BRET D. LEWIS,
born Chicago, Illinois April 16, 1960; admitted to NY bar, 1987, admitted
to CA bar, 1993. Education: Oberlin College (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1982);
Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 1986, Journal of International
Law and Business). Mr. Lewis is engaged in a broad based practice with
practice areas including, Copyright Law, Entertainment Law, Trademark
Law, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Securities Law, and Corporate
Law.
He specializes
in the music entertainment area, including entertainment related litigation,
and also is routinely involved in sophisticated corporate transactions,
including public offerings.
Representative
entertainment clients include and have included, Mos Def, Bob Dylan,
RBX, Lolita, Green Jelly, Anita Baker, Ruff Ryders, Daz Dillinger, Renaissance
Records, Prince Ital Joe, Big Pimpin Delemond, Mark Sparks, Ike Turner,
J.A.D. Records (a Bob Marley reissue label), radio station media conglomerate
Entravision Corporation, AsSeenIn.com, JapanMp3.com, Sunshine Anderson,
major Japanese recording artists B’Z and Yoshiki, and major Japanese
record companies Being Music Group and Columbia Music Entertainment.
Representative
litigation experience includes:
1) Paul
Sabu v. John Edwards, Renaissance Records, et al.,
2)
Paquette v. Death Row Records et. al.;
3) Rouse
v. Death Row Records et. al.;
4) Mohawk
v. Sunshine Entertainment, Walter Kahn, et al.;
5) C.J.
Buscaglia v. Green Jelly, Zoo Entertainment, et.al.;
6)
Ike Turner v. Cannon/Starforce, et. al.;
7) Third
Story Music v. NMC Music Ltd.;
8) Dennis
Airborne v. Monex International;
9) Dennis
Johnston V. Epaylatina et al. and
10) In
Re Winco Corp.
Representative
corporate transactions include: public offerings, reverse mergers, private
placements, mergers and acquisitions, employment agreements, joint ventures,
debt and equity offerings, and venture capital financings.
Mr. Lewis
began his career as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New
York City, where he worked as a corporate associate during the period
of 1986-1990.
Mr. Lewis
left Debevoise & Plimpton in 1990 to join the Tokyo office of Paul,
Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrission where he worked as a corporate
associate during the period of 1990-1992.
He joined
David A. Braun, P.C., working with the former president of Polygram
Records in 1994, to focus on music entertainment matters where he worked
for approximately one year until leaving to form his own firm in 1995.
In 2000,
he became Of Counsel to Zevnik Horton, LLP to head up their new media/entertainment
practice group and returned to private practice in 2003 to focus on
largely music entertainment matters.
Mr. Lewis
has also owned and operated a booking agency and an artist management
company and has produced nationally released records.
Mr. Lewis
is also fluent in Japanese and is actively involved in cross-border
transactions.