Top game industry and legal leaders
to speak at Game::Business::Law Summit

Video game industry leaders will share their insights on evolving legal and business issues during the two-day Games::Business::Law Summit, set for January 27-28 at Southern Methodist University. 

Jay Cohen, president of development at Jerry Bruckheimer Games, will serve as the keynote speaker. Jerry Bruckheimer Games is a creative studio focused on development and production of original intellectual property that unites Bruckheimer's signature storytelling and innovation.

Hosted by SMU Dedman School of Law, The Guildhall at SMU and The Center for American and International Law, Game::Business::Law will bring top game industry leaders, developers, publishers, lawyers, and members of the venture capital and financial industry from around the world to discuss current business trends and legal issues in the games industry.

Conference officials have also added Gregory Short, executive chairman at Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, and Delores M. Etter, director of SMU’s Caruth Institute of Engineering Education, as featured speakers at the event. Short’s talk, titled “Innovations in the Due Diligence Process for Funding and Greenlighting Games,” will be presented at lunch on January 27.  Etter will speak on “Innovation Using the Skunk Works Philosophy” at the Founders Dinner that evening using three studies SMU students have recently conducted for the U.S. Marine Corps and Lockheed Martin.

“The Art of the Deal” will be led by Zack Karlsson, NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. Panelists Chris Charla, Foundation 9 Entertainment, Bob Loya, Activision Blizzard, and Digital Development Management’s Joe Minton, will relay their experiences and further explore the subject.

Roxanne Christ, Latham & Watkins, LLP, will serve as moderator for a video game financing session.  She, Boesky, Stephanie O'Malley Deming, XLOC and Alex Marquez, Intel Capital, will focus on navigating a collaborative process between business development and financial affairs.

Haynes and Boone principal Andrew S. Ehmke will moderate a panel addressing legal issues unique to digital distribution.  This forum features Jennifer Archie, Latham & Watkins, LLP; Jason Kee, Entertainment Software Association; Shane McGee, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, LLP and PJ Putnam, Gearbox Software.

Mark Methenitis of The Vernon Law Group will facilitate a round-table discussion on the financial and legal crossroads of digital delivery with guest speakers Robin Bynoe, Charles Russell, LLP; Sean F. Kane, Kane & Associates LLC and Jeffrey A. Levenstam, Ernst & Young.

For more information and to register for the event, visit www.games-business-law.com or contact Ron Jenkins, Deputy Director, The Guildhall at SMU, at jenkinsr@smu.edu or (972) 473-3546.

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