| EXPERIENCE: Catherine (Cathy) S. Kirkman is a partner and leader of the media practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. With over 20 years of experience, Cathy has gained national recognition for her expertise in media law. She has been instrumental in key media and technology transactions for countless ventures in Silicon Valley, as well as in product strategy and business model advice. Cathy leads a deep bench on the media practice team, including counsel with specialized Hollywood and music industry expertise. She launched the firm's social media initiative, with domain expertise in copyright law, e-commerce, and Internet privacy. Cathy has served in various management positions at the firm, including on its Finance Committee and as chair of its Nominating Committee. Cathy publishes the Silicon Valley Media Law blog, svmedialaw.com, along with commentary in publications such as Business Week, and speaks at forums such as Digital Hollywood, MacWorld, and the Milken Institute. She is an adjunct professor at UC Hastings College of Law, where she teaches a seminar on intellectual property licensing, and she has been a guest lecturer at Stanford Law School and the UC Berkeley School of Law. Cathy is an insurer-approved, expert advisor on copyright law to Stanford Law School's Fair Use Project for film documentaries. In addition, she holds multiple privacy specialty certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Prior to joining the firm, Cathy practiced at the entertainment law firm Loeb & Loeb in Los Angeles, California, where she specialized in motion picture, television, and music transactions and received personal screen credit as production counsel. More experience Please see wsgr.com for a complete description of Catherine's experience.
EDUCATION: - J.D., Stanford Law School, 1989
With Distinction; Member, Order of the Coif; ASCAP Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition; Research Assistant to Professor Paul Goldstein on his treatise, Copyright Principles, Law & Practice - A.B., Harvard College, 1986
Magna Cum Laude; Member, Phi Beta Kappa
ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS: - Chair, Harvard Club of Silicon Valley Internet + Media Thought Leader Series
 Catherine Kirkman
continued | - Certified Information Privacy Professional, International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), with multiple certifications (including CIPP, CIPP/G, and CIPP/IT)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation; American Bar Association, Past Chair of various Copyright Committees of the Intellectual Property Section, including Special Committee on Online Copyright Issues
- Board of Directors, Bar Association of San Francisco; Member, Work/Life Balance Task Force; Past Chair, Sports and Entertainment Law Section; Past Member, No Glass Ceiling Task Force
- Advisory Board, Stanford Law School Program in Law Science & Technology, Planning Committee, E-Commerce Best Practices Conference
- Planning Committees, USC Law School Entertainment Law Institute and Intellectual Property Law Institute
HONORS: - Named a Northern California Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 in the area of Arts & Entertainment Law (top 5 percent of all attorneys)
- Named as one of two "standout" partners in addition to Larry Sonsini in the area of IP transactions in the 2007 edition of The Legal 500 US, Volume II
- Recipient (on multiple occasions), Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Community Service Award and Pro Bono Award
SELECT PUBLICATIONS: - Author, Silicon Valley Media Law Blog, American Lawyer Media (syndicated)
- Co-author, Internet Law and Practice, Thomson West
- Editor, Copyright Section of Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments, American Bar Association
- Board of Editors, American Lawyer Media's Internet Newsletter
SELECT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: - Panelist, "Your Social Media Strategy: Maximizing Rewards While Minimizing Risk," Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Palo Alto, May 12, 2010
- Moderator, "The Purposes of Copyright," Copyright @ 300: Looking Back at the Statute of Anne, UC Berkeley School of Law, April 9-10, 2010
- Panelist, "Social Media as Evidence, New Legal and Ethical Frontiers," UC Davis School of Law, February 3, 2010
- Panelist, "Monetization of Social Media and UGC," Sixth Annual E-Commerce Best Practices Conference, Stanford Law School, June 12, 2009
- Presenter, "Copyright and Media Law," Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, UC Berkeley Law School, September 11, 2008
- Presenter, "Media + Internet Agreements," All Hands Meeting, Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel, Santa Clara, December 4, 2007
- Presenter, "Technology as a Tool," Legally Female: What Does It Mean to Be "Ms. JD?" Conference, Yale Law School, March 31, 2007
Catherine Kirkman
continued | - CEO Interview and Panelist, "Play: The Berkeley Digital Media Conference," UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, November 18, 2006
- Panelist, "Intellectual Property and the New Video Revolution," Milken Institute, Beverly Hills, April 26, 2006
- More speaking engagements
- Please see wsgr.com for a complete list of speaking engagements.
ADMISSIONS: |