Pro Panels The Legalities:
SMC's legal pro panelists have a wealth of experience, and with a range of sessions including copyright issues and deal negotiation on offer, everyone from self-marketing artists to major labels can expect to gain valuable insights and knowledge. SMC panelist biographies | 
| Mark Quail
Called to the Ontario Bar in 1990, Mark Quail spent his pre-law years fascinated by language and music, working as a writer and delving into the music history that would ultimately inspire him to put his legal interests to work in protecting musical artists from the career-crippling pitfalls that seemed all too common in the entertainment industry. Noting that most successful artists relied on key people behind the scenes to keep creativity flowing, Quail knew that he could bring his particular understanding of both worlds to assist, protect, advocate and anticipate on behalf of artists in a way that many other entertainment lawyers couldn't. Working both in the capacity of private and in-house counsel since 1990, Quail has been representing musicians full-time from his own private practice since 2001. |  | Susan H. Abramovitch
Susan is a partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in its Toronto office and practises exclusively in entertainment law. Prior to joining Gowlings, Susan served as Head of the Entertainment and Media Group of another national-based law firm, and was a founding partner of Stohn Abramovitch, LLP, Canada's premier entertainment law boutique. Recognized by Lexpert as a leading entertainment lawyer, Ms. Abramovitch’s practice covers all aspects of music industry transactions, as well as film, television, live theatre, multimedia, videogaming and book publishing. She has drafted and negotiated numerous entertainment-related agreements, both domestic and international, and has advised clients on all aspects of copyright law related to their businesses. |  | Stacey Mitsopulos
Stacey Mitsopulos (LL.B., B.A. (Hons.)) has been practicing entertainment and media law with Chris Taylor since 2002. After graduating at the top of her class at The University of Western Ontario (Honours B.A.) she earned her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Windsor in 1996, and was called to the Bar in 1998. |  | Pat Leyland
Actively involved in the Canadian music industry for over a decade, Pat has been working with the lawyers of Taylor Mitsopulos Klein Oballa since the law firm opened its doors in March 2006. After completing his legal education at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Pat articled with the firm and was called to the bar in 2008. Previously, he gained valuable experience while at the entertainment law firm Sanderson Taylor. |  | Miro Oballa
Miro has been practicing entertainment law since 2002. Primarily focused on music, Miro's practice also encompasses the areas of film, television, gaming, new media, dance, art and event promotion. His client list includes artists, record labels, music publishers, film and television producers, music producers and on-screen personalities. |  | Jason Klein
Jason Klein is a founding member of Taylor Mitsopulos Klein Oballa. Jason practices in the areas of music, entertainment, media, intellectual property and corporate/commercial law. Prior to TMKO, Jason spent 6 years at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP as a member of the business and entertainment law practice groups. | Music Managers Forum: Music Managers Forum Canada will be running a special workshop designed to help artist managers and label owners break new talent. The workshop is in a roleplay format, where the moderator (Rhyna Tompson, manager of Kid Koala, Amon Tobin etc) plays the part of the artist manager and runs through the steps needed to break an act. Also on the panel will be an artist (electronic/DJ act), an agent, a radio representative and a label representative.
SMC panelist biographies | 
| Ryhna Thompson
A well-known and respected international artist manager, Ryhna Thompson has been based in Montreal and working in the music industry for the last 10 years. Working at first as a songwriter, recording and touring musician with the band Parkside Jones, Ryhna cut her teeth on the business side of the industry working with local concert promoters and booking agents in Montreal in the late 90’s. In 2002, Ryhna founded Envision Management and Production. Under this banner, she has been managing one-of-a-kind, international recording artists Kid Koala, Amon Tobin and more recently, production-duo Two Fingers and the collaborative Sevens Project. She furthermore serves as General Manager for the emerging professional event M for Montreal, as co-founder of the music production collective Moondata Productions, and on the board of directors for the Music Managers Forum Canada. |  | Chris Budd
Chris Budd started his career in the music industry in 2003 by interning for Aporia Records, an indie record label based in Toronto. After a year of handling retail and radio accounts, showcase organisation and promotional and marketing activities, Chris was promoted to Director of tv/film licensing. From ‘05-’07, Chris oversaw these activities at the label representing 16 domestic and international titles and landing significant placements for artists such as Lily Frost. In mid ’07, Chris formed Bearsuit Publishing, a publishing and song pitching company partnered with Aporia and Endearing Records in Vancouver. Chris also is the editor for a Toronto music blog, Indie Music Filter. |  | Kelowna Vincent
Kelowna Vincent started her career in the music industry in 1992 at CiTR in Vancouver,
British Columbia as a host and a live venue DJ. A segue into Web Development in Silicon Valley during the late 90s gave her a strong foundation for continued development in digital media. In 2002 she created Genetic Blueprint, an electronic dark dance program, that continues to run in North America on XM82, The System and internationally on the Worldspace Radio Network. Kelowna has also operated two major nightclub events in Washington DC, one specializing in female DJs and the other providing live dance music, art gallery showings in conjunction with a large rotating DJ lineup on a weekly basis. She is currently on-air at XM Satellite Radio's The Verge XM52 which broadcasts to an audience of over 9 million subscribers across North America, specializing in independent and up and coming Canadian artists. Kelowna is also a resident DJ at the Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto. | A&R, Publishing and Placement:
SMC has brought together some of the industry's top talent for sourcing new acts and bringing artist's creations to the widest possible audience via agreements with advertising companies, the movie industry, video game developers and more. SMC panelist biographies |  | John Melilo
A Senior Music Executive with broad industry knowledge focused on maximizing creative, marketing and strategic opportunities across all media, John’s employment history has included a stint as VP of Music Publishing and SVP of Music Resources at EMI, and the present sees him as SVP of boutique publisher, Evergreen Music, and President of Jmec, his own music placement consultancy.
He has placed and produced music in advertising for a long list of clients including Absolut, Aquafina, AT&T, Canon, Chevy, Cingular, Coors, FedEx, Ford, Gatorade, JP Morgan Chase, Kellogg's, Kodak, Macy's, Tropicana, Visa, Volvo as well as numerous television shows, video games, films and multimedia projects. Recently, he was first to monetize YouTube via Paris Hilton/Fox Media’s Brand Channel. |  | Mark Berry
Mark Berry is at the forefront when it comes to producing/developing new and emerging talent in the international music scene. A student of former Beatle, George Martin, Mark's multi-platinum award winning production /mixing /engineering credits include some of the biggest names in the music industry such as David Bowie, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Boy George, The Killjoys, I Mother Earth, Kool & the Gang, Yes, The Headstones, Voivod, Burton Cummings, Talk Talk and many, more. His in-depth knowledge of the music business makes him a goldmine of knowledge and advice on a variety of topics. | | | | | |
