Peter Strand

Mr. Strand is a partner at the entertainment, media, and intellectual property law firm Mandell Menkes LLC in Chicago. He represents content creators and providers including authors, songwriters and composers, recording artists, musicians, television and film writers, independent record labels, music publishers, independent film producers and documentarians, and production companies in various transactional and litigation matters in the entertainment industry. In addition to contract preparation, analysis, and negotiation, he assists clients with protecting and enforcing their copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights; licensing or exploiting their creative works; acquiring and distributing content; and selecting, securing, and protecting product and service brand names.

In addition to his law practice, Peter teaches music law as an adjunct professor at Marquette University School of Law. He has also taught entertainment law and music law at Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law, and DePaul University College of Law.

Peter served as Chair of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries and served as the inaugural Chair of the Forum’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Division. He has served in several leadership positions for the Chicago Chapter of the Recording Academy (the Grammys) including National Trustee, President, Vice President, and Chapter Governor.

Peter has been recognized by his peers as Best Lawyers in America 2024 for his expertise in: Copyright Law, Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television, Entertainment Law – Music; Band 1 ranking in Chambers USA 2024 Guide; “Lawyer of the Year for 2023 – Entertainment Law – Music in Chicago. He was also named a “Best Lawyer” and an “Illinois Super Lawyer”: 2022 Best Lawyers: “Lawyer of the Year”- Entertainment Law – Music in Chicago, 2022 – Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television in Chicago; Chambers USA, Band 1, Media & Entertainment – Transactional, 2017; Illinois Super Lawyers; Top 100 Attorneys in Illinois, Chicago Magazine, 2015; Super Lawyer, Billboard Magazine’s 50 Attorneys of Note in the Music Business, 2014; Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers Magazine, Chicago edition, 2013-2016; “Leading Lawyer” in Arts, Entertainment and Sports in Illinois from 2003 – 2016; “Illinois Super Lawyer” in Arts & Entertainment as one of the top five percent of Illinois attorneys in the entertainment field by Chicago Law Bulletin Leading Lawyers Network; “Leading Business Lawyer” in Media & Entertainment Law in Illinois, 2006 – 2014; Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Thomas R Leavens Award, 2008.Chambers USA named Peter to Band 1, Media & Entertainment – Transactional in 2018. In 2015, Peter was named one of the Top 100 Attorneys in Illinois by Chicago Magazine. He has been also selected as: “Super Lawyer — Billboard Magazine’s 50 Attorneys of Note in the Music Business” in 2014; Entertainment Law-Music Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers Magazine in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2018; “Leading Lawyer” in Arts, Entertainment and Sports in Illinois from 2003 – 2018 and in its 2018 Top 10 list for Arts, Entertainment and Sports in Illinois; and an “Illinois Super Lawyer” 2007-2018.

He has been profiled in Crain’s Chicago Business, Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and Wisconsin Lawyer Magazine.

Peter has extensive experience drafting, analyzing, revising, and negotiating complex entertainment industry agreements including record contracts, music publishing agreements, literary publishing agreements, film and television production agreements (producer, director, actor, composer, location, etc.), content and catalogue acquisition and distribution agreements, and agreements between creative collaborators (songwriters, co-authors, bands, production companies). These entertainment industry agreements typically address issues of ownership, compensation (royalties, advances, back end, upfront fees, and buy-out fees) control, credit, and content acquisition (options, licenses, works made for hire). He has represented authors, film/television production companies, recording artists, songwriters, on-screen and behind the camera talent, record producers, composers, and life story subjects.

Peter also provides pro bono legal services to musicians, artists, and arts organizations through the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where he has been involved as a volunteer, Board Member, and on the Honors Council for more than 37 years. In 2008, Peter received the Thomas R. Leavens Awards from the Lawyers for the Creative Arts for his distinguished service to the arts through LCA.

Before becoming an attorney, Peter played and recorded as a full time touring musician with several bands including Yipes!, who recorded two albums for RCA/Millennium Records and released its third album in December 2018.