Attorneys
Dorothy B. Richardson
Dorothy Blake Richardson is an experienced entertainment attorney whose concentrates her practice in the areas of international and domestic business transactions, contract negotiations and intellectual property matters. She represents a wide variety of clients including film and television producers, television networks, radio stations, record labels, music publishers, music producers, writers for film and television, songwriters, composers, recording artists, actors, high-tech companies, software developers and visual artists.
Prior to opening her law practice in 2006, Dorothy headed the Business Affairs Department of Univision Music Group, the music division of Univision Communications, Inc., where she handled a wide variety of transactions including recording agreements, digital distribution, film and video production agreements, music publishing agreements, licenses for use of music and audiovisual content in streaming and digital downloads over the Internet, ring-tones, digital jukeboxes, video games, film, television and commercials, guest artist agreements, producer agreements, talent releases, artwork design and licensing agreements and joint venture agreements. She worked with A-List talent in the Latin music industry such as Marco Antonio Solis, Olga Tañon, Pepe Aguilar, Los Tigres del Norte, Conjunto Primavera, Banda El Recodo, Los Temerarios, Ivy Queen and Pablo Montero. She also managed all litigation for the company, participating in major peer-to-peer filing sharing cases as a member of the Litigation Committee of the Recording Industry Association of America.
Previously, Dorothy headed the legal department of EMI Latin, a division of Capitol Records, where she was responsible for a variety of music and entertainment transactions and served as liaison to various legislative groups as a member of the legal committee of the Recording Industry Association of America. She worked with Selena’s catalog and with artists such as Kumbia Kings, Intocable, Carlos Ponce, Ednita Nazario and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. She has also held positions with the Independent Film & Television Alliance (formerly the American Film Marketing Association) and the Warner Music Group.
Before becoming involved with the entertainment industry, Dorothy was a senior attorney with PACCAR Inc., a diversified Fortune 500 multinational company, where she handled general business transactions including software and trademark licensing agreements, commercial lending agreements, mergers/acquisitions, corporate shareholder and board resolutions, supervising customer financing, bankruptcy and collection matters, advising sales and marketing departments on dealer and franchisee relations and disputes, and negotiating purchase and sales agreements with foreign governments and private companies. She was responsible for all legal matters involving the company’s foreign subsidiaries in Mexico.
Dorothy completed her undergraduate work at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and received her JD from the University of Michigan Law School and her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where she also obtained a certificate from the International Management Fellows Program. She handles transactions and contract negotiations in both English and Spanish.
Dorothy Blake Richardson is an experienced entertainment attorney whose concentrates her practice in the areas of international and domestic business transactions, contract negotiations and intellectual property matters. She represents a wide variety of clients including film and television producers, television networks, radio stations, record labels, music publishers, music producers, writers for film and television, songwriters, composers, recording artists, actors, high-tech companies, software developers and visual artists.
Prior to opening her law practice in 2006, Dorothy headed the Business Affairs Department of Univision Music Group, the music division of Univision Communications, Inc., where she handled a wide variety of transactions including recording agreements, digital distribution, film and video production agreements, music publishing agreements, licenses for use of music and audiovisual content in streaming and digital downloads over the Internet, ring-tones, digital jukeboxes, video games, film, television and commercials, guest artist agreements, producer agreements, talent releases, artwork design and licensing agreements and joint venture agreements. She worked with A-List talent in the Latin music industry such as Marco Antonio Solis, Olga Tañon, Pepe Aguilar, Los Tigres del Norte, Conjunto Primavera, Banda El Recodo, Los Temerarios, Ivy Queen and Pablo Montero. She also managed all litigation for the company, participating in major peer-to-peer filing sharing cases as a member of the Litigation Committee of the Recording Industry Association of America.
Previously, Dorothy headed the legal department of EMI Latin, a division of Capitol Records, where she was responsible for a variety of music and entertainment transactions and served as liaison to various legislative groups as a member of the legal committee of the Recording Industry Association of America. She worked with Selena’s catalog and with artists such as Kumbia Kings, Intocable, Carlos Ponce, Ednita Nazario and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. She has also held positions with the Independent Film & Television Alliance (formerly the American Film Marketing Association) and the Warner Music Group.
Before becoming involved with the entertainment industry, Dorothy was a senior attorney with PACCAR Inc., a diversified Fortune 500 multinational company, where she handled general business transactions including software and trademark licensing agreements, commercial lending agreements, mergers/acquisitions, corporate shareholder and board resolutions, supervising customer financing, bankruptcy and collection matters, advising sales and marketing departments on dealer and franchisee relations and disputes, and negotiating purchase and sales agreements with foreign governments and private companies. She was responsible for all legal matters involving the company’s foreign subsidiaries in Mexico.
Dorothy completed her undergraduate work at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and received her JD from the University of Michigan Law School and her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where she also obtained a certificate from the International Management Fellows Program. She handles transactions and contract negotiations in both English and Spanish.
Lectures
Publications
Professional Associations
Education
Bar Admissions
- Copyright Committee of the State Bar of California, "Orphan Works - Pros and Cons," July 2008
- “What the Major Labels Are Looking For,” California Lawyers for the Arts 2007 Music Business Seminar
- American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Latin Media Panel, October 2004
- Latin Alternative Music Conference, Business Affairs Panel, 2002
- "Women and the Art of Negotiating," UCLA Extension, 2001
Publications
- Recapturing Copyrights: A Window of Opportunity for Creators, Valley Lawyer, September, 2011
- Music Licensing 101, Valley Lawyer, October, 2009
- Music Copyright: Avoid Mistakes That Can Cost Big Bucks, by Scott G (quoted), Music Industry NewsWire June 10, 2009
- Co-Author (with Thomas White), Association of Independent MusicPublishers (AIMP) and California Copyright Conference (CCC) Joint PositionPaper on Orphan Works Legislation, for distribution to U.S. Congress, AIMP and CCC websites, July, 2008
- Who’s Talking? Women are, and Smooth Negotiations Depend on Polished Skills, Entrepreneur Magazine, August 2001 (quoted)
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, Intellectual Property Law Section, Business Law Section
- State Bar of California, Copyright Committee, Intellectual Property Law and Business Law Sections
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, Entertainment Law Section
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law and Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Sections
- San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law & Internet Law Section
- Association of Independent Music Publishers - Legislative Committee Member
- California Copyright Conference
- California Lawyers for the Arts - Panel Attorney
- Los Angeles Copyright Society
- Motion Picture and Television Fund Professional Advisory Network
- National Association of Record Industry Professionals
- Women in Film
Education
- UCLA Anderson School of Management, Master of Business Administration, International Management Fellows Certificate, Teaching Assistant, Management Communications Program
- University of Michigan Law School, Juris Doctorate
- Senior Editor, Michigan Yearbook of International Legal Studies
- Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, Bachelor of Arts Major in European Studies Summa Cum Laude
Bar Admissions
- California
- Washington
