As COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues, there is building optimism that in-person arts performances and activities will be able to restart this fall. But are you ready?

Join legal experts from the Arts Council’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts to discuss legal and policy issues that may impact your ability to successfully reopen. There are many questions that artists and arts leaders will face as you consider reopening. Not to mention the legal issues that artists and art groups face beyond those related to COVID.

Legal experts will provide artists and arts leaders with practical tools and tactics to help you as you prepare to Restart the Arts. Topics to be covered include:

Vaccine mandates
Liability for COVID exposure & use of COVID waivers
Insurance changes in the post-COVID environment
Shuttered Venue Opportunity Grant Program
Work-for-Hire issues
Visual Artist Rights Act
Music Modernization Act
Economic changes of a post-pandemic return to the arts
PA Dram Shop Law issues for venues

Ask your questions in advance to have them answered live during the webinar by our volunteer attorneys. Submit your questions via email by Friday, June 11th at 3 p.m. to lcastner@pittsburghartscouncil.org. You must register to receive the link to the Zoom call.
PANELISTS
Marjorie Bagnato

Marjorie (Jorie) Bagnato is an experienced litigator who represents companies in complex employment related and business disputes across a wide variety of industries and services. Jorie also volunteers through the Art Council’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program. Jorie prides herself on providing a thoughtful, responsive, and strategic approach to litigation that achieves the best results for her clients.

Additionally, Jorie shares her time and talents by performing with and serving on the board of a small non-profit theater company in Carnegie. She has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star.

She received a B.A. from Wheeling Jesuit University and a J.D. from Duquesne University.

David Gurwin

David Gurwin is one of the top entertainment lawyers in Western Pennsylvania. As an attorney who is also a professional musician, David brings unique insight to entertainment law, technology and copyright matters. David chairs Buchanan Ingersoll’s Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Group. He is also the chair of the firm’s Copyright Practice Group and the Technology Transactions Group.

A professional Jazz pianist, David possesses firsthand experience with the entertainment industry and assists clients with contractual drafting and negotiations, business formation, licensing and intellectual property matters involving the protection and commercialization of entertainment talents, works and persona.

David received a B.A. in Accounting and J.D. from Ohio State University.

Larry Silverman

Larry Silverman is a volunteer with the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and has his own private law practice representing individuals, small businesses and nonprofits. With a focus on clients in the sports, arts and entertainment industry. His practice areas include contracts and other transactions, employment law counseling. IP counseling and digital, marketing and advertising law issues.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he teaches "The Law of Professional Sports” and co-teaches a course entitled, “Law, Entertainment and Social Enterprises”.

From February 2002 to November 2011, he was Senior Vice President & General Counsel for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that capacity, he had responsibility for all legal matters for the Pirates as well as for Pirates Charities, the Club's charitable foundation. Prior to joining the Pirates, Larry was a Shareholder at Dickie, McCamey, & Chilcote where he handled commercial litigation matters and chaired the Firm's Appellate Practice Group.
MODERATOR
Larry Castner

Larry Castner currently serves as the Manager of Skilled Volunteer Services for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. In this role, Larry manages both the Business Volunteers for the Arts and the Volunteer Lawyer for the Arts programs, helping artists and arts groups to find help from skill-based volunteers to solve their business and legal issues.

Larry got involved in the nonprofit sector following his retirement from Alcoa after almost 30 years. He began his career at Alcoa in the Legal Department where he provided legal advice to several business units and served as lead attorney on many acquisition, divestiture and joint venture projects. He was posted overseas to Alcoa of Australia as its General Counsel. Larry ultimately moved into the Business Development Group at Alcoa for his final five years, including time spent as the head of Alcoa’s Business Development Group in Beijing.

In addition to his work with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Larry is an active volunteer in the nonprofit sector, including volunteering with the Executive Service Corps and with the BoardsWork! Programs at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit. Larry recently finished 9 years of service on the Board of Directors of the Sewickley Public Library, including serving as the Board President from 2015 through 2018. Larry is an active volunteer at his church in Sewickley and with the Montour Trail. Larry is a volunteer trip leader with Venture Outdoors and served as a member of their Trip Leader Council.

Larry has a B.A. from Dickinson College and a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law.