Akin Gump Expands Labor and Entertainment Practices in Los Angeles
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(Los Angeles, California) -- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Howard D. Fabrick and Michele D. Caylor have joined the firm’s labor and employment and entertainment practices in Los Angeles.
Recognizing the increased importance of the entertainment industry in the global economy, Akin Gump has enhanced its integrated approach to the legal representation of entertainment industry clients. The addition of these new lawyers represents a further step in that development.
Robert W. Draney, chairman and CEO of Entertainment Partners, commented, “We have had a long and excellent relationship with Howard, and though we will miss having Michele in-house, we are delighted that they both will continue to be available to us in their new capacities at Akin Gump.”
Howard Fabrick joins the firm as a partner. A labor lawyer, Mr. Fabrick has represented employers in the entertainment industry for more than three decades. Among his clients are high-profile film, television and theatrical producers, as well as enterprises that provide support services for the industry. He deals regularly with the talent guilds and craft unions that represent employees involved in all aspects of production. In addition, Mr. Fabrick handles the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the interpretation of complex rules governing film and television production, arbitration and the adjustment of disputes, and general employment law issues including wage and hour compliance, occupational health and safety issues, and NLRB proceedings.
Before returning to private practice in 1975, Mr. Fabrick served as vice president of labor relations and personnel at Columbia Pictures, vice president and director of business affairs and labor relations at The Burbank Studios, and vice president and counsel at the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Mr. Fabrick was an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board following law school and in private practice before joining Columbia Pictures. Prior to joining Akin Gump, he was a partner in the labor and employment department of Proskauer Rose LLP in Los Angeles.
Mr. Fabrick served on the board of directors of the Foundation for the Junior Blind for 16 years, ten of those as its chairman. He currently serves on the boards of directors of the Entertainment Industry Foundation and Public Counsel. Mr. Fabrick has taught at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television and at the Southwestern University School of Law. He received his B.A. in 1960 and his J.D. in 1962 from Stanford University. He is a member of the California Bar.
Michele Caylor joins the firm as senior counsel. For the last decade, she served as vice president and general counsel of Entertainment Partners, the largest provider of production management services in the entertainment industry. In that capacity, Ms. Caylor was responsible for all legal matters affecting that enterprise, including serving as liaison with outside counsel in litigation, tax and corporate matters. She handled all labor relations matters for the company as well as for its clients as necessary. In addition, she served as the company’s senior labor relations executive and representative at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and as a management trustee for the Motion Picture Industry Health and Pension Funds. Previously, Ms. Caylor was the director of studio business affairs at Universal Studios. Ms. Caylor received her J.D. in 1984 from the Southwestern University School of Law. She is a member of the California Bar.
Mr. Fabrick commented, “I was attracted to Akin Gump because of its significant global resources, impressive level of expertise in the labor and employment law area, and solid commitment to the growth of its Los Angeles office and its entertainment industry practice. I feel strongly that Akin Gump will provide the highest quality legal services to my current and future clients.”
R. Bruce McLean, chairman of Akin Gump, added, “Howard and Michele significantly augment our overall ability to represent members of the entertainment industry on labor-related issues. With their arrival, we are now better positioned to serve our entertainment industry clients in connection with all of their legal needs, including financial structuring, production, distribution, music licensing and litigation.”
Founded in 1945, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., a leading international law firm, numbers more than 840 lawyers with offices in Austin, Brussels, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Washington. The firm has a diversified practice and represents regional, national and international clients in a wide range of areas, including antitrust; banking and financial institutions; bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights; capital markets; communications; corporate and securities; employee benefits; energy; entertainment; environmental; estate planning and probate; food and drug; government contracts; health; insurance; intellectual property; international; investment management; labor and employment; litigation; mergers and acquisitions; privatization; project finance; public law and policy; real estate and finance; taxation; and technology. For additional information, please visit our Web site at http://www.akingump.com.