Cynthia Sanchez

 Cynthia Sanchez is an attorney and mediator specializing in the areas of domestic and international copyright law and policy, enforcement, technical assistance, capacity building, program development, training, conflict resolution, nonprofit management, outreach, and rule of law. 

Ms. Sanchez currently serves as Associate Director/Head of the International Department of the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (Fund) where she leads the Fund’s efforts to collect and distribute neighboring rights royalties due to U.S. non-featured performers on a worldwide basis. 

Formerly, Ms. Sanchez served as Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center, a 35-year-old nonprofit organization that provides peace building and restorative justice services and trainings to the underserved and underrepresented communities in Los Angeles County, including to incarcerated children.

Ms. Sanchez previously held positions as an attorney for Warner Music Group’s Enforcement Division and as Legal Deputy Director for the Mexico’s Ministry of Culture/Education where she oversaw the Copyright Office’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Division and the Public Information Division. She also advised the Mexican government and other federal governmental agencies on domestic and international law and policy matters and participated in negotiating international instruments at the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, she served as a copyright law technical expert that helped negotiate the Intellectual Property of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement on behalf of Mexico. 

 Ms. Sanchez has also served as Counsel for Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Library of Congress/U.S. Copyright Office in Washington D.C. The Copyright Office’s Division of Policy and International Affairs assists in advising the U.S. Congress and executive branch agencies on domestic and international law and policy matters and represents the Office in U.S. government delegations to international organizations as well as in bilateral and multi-lateral meetings and negotiations with foreign governments. 

Prior to that, Ms. Sanchez served as in house counsel for Univision Communications Inc., the largest Spanish language media company in the U.S., and as Counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment. She started her legal career as an Associate for Univision Music Group. 

Ms. Sanchez received her J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she was Executive Editor for the Chicano Latino Law Review and earned her B.A. in English Literature and Language from the University of Southern California (USC). She also received her Mediation certification from the Los Angeles County Bar Association. 

Ms. Sanchez currently serves as Chair of the Philanthropy Division of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries (and formerly served as International Chair and Music Division Chair) as well as a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She has also served as Legal Commissioner for the International Music Council (NGO partner of UNESCO), as Ambassador to the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, as Vice President for the Hispanic Cultural Society of the U.S. Library of Congress, as Vice President of the executive board of the California Lawyers for the Arts, and as a Board Member for Levitt Pavilion- Los Angeles an organization whose mission is to make live music accessible to all, creating stronger and more connected communities while celebrating the diversity of Los Angeles and beyond.