Lecturer Bios
Thomas A. Crowell, Esq.
Thomas A. Crowell, Esq. counsels clients on intellectual property matters and a broad spectrum of legal issues across media sectors including publishing, film, television, merchandising, licensing, music, video games, manufacturing, and the graphic arts. A seasoned negotiator, he leads deals for client programming featured on networks such as Nickelodeon, Discovery, Starz, DIY Network, TLC, SyFy, WE, and the Smithsonian Channel. With extensive experience in both narrative and unscripted television, he has also collaborated with the Dominican Republic Film Commission to help harmonize the country’s motion picture legislation with that of the United States.
Crowell represents several comic book publishing companies as well as many of the industry’s most notable artists and writers. He is the co-creator and former Director from Practice of The Indie Film Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and the Executive Director, emeritus, of New Jersey Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Since 2015, he has taught continuing legal education courses on comic book legal practice at NY Comic Con and numerous other conventions nationwide. He currently serves as the copyright, intellectual property, and media law professor at CUNY School of Law in New York City.
An avid writer, Crowell is the series editor of Focal Press’s “Pocket Lawyer for…” series of legal guides for artists and the author of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers (Focal Press, 3rd ed. 2024) and The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators, the first dedicated legal guide to the comic book industry. He is also a contributing author for LexisNexis in its entertainment law division.
Before entering the legal profession, Crowell worked as a television reporter, producer, and production executive, and later served as the Director of Business and Program Development for The Science Technology Network. He has written comics for Waxwork Comics and created the 1990s children’s television show Professor Potto’s Videolabs, which received the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.
More information about his lectures and publications is available at his website:
www.thomascrowell.com
Jeff Trexler, Esq.
Jeff Trexler, Esq. (JD, Yale; PhD, Duke) is an attorney and Associate Director of the Fashion Law Institute.
Jeff has worked with media and fashion clients from around the world on issues ranging from start-up formation and tax strategy to corporate ethics and intellectual property.
jeff.trexler@gmail.com
@jefftrexler
Gamal Hennesy, Esq.
A former international contracts manager with Marvel Enterprises, Gamal Hennessy is an experienced commercial contracts attorney with expertise in drafting and negotiating comic book publishing and IP licensing. During his career, he’s represented major corporate clients including Amazon Publishing, Marvel Comics, After Shock, Mad Cave Studios as well as independent artists and writers.
Jason Yarn, Esq.
Jason Yarn, Esq. has been an agent for ten years and an attorney for six, working in the literary department and business affairs at Paradigm Talent Agency before going out on his own. His agency represents award winning and #1 New York Times bestselling authors of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, in addition to handling film and television rights.
https://www.jasonyarnliteraryagency.com
@kalyarn
Marc D. Ostrow, Esq.
Marc is a copyright and entertainment attorney and chair of the firm’s music industry practice. He represents songwriters, recording artists, labels, music publishers, authors and other creatives as well as businesses that produce or license intellectual property. He has been recognized by his peers as a 2022 New York Super Lawyer for entertainment and sports law and has been rated “AV-Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.
With more than thirty years’ experience as an executive and attorney, both in-house and in private practice, Marc has worked in private equity, corporate and start-up environments. He uses his varied experience to counsel his clients as to both the legalities and the practicalities of matters, including those involving strategic planning, employment, negotiation strategy, asset sales and acquisitions and dispute resolution.
Before returning to private practice, Marc ran the New York office of London-based classical music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, representing many of the greatest composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including several Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winners. He increased profitability, streamlined operations and hired key staff. Marc was also responsible for the office’s legal, licensing, copyright and contractual matters. Prior to Boosey, Marc was a Senior Attorney with BMI, where he prosecuted copyright infringement actions throughout the country, defended the company in lawsuits and advised management on legislation affecting songwriters. He began his legal career as a litigator with large and mid-size firms.
Since 2017, Marc has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School, which has been rated by Billboard Magazine as the top law school for music law. He has been interviewed on live television regarding his views on high profile copyright infringement cases on NewsNation, Fox, Scripps TV and CourtTV. Marc is also a speaker at various industry and educational organizations and recently served on the panel about copyright and book publishing at the 2023 New York Law School Intellectual Property Symposium. His Introduction to Music Law video presentation is available for CLE credit through Lawline.
Marc is a former Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA and has served on the boards of the New York Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers and the Music Publishers Association. He has been quoted in Time, Washington Examiner and the Law360 blog. As a pianist, Marc’s favorite composers include Chopin, Bach, Gershwin and Thelonious Monk although he still plays the Elton John and Billy Joel songs he grew up with. He also writes and performs his own songs and compositions.
