in 2005 to recognize those members who have achieved the highest levels of successes in their areas of expertise and are now held annually at the legendary Friars Club in Beverly Hills. www.raskinpeter.com
www.theamec.com
Question & Answer with Peter Arnold, Founder
What goal were you trying to achieve? Why was it important?
The AMEC’s objective in hosting the Counsel of the Year Awards was to reward in-house general counsel and business affairs attorneys at major media and entertainment companies for their work during 2007.
Not only does the AMEC recognize some of the industry’s hardest-working attorneys, but the event also serves as a networking event. The event has grown from a humble attendance of 50 in 2005 to a booming 250 in 2007. Not only does the AMEC serve the interests of the founder’s law firm, Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon, but its founders wish to utilize the AMEC in order to bring attention to the firms and media companies of all those involved, whether they be nominees of an award or supporters of the association. The AMEC hoped to recognize in-house legal counsel as well as attract more support for the organization through various high-profile sponsors like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Korn/Ferry International, HSBC Bank and Foley & Lardner LLP.
The association also marketed beyond the entertainment industry and delved into the realm of local politics. The AMEC had proclamations made for the nominees by the Los Angeles City Attorney, Rocky J. Delgadillo, and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also came to the event.
How did you gather the internal support, resources and personnel to make it happen? Was there resistance?
The AMEC hired a support staff, a party planner, and a stage manager to help implement the program. We also contacted friends and former colleagues from companies like Fox Television Studios and Teletrax to help us bring publicity to the event and the AMEC.
The Counselor of the Year Awards may seem like another Hollywood awards show, but it is quite different in that it serves to recognize a sector of the entertainment industry that is often ignored: the attorneys behind the studio contracts or the Writers’ Guild of America strike. There was no resistance, because this was a planned event.
What was the most satisfying aspect of making your project a reality?
The idea of creating a community that was not there before, and making a place in the media industry that generates and cultivates relationships through networking.
How have you measured the success of your innovation over time?
The AMEC firmly believes that the results of the 2007 Counselor of the Year show us that our organization will continue to grow exponentially. This year we had 250 guests, compared to our humble 50 in 2005. Feedback from our guests, nominees and winners tell us that the show was much smoother and more organized than previous years.
How have your lawyers, staff and clients responded to this innovative accomplishment?
They have been very supportive, and the association has grown tremendously by word of mouth. The staff is very proud to work for the organization that is being recognized for the hard work they do.
What has been the reaction from your competitors, or from the local legal community and media?
The reaction has been a very positive one. We have been able to garner more media attention through attracting some high-level speakers, such as the mayor, as well as industry VIPs. We are a unique association, so the legal community has been enthusiastic about our presence.
What advice do you have for others who might wish to make something new happen in their law practice or firm?
Patience. It’s a risk to start something new in any industry, but that is how we continue to innovate and evolve. It may not happen right away, but if it’s a good idea, it will get there.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about your experience with this project?
The founders of AMEC were concerned that no organization existed to represent the interests and aspirations of in-house counsel and business affairs attorneys at entertainment and media companies. No existing organizations provided training or career guidance for the unique needs of these individuals.
Furthermore, when the entertainment industry came together to honor those who had achieved the highest levels of success, virtually every discipline from actors to costumers were recognized in a formal way, with one exception — in-counsel and business affairs.
Through narrowing down the concerns and keeping the goals of our organization in mind, we have created an association that chiefly addresses the concerns above. Having a clear goal of what we wanted the organization to do allowed us to execute our plan in a very effective manner.
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