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Los Angeles, Calif.—December 11, 2008—The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel (AMEC), the leading trade association serving general counsel and business affairs attorneys at media and entertainment companies, announced the finalists for its fourth annual Media & Entertainment Counsel of the Year Awards.

The finalists in each category are as follows:

Counsel of the Year
Claudia Teran, SVP Legal Affairs, Fox Cable Networks
Andrea Hartman, EVP and Deputy General Counsel, NBC Universal
David Friedman, EVP and General Counsel, Summit Entertainment

Rising Star
Jeff Friedman, VP Business and Legal Affairs, Reveille
Relani Belous, VP Business and Legal Affairs, MGM
Caroline Jasmine Vranka, Executive Director, Yari Film Group

PWC Dan Brandhorst Dealmaker
Frank Smith, SVP Business and Legal Affairs, Walden Media/Anschutz Film Group
Neil Klasky, SVP Business and Legal Affairs, FX Networks
Kristin McQueen, SVP Business and Legal Affairs, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Sports
Bobby Sharma, VP and General Counsel, NBA Development League
David Cohen, EVP and General Counsel, The New York Mets
Ethan Orlinsky, SVP and General Counsel, Major League Baseball Properties

Live, Location Based and Hospitality
Scott McLester, EVP and General Counsel, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation
Danielle Bernthal, Assistant General Counsel, Six Flags, Inc.

Labor and Personal Representative
Stuart Tenzer, SVP, William Morris Agency
Sheldon Kasdan, VP, Labor Relations, NBC Universal
Robert D. Manfred, Jr., EVP, Major League Baseball

Entertainment Technology and Games
Linda Bagley, Managing VP and Counsel, Media Distribution, The Walt Disney Company
Beth Matthews, EVP, MTV Networks
Clarissa Weirick, SVP and General Counsel, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

Public Service
Nancy B. Rapoport, Gordon & Silver, LTD. Professor of Law, William S. Boyd School of Law
David Sherwyn, Associate Professor of Law, Cornell University

Branded Entertainment
David Matlin, VP Legal Affairs, Home & Garden Television
David B. Stern, EVP, General Counsel and Head of Business Affairs, Key Brand Entertainment

Law Firm
Katten Muchin
Loeb & Loeb
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP

“The voters for this year’s AMEC awards did not let us down with their nominee choices,” said AMEC co-founder Peter Winkler. “The nominees really represent excellence in our industry and I don’t envy the choices our judges will have to make.”

The award ceremony announcing the winners will take place on Friday, January 9, 2009 at the House of Blues on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, Bob Pisano will address the ceremony with the keynote address. A VIP reception will be held prior to the award ceremony in the House of Blues’ Foundation Room.


About The AMEC
The AMEC was founded in 2005 by Arnold Peter of entertainment law firm Raskin Peter Rubin & Simon, Peter Winkler of media intelligence company Teletrax and William Simon of executive search firm Korn-Ferry International. It serves as the leading trade association providing resources, information, continuing education and awards recognition to the general counsel and business affairs attorneys at media and entertainment companies and law firm practices. In addition to the Media & Entertainment Counsel of the Year Awards, key programs of the AMEC include: M/E Insights newsletter, distributed quarterly to over 30,000 media, entertainment and communications decision makers globally; a variety of regular continuing education seminars held annually in New York and Los Angeles; and other industry news, data and information. For further information, please visit www.theamec.com .