Keith Cooper

Partner

Keith Cooper specializes in traditional and digital entertainment, intellectual property, and business law. Although he has nearly 20 years of litigation experience, over the last decade his primary focus has been on entertainment and business-related transactional work. This includes agreements in such areas as: music recording, publishing, licensing, songwriting, production, management, distribution, and touring; video game development and publishing; copyright and trademark licensing and merchandising; filmmaking and streaming. He has represented musicians, songwriters, arrangers, artists, actors, directors, producers, photographers, designers, and internet content creators.

Keith has also represented several business entities. This includes representing start-ups, technology and software companies, game developers and publishers, esports teams, production entities, design studios and a variety of brick-and-mortar businesses. Mr. Cooper has worked with clients on everything from entity formation, governance and compliance to dissolution, mergers and acquisitions. He has assisted clients with equity and debt financing, investor relations, employment matters, business plans and private placement memoranda.

Contact Keith Cooper at keith@ci-lawgroup.com.

Activities & Affiliations

  • Former President (current Board member): California Lawyers for the Arts, Board of Directors

  • Expert Witness: Fahmy v. Jay Z et al (alleged copyright infringement)

  • Expert Witness: Big Ligas v. Paulo Londra (music management and copyright dispute)

  • Implemented the Entertainment Law Initiative for The Recording Academy (GRAMMY Awards)

  • Co-founded internet video streaming company

  • Co-founded music and club promotion company

  • Co-authored published article on digital distribution of music (Int’l Assoc. of Entertainment Lawyers)

  • Worked for Geffen Records and Atlantic Records

Speaking Engagements

Moderator

  • Monetization of Digital Music, GRAMMY Museum

  • Democratization of Music & Decline of Record Labels, Boalt Hall (Berkeley)

  • Music Apps, IP licensing and the 360 Deal, Ex’pression College

  • Crossing the Digital Music Divide, 32nd Annual CLA Music Industry Seminar

Presenter

  • Universe of Issues for Game Developers (MoCo Webinar)

  • Presenter: IP & Legal Issues for Game Developers (Beverly Hills Bar Association)

  • Presenter: Copyright and Trademark Basics for Artists (CA Lawyers for the Arts Webinar) 

Guest Speaker

  • IP Licensing and esports (Licensing Interest Group of California Lawyers Association IP Section)

  • Copyrights, Trademarks, and Video Game Development ( Fei Tian College, Middletown)

  • ‍Business Issues for Bands, (San Jose State University)

  • Business Issues for Artists (CLA Continuing Education Series)

  • Intellectual Property Licensing (CLA workshop, Encino)

  • Copyright Law & Fair Use (Burbank Unified School District)

  • Intellectual Property Protection (Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs)

  • Copyright and Licensing Basics (CLA Workshop, Santa Monica)

  • BHBA Guest Speaker (https://bhba.org/speakers/keith-cooper/)

Panelist

  • Digital Distribution of Music, Int'l Assoc. of Entertainment Attorneys, Hastings

  • Technology & Impact on Creativity & Music Economics, Black Box, Sacramento

  • The Economics of Music in the Digital Era, Electric Lodge, Venice

  • Live Music Performance Strategy, 28th Annual CLA Music Industry Seminar

  • Licensing for Gaming, Motion Pictures and Television, Boalt Hall (Berkeley)

  • Entertainment & The Law, Social & Public Art Resource Center

  • Intellectual Property in Esports & Gaming (esports Bar Association)

  • Game Design: Licensing, Ownership, and Creative Control (California Lawyers for the Arts)

  • Anatomy of the Developer/Publisher Relationship (California Lawyers for the Arts)

  • eSports, IP and Legal Issues (California Lawyers Association)

  • Influencer Branding Deals (Beverly Hills Bar Association)

Bar Admission

  • California

Education

  • Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson School of Law - Juris Doctor, 1994

  • University of California, Los Angeles - B.A., Political Science, 1988