Entertainment Labor Consulting, inc.

President and Founder – 2009

Entertainment Strategies Group llc

Consultant – 2008

·     Assisted independent producers, lawyers and other professionals in understanding the guild and union agreements which underlie most talent transactions in the entertainment industry. Assessed union contract impact on potential business opportunities. Guest speaker and lecturer on issues related to guild and union agreements.

Screen Actors Guild                                                

Deputy National Executive Director for Contracts – 2001-2006

·     Oversaw administration, enforcement and negotiation for all Screen Actors Guild collective bargaining agreements covering earnings in excess of $2 billion. Chief Negotiator or Second Chair for every major SAG collective bargaining agreement negotiation. Claims collected exceeded 10 million dollars annually. Residuals checks processed exceeded 1 million annually. 

n     Led national staff of 200 with a budget of $12 million. Managed nine direct reports who were senior national staff for each of the core contract and service areas.  

n     Advised international unions on Screen Actors Guild contracts upon request, participating directly in non-domestic bargaining.

n     Coordinated inter-guild collaboration on bargaining strategy.

Deputy National Executive Director for Policy, Planning & External Affairs – 2000-2001

n     Identified, for the SAG National Board, the competitive risk of the industry’s impending digital technology implementation. Served as lead staff person on the substantive development of consolidation plan for SAG and AFTRA. 

n     Developed and implemented new governance structure, reducing national board from 105 to 72.

n     Acted as primary advisor on restructuring national SAG staff of 400 persons in 21 offices around the country.

National Director of Strategic Planning – 1998-2000

n     Directed a comprehensive operational review from Request for Proposal up to and including implementation of change effort involving coordination of cross-functional member-staff teams relating to governance, finance and budgeting, national staff structure, and branch office and governance structure.

n     Worked as primary SAG advisor on Digital Millenium Copyright Act in which the Guilds obtained federal protection for residuals after transfer of rights.

Director of Production Development & Performers Rights – 1995-1997

·     Led development on national low budget agreements after study of film festival submissions revealed significant non-union independent filmmaking.

·     Served as key executive in comprehensive campaign to educate industry about availability of new low budget agreement contracts. Campaign was the precursor to the current SAGIndie program.

·     Negotiated unified United States position for Audiovisual Performers Rights Treaty on behalf of Screen Actors Guild in preparation for World Intellectual Property Organization sessions.

·     Represented the Guild at World Intellectual Property Organization, UNESCO, International Federation of Actors and many conferences on issues related to intellectual property rights for performers.

·     Acted as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2007.

·     Confronted critical deficit in the health plan as a trustee and participated in the implementation of difficult changes to the plan to assure future stability.

·     Served on the Benefits, Collections, Communications, Legal, and Finance Committees (oversight of $2.5 billion under management).

The Anteaus Company (Los Angeles Classical Theater Ensemble)

Board Member – 2006-Present

·    Finance and Fundraising Committees

• American Bar Association
  
• LA County Bar Association
• Beverly Hills Bar Association
• Women In Film
• Film Independent
• Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel
• Southern California Mediation Association
• Association of Conflict Resolution

2007 – Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

·     Mediating the Litigated Case

2005, 2007 – University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School,  International Foundation of Employee Benefits

·     Advanced Investments Management certificate program

1990-1994 – Fordham University School of Law

·     J.D., International Intellectual Property focus

·     Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Notes & Conference Editor

1981-1985 – Douglass College at Rutgers University

·     B.A., Theater Arts, Organizational Communication