Welcome to BESLA

The BESLA family mourns the passing of its

beloved brother and leader, Frederick Brown

Frederick Brown

Frederick Brown passed away on Monday, August 29, 2011 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer at age 56.  He served as both president in 1994-1996 and chairman of the board  of BESLA in 1997, and as a mentor and guiding light for many in the BESLA family. His love for our organization continued through his constant support as an Advisory Board member. Fred was an integral part of the Warner Bros. Records business affairs department for over 10 years, departing in 1999 to become the Sr. Vice-President of Business and Legal Affairs for Music at MGM.  He was most recently in private practice.

 

Fred was born in San Francisco and served his country in the U.S. Army after high school graduation.  He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He received his law degree from Yale University and started his legal career at the law firm of Irell and Manella.  

In addition to BESLA, he was active in many music industry charitable and legal organizations.

He is survived by his wife Liz McNicoll and son Nico Brown.  

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 10th, 12:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Church Of The Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, LA, CA 90068 .  In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in honor of Fred to Tipitina's Foundation, which provides New Orleans public schools with musical instruments and preserves the musical cultures of Louisiana, www.tipitinasfoundation.org,
504-309-7934.

Thanks Fred, for your shining light!

BESLA 31st Annual Conference

Marriott Resort & Beach Club • Oct 26 - 30, 2011
Kaua'i, Hawaii		 Click to view BESLA 31st Annual Conference Program & Agenda 2011


BESLA 2011 ConferenceINCEPTION: Mastering Entertainment and Sports Paradigms in a Digital Universe

in·cep·tion  n: an act, process, or instance of beginning; commencement par·a·digm  n:  a model that forms the
basis of something, especially one that forms the basis
of a methodology. 

The way entertainment and sports professionals conduct business has changed dramatically in the past few years.  In the wake of a volatile economy, changes in collective bargaining agreements, potential lockouts and broadband technology advances, we have been forced to reevaluate how we transact business or get left behind.  The Internet’s influence on television and film distribution has dictated the development of new business models as we find creative ways to monetize our client’s intellectual property in the digital universe.

This year’s BESLA Conference, at its core, will be about how practitioners tackle and master the many legal issues that exist under this new entertainment and sports paradigm.

At this year’s Conference, BESLA continues its unparalleled tradition of excellent programming by providing seminars and workshops in tune with today’s global challenges.

Be among those in attendance who will learn about launching strategies for their practice that will lead to success, not only in traditional environments, but in the digital marketplace!

Click here for more information and registration.


BESLA Conference Sponsors
BESLA Conference Sponsors


Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, Inc.
Contact BESLA at info@besla.org
 

BESLA Events

BESLA 2011 Conference
You are invited to attend the
Pre-Conference Panel and Mixer

Hiring opportunities:

East Coast based, not for profit in entertainment industry

Turner Broadcasting
Counsel Position

Butch Lewis

The BESLA family mourns the untimely passing of legendary boxing promoter and stalwart supporter Butch Lewis on July 23, 2011.  Butch was a generous benefactor of BESLA for a number of years and a frequent attendee and sponsor of our Annual Conference.  He will be missed as a friend and frontline champion.

Please keep his family and loved ones in your prayers.

Tamela Cash-Curry, Esq.
Chairman of the Board
BESLA