Bio

Peter J. Strand is a partner at the entertainment, media and intellectual property law firm Leavens, Strand, Glover & Adler in Chicago. His clients include content providers and content creators including media companies, television and radio broadcasters, authors, songwriters, recording artists, musicians, television and film writers, independent record labels, independent film producers and documentarians, publishing companies, and production companies in various transactional and litigation matters in the entertainment industry. In addition to contract preparation, analysis and negotiation, Mr. Strand assists clients with protecting and enforcing their copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, licensing or exploiting their creative works, acquiring and distributing content and selecting, securing and protecting product and service names.

Peter also provides pro bono legal services to musicians, artists and arts organizations through the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where he’s been involved as a volunteer, Board Member and on the Honors Council for 20 years. In 2008, Peter received the Thomas R. Leavens Awards from the Lawyers for the Creative Arts for his distinguished service to the arts through LCA.

In addition to his law practice, Peter teaches entertainment and music law. He’s an adjunct professor at Chicago Kent College of Law and has also taught at DePaul University College of Law and Marquette University Law School.

Peter serves as a National Trustee of the Recording Academy (Grammys) representing the Chicago Chapter. He is the immediate past President of the Board of Governors for the Chicago Chapter. In addition, Peter chairs the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Division of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries.

Peter has been named by the Chicago Law Bulletin Leading Lawyers Network as a “Leading Lawyer” in Arts, Entertainment and Sports in Illinois from 2003 – 2010; an “Illinois Super Lawyer” in Arts & Entertainment as one of the top five percent of Illinois attorneys in the entertainment field; and a “Leading Business Lawyer” in Media & Entertainment Law in Illinois, 2006 through 2010, in Chambers USA - America’s Leading Business Lawyers.

Before becoming an attorney, Peter played and recorded as a full time touring musician with several bands including recording two albums for RCA/Millennium Records.

Practice Areas

Entertainment Law
Recording Contracts & Master License Agreements
Distribution Contracts
Music Publishing & Licensing Agreements
Management Contracts
Literary Publishing Contracts
Film Production Contracts
Publishing Agreements
Investor Agreements
Talent Agreements
Copyright Matters
Trademark Matters

Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison, JD 1987
University of Wisconsin-Madison, BA, Journalism

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin
Illinois

Court Admissions

Illinois Supreme Court
Wisconsin Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Teaching Positions

Name of School: Chicago Kent College of Law
Name of Course:  Entertainment Law
Semester (Summer, Fall, etc.):  Fall
Course Description: The course is a general survey of the law and business of the major areas of entertainment, including film, recording, music publishing, copyrights, rights of publicity and artist’s representatives.
 
Name of School:  Chicago Kent College of Law
Name of Course:  Music Law
Semester (Summer, Fall, etc.): Spring
Course Description: The course covers the law and business of the music and recording industry.