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
Lillian Laserson, Esq.
Lillian Laserson, Esq. is a sole practitioner representing artists, writers, producers, publishers, and others in transactional matters primarily involving publishing, licensing, copyright, and entertainment law. She is head of legal and business affairs for Playing on Air, producer of short contemporary plays for public radio and podcast. Prior to forming her own firm, she was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of DC Comics where she established and ran the company’s in-house legal department for twenty years.
Llillian@lasersonlaw.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
Stephen Swalsky, Esq.
Stephen Swalsky is a former Vice President of Business Affairs at truTV, a Turner Broadcasting System cable television network. His primary duties at truTV included structuring, drafting and negotiating (i) development and production deals as well as executive producer, producer, consultant, on-air talent and performer agreements; (ii) acquisition, license, integration and programming agreements; and (iii) co-production and/or profit-sharing opportunities. Swalsky was also responsible for advising, counseling, and consulting with network executives on a variety of television development and business affairs matters as well as cultivating and maintaining extensive relationships with key industry leaders at talent agencies and entertainment law firms.
Prior to joining truTV, Swalsky acquired extensive legal and business affairs experience in the entertainment field at a variety of law firms and entertainment companies in New York as well as through his own experience of being a recording and touring bass player. Swalsky was Senior Counsel, VH1 Business and Legal Affairs where he served as a television development and production attorney for VH1, as well as for CMT and Logo, all MTV Networks programming services.
Swalsky received his Bachelors of Arts degree (Special) in Psychology from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He received his LL.B. from The University of Alberta Law School and did a visiting year at the University of Ottawa Law School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is admitted to practice in Ontario, Canada, and New York. Additionally, Mr. Swalsky is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Katie Lane, Esq.
Katie Lane, Esq. is a comic book and entertainment attorney from Portland, OR, and the founder of WorkMadeForHire.net. In addition to her legal practice, Lane works to improve creators' legal literacy through articles, workshops, and DIY tools. She tweets about law, negotiation, and Star Trek from @_katie_lane and you can email her at katie@workmadeforhire.net.
