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
Matthew Tynan, Esq.,
Matthew Tynan, Esq., is a transactional attorney specializing in the preparation of intellectual property agreements and the protection of client copyrights and trademarks. Areas of focus include film, publishing, and new media. Mr. Tynan earned his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2012. Prior to law school, he worked in film production and development, and received his undergraduate degree from Oxford University. He is currently a member of the Copyright & Literary Property Committee of the NYC Bar Association and is a contributor to the book "The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Books" (Focal Press).
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
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.
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
