Legal Challenges in Creative Expression, Branding, and Modern Entertainment Experiences

Tamera Bennett, Partner | Harper & Bates LLP

Tamera H. Bennett is a prominent entertainment and intellectual property attorney with over 25 years of experience advising content creators, rights holders, businesses, and high-net-worth individuals on the protection and monetization of creative works. As a partner at Harper & Bates LLP in Dallas, she focuses on trademark prosecution, music and content licensing, rights of publicity, and the complex legal and business issues surrounding inherited music copyrights and legacy song catalogs. Tamera is trusted counsel to Grammy®, CMA®, and ACM® award-winning artists, songwriters, and their music estates, and she is widely recognized for her deep subject-matter expertise, clear communication, and client-centered approach.

• Education & Credentials
  

Tamera earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law) in 1998 and her Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Recording Industry Studies from Middle Tennessee State University in 1989. She is admitted to practice in Texas (1998), Tennessee (2006), and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Tamera has also completed the International Trademark Association Advanced Mediation Course and the Texas 40-Hour Basic Mediation Course, reflecting her commitment to resolving disputes efficiently and collaboratively.

• Recognition & Leadership
  

Tamera has earned recognition at the highest levels of the music and legal communities. She served four terms on the Board of Governors for the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy (the Grammys®), and she is a past chair of the State Bar of Texas Entertainment & Sports Law Section. Her written work has garnered accolades as well, including a 2012 State Bar of Texas award for Best Series of Substantive Legal Articles. Before joining Harper & Bates, Tamera built a distinguished 23-year solo practice, earning a strong reputation for responsiveness, clarity, and trusted counsel on high-stakes intellectual property matters.

• Professional Involvement
  

Tamera is an active voice in both the legal and creative industries. Since 2008, she has co-hosted the Entertainment Law Update Podcast, delivering timely analysis of legal developments in music, film, publishing, AI, and digital media. She is a frequent speaker at industry events, presenting on topics including copyright licensing, AI and music creation, estate and IP succession planning for artists, fair use and trademark law, and student-athlete name, image, and likeness rights. Her commentary and analysis have been featured in Billboard, Texas Lawyer, Variety, KRLD News Radio, and the Legal Talk Network. She formerly served as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University, where she taught in the Music Business program.

• Experience
  

Tamera’s career spans roles at Decker Jones, PC in Fort Worth (1998–2001), her own Bennett Law Office, PC in Lewisville (2001–2024), and now Harper & Bates LLP (2025–present). Her practice centers on the protection and monetization of song and sound recording copyrights, trademark prosecution and brand protection, and music and content licensing. Representative engagements include counseling the estates of multi-award-winning recording artists and songwriters, advising cable networks on brand management and public performance licensing, representing video game developers in music licensing, and guiding established businesses through content licensing, co-branding agreements, and right-of-publicity matters. Tamera is known for collaborating with fellow attorneys on complex copyright and music law issues, bringing both the precision of an experienced practitioner and the perspective of someone who has dedicated her career to the intersection of law and the creative arts.

Wendy Heimann-Nunes, Managing Partner | Nolan Heimann LLP

Wendy Heimann-Nunes is co-founder and co-managing partner of Nolan Heimann LLP and one of the foremost legal voices in the location-based, immersive, and experiential entertainment industry worldwide. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, she has built a practice at the intersection of intellectual property, storytelling, and commerce — helping creators, developers, operators, investors, and IP owners transform creative assets into sustainable business platforms through licensing, strategic partnerships, and innovative deal structures. Wendy’s unique combination of legal expertise and executive-level business experience makes her a strategic advisor of choice for clients shaping the future of themed entertainment, branded attractions, and experience-driven business models.

• Education & Credentials
  

Wendy earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School and her Bachelor of Science in Communications from Northwestern University. She also studied Television and Film at the City of London Polytechnic, adding an international and creative dimension to her academic foundation. She is admitted to practice in California and Illinois.

• Recognition & Leadership
  

Wendy is a recognized leader in the global themed and experiential entertainment community. In 2020, she received the Peter Chernack Distinguished Service THEA Award from the Themed Entertainment Association, one of the industry’s most prestigious honors for sustained contribution and leadership. She was elected to the TEA International Board in 2023 and continues to serve, contributing to global dialogue around innovation, audience engagement, and the evolving role of intellectual property in experiential industries. She also serves as a Council Member of the World Experience Organization (WXO) and as a member of the Board of Directors of The Third Floor, an award-winning international digital visualization and production company.

• Professional Involvement
  

Wendy is a frequent speaker and contributor on licensing strategy, IP commercialization, and experiential industry development. She is committed to advancing conversations around how legal frameworks enable innovation, growth, and sustainable creative ecosystems. A longtime active member and pro-bono counsel of the Themed Entertainment Association for over two decades, she has played a central role in shaping the organization’s mission and reach. Beyond her legal practice, Wendy brings the perspective of a hands-on producer and former business executive, maintaining deep engagement with the creative community she serves.

• Experience
  

Wendy began her legal career as an intellectual property transactional attorney at Mayer Brown, the international law firm, after an early stint as a talent agent. She was subsequently recruited by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs to serve as Executive Director of the landmark Chicago Theatre, where she grew net revenues by 200 percent and structured the theater’s long-term theatrical lease with Walt Disney Theatricals, including a multi-million-dollar capital improvement commitment. She then served as an executive at Universal Studios, heading Business and Legal Affairs for Universal Creative — the division responsible for the concept, design, and development of all domestic and international theme parks, resorts, and attractions for Universal Destinations & Experiences. Drawing on this blend of law firm, in-house, and executive experience, Wendy co-founded Nolan Heimann LLP, where she advises a diverse roster of IP licensors and licensees, developers, owners and operators, specialized service providers, technology developers, and designers. Representative engagements include negotiating the license for the first 20th Century Fox Studios theme park in the world, providing ongoing counsel to a Fortune 100 company on gaming brand expansion into location-based entertainment, advising the largest theme park in South America on entertainment and IP matters, negotiating license agreements with Warner Bros. for Harry Potter-related experiences, and structuring deals with major studios and IP holders including Marvel, Paramount, and Hasbro for themed entertainment developments across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Robert J. Labate, Partner | Holland & Knight LLP

Robert J. Labate is a partner in Holland & Knight LLP’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices and co-chair of the firm’s national Entertainment Law practice. With a career spanning entertainment transactions, media law, and bankruptcy and restructuring, he advises major media companies, performers, celebrity figures, and production companies on copyright, licensing, financing, content acquisition, production, digital distribution, and music matters. Robert also counsels clients on advertising, sponsorship, talent agreements, and the use of social media and digital platforms. His dual fluency in entertainment law and complex commercial restructuring gives him a distinctive vantage point from which to serve clients across the media and creative industries.

• Education & Credentials

Robert earned his Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale College. He is admitted to practice in California, Illinois, and New Mexico, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Recognition & Leadership

Robert’s entertainment and transactional practice has earned sustained recognition from the legal industry’s most respected ranking organizations. He has been listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers for Media & Entertainment: Transactional continuously from 2003 through 2025. The Best Lawyers in America has recognized him in Entertainment Law — Motion Pictures and Television (2007–2023, 2026) and in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2018–2026), and he was named Chicago Entertainment Law — Motion Pictures and Television Lawyer of the Year in 2021. He has also been selected to Illinois Super Lawyers multiple times and was named a Top Bankruptcy Lawyer by The Deal and a Leading Lawyer by the Chicago Law Bulletin. His commitment to public service has been recognized with both the Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star (2021) and Public and Charitable Service All-Star (2014) designations, and he was included in New City’s Film 50: Chicago’s Screen Gems list in 2015.

• Professional Involvement

Robert is an active participant in the legal and creative communities. He serves on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for the Creative Arts and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section Entertainment and Sports Industry Committee and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He previously chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s Media and Entertainment Committee (2007–2008) and served on the association’s Nominating Committee. For five years, he chaired Holland & Knight’s Chicago office Public and Charitable Service Committee, overseeing dozens of pro bono and community service representations, and he now supervises Public and Charitable Service activities nationwide for the firm’s Litigation Section. Robert was an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University School of Law from 2007 to 2014, where he taught “Corporate Workouts and Restructuring” and “The Law of Film and Television Production.” He also served as a regular legal contributor to PerformInk, a Chicago-based arts journal, authoring more than 50 articles on entertainment, media, and copyright law topics over a six-year period.

• Experience

Robert’s entertainment practice encompasses the full lifecycle of media and creative projects. He has served as production, finance, and distribution counsel on acclaimed documentary films, including an Academy Award-nominated documentary and an Emmy-nominated film. He has counseled Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists on music licensing and Broadway production deals, served as appointed heirs representative in negotiating major marketing, streaming, and catalogue distribution agreements for a prominent international artist’s estate, and advised celebrity clients on publishing, endorsement, and promotional services agreements with Fortune 500 companies. His advertising and sponsorship work includes representing international brands in connection with product integration, celebrity endorsement campaigns, and Super Bowl broadcast advertising. On the restructuring side, Robert represents creditors and financial institutions in major bankruptcy cases across the energy, technology, transportation, and entertainment sectors, with engagements ranging from representation of indenture trustees in billion-dollar bond matters to cross-border asset acquisitions and environmental claim resolutions involving the U.S. Department of Justice and the EPA.

Sydney N. Landers, Associate | Holland & Knight LLP

Sydney N. Landers is a business and entertainment attorney in Holland & Knight’s Miami office, where she advises clients at the intersection of corporate transactions and the creative industries. Her practice spans private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters, with particular depth in entertainment law — counseling television and film producers, institutional clients, and creators on licensing, intellectual property protection, governance, and the negotiation and drafting of complex commercial agreements. Sydney brings a rigorous transactional skill set to the fast-moving worlds of media, entertainment, and branded content.

• Education & Credentials

Sydney earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Economics & Strategy from Washington University in St. Louis. She is admitted to practice in Florida. During law school, she served as articles and comments editor of the University of Miami Law Review and participated in the Investor Rights Clinic, representing investors in securities arbitration claims before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

• Recognition & Leadership

Sydney’s academic and early professional accomplishments reflect exceptional dedication to her craft. She was inducted into the Order of the Coif and received multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards at the University of Miami School of Law in subjects directly aligned with her practice, including Copyright Law, Media Law: Freedom of Press, Negotiating & Drafting Sports Venue Agreements, and Negotiating & Drafting for the Business of Entertainment. She also received the Dean’s Writing Prize (2022), Dean’s Certificates in Federal Income Tax and Copyright Law, and was the recipient of the Mariel Melissa Saunderson Smith Spencer Scholarship and the J. Donald & Agnes E. Shoecraft Law Scholarship.

• Professional Involvement

Sydney is a member of Holland & Knight’s Entertainment Law and Corporate Services practice groups and also contributes to the firm’s Equine Industry practice — a reflection of her lifelong involvement in the equine world, where she continues to compete with Arabian horses at the national championship level in the United States and Canada. This combination of interests positions her to serve clients across entertainment, corporate, and equestrian sectors with firsthand industry understanding.

• Experience

Sydney’s entertainment practice encompasses a broad range of transactional work across film, television, live entertainment, and digital media. Representative engagements include counseling a global entertainment company on the licensing of a live special to a streaming platform, advising a global hotel chain on agreements for holiday-themed live shows and intellectual property licensing, and representing influencer agencies in merchandising and endorsement agreements. She has guided authors and production companies through book publishing and film adaptation deals, represented documentary filmmakers on production matters, and advised ballet and entertainment businesses on sponsorship and documentary series agreements. On the corporate side, Sydney handles private equity transactions, M&A, and general corporate matters, drawing on the analytical foundation she built in finance and economics.

Jordyn Hendrix, Associate | Harper & Bates LLP

Jordyn Hendrix is an intellectual property attorney at Harper & Bates LLP in Dallas, where she advises clients on building and maintaining trademark and copyright portfolios, protecting their rights through enforcement, and resolving IP and commercial disputes. With experience spanning federal litigation, administrative proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and domain name disputes, Jordyn brings a thorough, detail-oriented approach to every stage of IP protection — from portfolio strategy through contested proceedings.

• Education & Credentials
  

Jordyn earned her Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2020, where she obtained a concentration in intellectual property law, served as Vice President of the Intellectual Property Aggies, and worked as a teaching assistant in the Trademark & Copyright Clinic. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Rhetoric & Writing from the University of Texas at Austin (2017). Jordyn is admitted to the State Bar of Texas and to all four federal district courts in Texas: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts.

• Recognition & Leadership
  

Jordyn has already earned notable recognition early in her career. She was selected as a Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2025 and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in Intellectual Property Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Litigation – Patent across consecutive years (2024–2026). These distinctions reflect her growing reputation for skilled IP counsel and effective advocacy.

• Professional Involvement
  

Jordyn is an active participant in the Dallas legal community and the broader intellectual property bar. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s IP Young Lawyers’ Committee. She is also a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and DFW Women in IP. Since 2019, Jordyn has been involved with The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, progressing from Pupil to Associate — a reflection of her commitment to mentorship, professional development, and the collegial advancement of legal practice. She has also served as a committee member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (2023–2025). As a speaker, Jordyn has presented on topics including fair use and trademark law in the wake of Grimaldi v. Rogers at the Entertainment Law Institute (2025), cybersquatting and trademark enforcement on the internet before the Dallas Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section (2025), and trademark fundamentals at the Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court (2019).

• Experience
  

Jordyn’s practice centers on trademark and copyright portfolio development and maintenance, intellectual property enforcement, and the resolution of IP and commercial disputes. She has handled matters at all stages of federal litigation across multiple U.S. District Courts and has represented clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Her experience also extends to domain name disputes under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, addressing cybersquatting and online brand protection. In addition to her core IP practice, Jordyn contributes to the firm’s aviation practice, broadening the range of industries and clients she serves at Harper & Bates.

SESSION 1 – Trademarks in the Wild: Real-World Lessons from Rogers, Jack Daniel’s, and Pop Culture Litigation | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

This session examines balancing trademark rights with artistic expression across film, TV, music, gaming, and NFTs. Attorneys will explore the Rogers test, the Jack Daniel’s decision, and practical strategies for assessing trademark risk and guiding client branding decisions.

Break | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

SESSION 2 – The Trouble with Tickets | 1:10pm – 2:10pm

This session explores legal liabilities in ticket sales and resale, covering bots, speculative listings, and price manipulation. Attorneys will review federal and state legislative responses, FTC enforcement trends, and gain a practical compliance checklist for advising clients.

Break | 2:10pm – 2:20pm

SESSION 3 – Licensing in Location-Based Entertainment: Key Legal Frameworks and Deal Considerations | 2:20pm – 3:20pm

This session analyzes IP licensing in location-based entertainment, covering rights scope, ownership complexities, compensation models, and brand protection. Attorneys will gain practical strategies for structuring agreements and avoiding contractual pitfalls in immersive entertainment projects.