RAISING THE BAR
PROFILES IN PRACTICE
Entertainment Industry ROBBERT J.F. de KLERK ’01 CEO, Humphrey Bogart Estate, Los Angeles HOW I GOT THE JOB:
I developed a friendship with the son of Audrey Hepburn through my law practice, and he introduced me to the son and daughter of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. They needed help managing the intellectual property rights of their iconic father, and over time my role grew from advising them to leaving my firm to become the CEO of the Humphrey Bogart Estate. A TYPICAL WORKDAY:
I source, negotiate, and oversee licensing deals with companies that want to use Bogart’s image to promote or brand their products. One of the best parts of my job is that on any given day I deal with a variety of industries, such as the gaming industry, the apparel industry, the spirits industry, and the entertainment industry. AN INTERESTING PROJECT I WORKED ON:
This unique job continues to bring me exciting experiences. I recently negotiated a clip rights deal for a Super Bowl ad with Google, closed an apparel deal with Gucci, and signed an agreement with a large studio for a film about Bogart’s life. We are also developing an animated series. There is almost always some kind of fascinating project on my desk.
LINDA BENJAMIN ’90 Senior Vice President, Entertainment Business Affairs and Operations IMAX Corporation, Los Angeles HOW I GOT THE JOB:
I represented a client in a difficult and sensitive negotiation with IMAX. When that deal successfully closed, IMAX asked me to join their team and lead their entertainment business affairs. I am incredibly honored to be part of the IMAX family with its groundbreaking work and strong legacy. A TYPICAL WORKDAY:
The variety in my day is one of the things I love most. My role spans business development and strategy, entertainment content production and distribution, finance, and legal. There is always an interesting mix of meetings with creative talent and my colleagues, lots of deal structuring and negotiation, problem solving, and optimization of operations. AN INTERESTING PROJECT I WORKED ON:
We are bringing amazing live events to audiences by broadcasting in IMAX theaters. We recently teamed up with Kanye West for his concert with Drake and beamed the show in real time to thousands of fans watching in IMAX theaters across the country. To see audiences having such a great time, immersed in the show thanks to our technology, makes all of the hard work really worthwhile.
60
MINNESOTA LAW
SPRING 2022
