Past Digital Media & Video Games Conferences
The 2026 Digital Media & Video Games Conference will take place on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Presented by the Ziffren Institute and Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, in association with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on Sports and Entertainment Industries, this year’s conference brings together leading practitioners and executives to discuss pressing issues in digital media and the video game industry.
In addition to robust discussions of a variety of topics that will engage and educate, this one-day conference also includes opportunities to meet, network, and reconnect with colleagues and friends. The conference is held in an intimate setting with limited availability and includes a hosted lunch and evening reception.
Since 2007, the Digital Media and Video Games Conference has been a key gathering for senior attorneys, executives, and industry leaders from video game developers, platform owners, publishers, eSports teams, content creators, and more.
Co-chaired by Rusty Weiss and Seth J. Steinberg, the conference offers valuable insights on the evolving digital media and video game landscape, keeping attendees informed on business trends and legal developments.
Past Conferences
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November 7, 2025 (Friday)
CLE Readings | Program Brochure
Annual Litigation Update - (1.25h General CLE)
Our annual litigation update will examine some of the top cases and disputes from the prior year or so affecting the digital media and video game space – including, among others, those involving rights of publicity, rights of privacy, first amendment, trademarks and copyright.
Moderator:
Maria Abesa, Senior Counsel, Square EnixPanelists:
William (Bill) Coats, Sole Practitioner
Marc Mayer, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Nima H. Mohebbi, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
Hot Topics in Online Safety and Privacy: What’s Happened in 2025 and What’s Ahead in 2026? - (1.25 General CLE)
This panel will provide insight into the general themes impacting privacy and online safety in the United States under the current administration, legislative trends at all levels in the U.S. and in Europe, and related enforcement actions. Key topics include online safety, censorship, content moderation, and the treatment and online protection of children, including trends in age gating, targeted advertising rules, as well as discussion of a potential new Children’s Online Privacy Protect Act (states and Federal), AI and privacy, and applicable European Union laws.
Moderator:
Felix Hilgert, Partner, Osborne ClarkePanelists:
Christina Gunzenhauser, Associate General Counsel, Reality Labs, Meta
Katie Ratte, Senior Vice President, ESRB Privacy Certified
Susan Rohol, Partner, Osborne Clarke
Elvis Stumbergs, Associate, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz
Hailun Ying, Head of Privacy, Legal, Roblox
Lunch Presentation – Hollywood’s Blind Spots: Film/TV vs. Attention Economy - (0.5h General CLE)
If only studios and streamers had only their rivals to worry about. But film and TV must also contend with a much broader array of media-consumption options vying for audience time. This presentation will focus on the increasing competition from first and foremost the world of videogames, which we'll zoom in on for the deepest exploration, alongside a far-ranging survey of audience alternatives including music, social video and AI-generated content.
Presenter:
Kaare Erikson, Media Analyst, Luminate Intelligence
Andrew Wallenstein, Chief Media Analyst, Luminate Intelligence
Alternative Business Models in Games & Digital Media - (1.25 General CLE)
As digital media and gaming evolve, so do the ways companies generate revenue, distribute content, and structure partnerships. This panel explores emerging business models—from global payment systems and IP ownership frameworks to platform shifts, subscriptions, and decentralized ecosystems—while addressing the legal and regulatory challenges that come with them.
Moderator:
Cooper Jackson, SVP, Business Affairs & Development, Electronic ArtsPanelists:
Andy Babb, Founder/Executive Producer, Pixel Blaze Studio
Carla Bedrosian, Chief Legal Officer, Xsolla
Chris Carvalho, Director, Roblox
Gary Rosenfeld, Chief Executive Officer, Plan A Games
Dorian Slater Thomas, Counsel, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
Ethical Uses of AI in the Workplace, Including as a Tool for Attorneys - (1.25h Legal Ethics CLE)
As law firms and in-house legal departments are increasing incorporating AI into their practices, it is important to understand the ethical and practical issues and limitations. Our panel will discuss how to use AI as part of a legal practice in a safe, ethical and compliant manner, including a look at some of the AI programs developed specifically for legal practices.
Moderator:
Rusty Weiss, Partner, Sidley Austin LLPPanelists:
Campbell Austin, Director and Associate General Counsel, Amazon Games
Elina Avakian, Associate General Counsel, Snap Inc.
Michael Madison, Law Professor, University of Pittsburgh
Nabil Virji, Strategic Business Development Lead, Harvey
General Counsel Roundtable - (1.25h General CLE)
The best GCs are those who are conversant on cutting edge legal and business issues. Join our speakers from leading technology and video game companies to hear about business and legal trends, what keeps them up at night, and a general discussion as to the state of the digital media and video game spaces.
Moderator:
Seth J. Steinberg, Principal, Digital Arts LawPanelists:
Ira Lam, Head of Legal, Netflix Games
Stan McCoy, SVP & General Counsel, Entertainment Software Association
Roy Rosenthal, Chief Legal Officer, Scopely
Clint Smith, Chief Legal Officer, Discord
CA MCLE Credits: UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all sessions, you may earn up to 6.75 credits (5.5 hours of general credit and 1.25 hours of legal ethics credit). CLE Readings
2025 Conference Sponsors
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November 8, 2024 (Friday)
CLE Readings | Program Brochure
GC Roundtable - (1.25h General CLE)
The best GCs are those who are conversant on cutting edge legal and business issues. The panelists on the GC Roundtable will discuss the cutting edge legal and business issues that they or their respective GCs believe must be considered by digital media and video game companies.
Moderator:
Rusty Weiss, Partner, Sidley Austin LLPPanelists:
Matthew Breitman, Senior Vice President - General Counsel Americas and Corporate Secretary, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Eric Grouse, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Adam Sullivan, General Counsel, Square Enix
Ethics of Responsible Gaming - (1h Ethics CLE)
Ethics of Responsible Gaming - The video game industry is uniquely positioned at the intersection of rapidly evolving technology and regulations that are trying to keep up, resulting in gray areas through which lawyers have to guide their clients. This panel interrogates the role of attorneys, their professional obligations, and their ethical duties as they navigate this ambiguity.
Moderator:
Maria Abesa, Senior Counsel, Business & Legal Affairs, Square EnixPanelists:
Andrew Bardi, Associate General Counsel, Reality Labs, Meta
Stacy Feuer, Senior Vice President, ESRB Privacy Certified
Felix Hilgert, Partner, Osborne Clarke
Zachary Lewis, Associate, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz
Lunch Presentation – Digital Media and Video Games: The Competition Hollywood Has for Consumer Attention - (0.5h General CLE)
The entertainment industry may have enough to worry about in 2024 as its core film and TV businesses feel the pressure of adapting to a streaming-driven marketplace. But the truth is the challenges Hollywood face now holding onto its audiences extends far beyond the production of premium long-form video. Intended as a companion of sorts to the "After the Streaming Wars" presentation given in June at UCLA's 48th Annual Entertainment Symposium this presentation takes a look at the competitive landscape for consumer attention, including video games, the creator economy, social video, immersive entertainment, and of course, AI. Enough talk about binge watching and themed popcorn buckets; let's talk about Roblox, Apple Vision Pro, the Sphere in Las Vegas and other innovations.
Presenter:
Andrew Wallenstein, Chief Media Analyst and President, Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP+)
Annual Litigation Update: Part 1 - (1h General CLE)
The first part of our annual litigation update will examine some of the top cases and disputes from the prior year or so affecting the digital media and video game space – including, among others, those involving rights of publicity, rights of privacy, first amendment, trademarks and copyright.
Moderator:
Doug Lichtman, Professor, UCLA School of LawPanelists:
William Sloan Coats, Sole Practitioner, Law Office of William Sloan Coats
Marc Mayer, Partner, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Annual Litigation Update: Part 2 - (0.5h General CLE)
The second part of our annual litigation update will summarize the cases involving Epic Games v. Apple and v. Google, including a recently filed new complaint, and include discussion of what is presently allowed in the app stores in terms of in-app purchases and side payments.
Presenter:
Jennifer Dixton, Assistant Chief, Special Counsel for Policy & Intellectual Property, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law
Show Me the Money! The Impact of NIL and Private Equity on Sports, Video Games & Digital Media - (1h General CLE)
Reference to “NIL” is in the news on a near daily basis. This panel will discuss why NIL seems to be everywhere, NIL’s emergence and intersection with rights of publicity, and how the associated money is impacting digital media, video games & sports, including the sports-media landscape. This includes a look at how such ties in with the recent surge in popularity of women’s sports, the return of EA Sports’s NCAA Football video game, and the potential for more money – an increase in private equity investment in sports and what that means.
Moderator:
Seth J. Steinberg, Principal, Digital Arts LawPanelists:
Andrew Eiger, Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs, Overtime
Sara Gotfredson, Founder, Trailblazing Sports Group (formerly VP, ESPN/Disney)
Gary Rosenfeld, Head of Business Development, Big Fish Games
Mark Tratos, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
Cross-Media IP Exploitation in Entertainment and Gaming - (1h General CLE)
This panel will discuss how entertainment and video game companies are expanding and licensing their IP to create cross-media entertainment products that span games, film, TV, books, podcasts, live events, merchandising and digital media to reach new fans and engage audiences. Successful franchise expansion is dependent on the rights and licensing of IP, which our panelists will address from a legal and business perspective across different types of entertainment and media. Our discussion will also include key trends and legal challenges in cross-media linear adaptations using video game IP as source material, as well as the use of TV/film storytelling IP in games and other media.
Moderator:
Cooper Jackson, Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Development, Electronic ArtsPanelists:
Pam Reynolds, Director & Associate General Counsel of Legal Affairs, Amazon MGM Studios
Ned Sherman, Chief Business Affairs & Legal Officer, Skybound Entertainment
Jenifer Wallis, Chair of Entertainment Practice, Munck Wilson, Mandala, LLP
Rusty Weiss, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
CA MCLE Credits: UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider. By attending all sessions, you may earn up to 6.25 credits (5.25 hours of general credit and 1 hour of legal ethics credit). CLE Readings
2024 Conference Reception Sponsor
