VIRGINIE L. PARANT is a transactional attorney whose practice encompasses all aspects of the entertainment and tech industries, including content and technology licensing, intellectual property management, joint ventures, and other business transactions. In over twenty years of practice, Ms. Parant has represented a broad range of corporate as well as creative clients, both at a large law firm and as in-house counsel.
It was during her formative years at Gunderson Dettmer, LLP, a leading Silicon Valley law firm, that Ms. Parant developed her strong traditional legal skills. There, she represented emerging growth companies, providing intellectual property counseling on domestic and international issues, as well as drafting and negotiating a broad range of agreements for the digital exploitation of entertainment products. Her clients varied from startup companies to publicly-traded corporations.
Subsequently, Ms. Parant held in-house counsel positions with two internet startups, becoming Vice-President of Business Affairs for online music marketing venture XingMail, Inc., and gaining a practical understanding of the business needs and strategic concerns of startup companies. In 2002, she co-founded Artist Law Group, an entertainment law boutique with offices in Los Angeles and Nashville, and developed a diverse client base, including Grammy- and Emmy-winning artists and producers. Artist Law Group morphed into ARTech Law in 2011 to better serve the needs of a growing roster of tech companies, while maintaining a robust entertainment practice.
Ms. Parant received an LL.M. from the University of California at Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she was subsequently invited to stay as a Visiting Scholar. She also holds a D.E.A. de Droit de la Propriété Littéraire, Artistique et Industrielle (LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law) with Honors and a Maîtrise en Droit Privé (J.D.) with High Honors from the University of Paris (known to many as the Sorbonne).
Ms. Parant is a member of the California State Bar, the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, and the California Copyright Conference. A European Union Erasmus Scholar and former Assistant Editor for ABA publication the Entertainment and Sports Lawyer, she has published numerous articles on copyright law. Her 1996 article, Copyright Enforcement in a Digital Environment, was selected for republication in the American Bar Association’s Best-Of-The-Year issue.
Named by Southern California Super Lawyers a “Rising Star” in 2005, Ms. Parant is regularly featured as a speaker at industry events. Her speaking engagements have included Digital Hollywood, South By Southwest, UCLA, Pepperdine University, the Women’s Entrepreneur Group, and California Lawyers for the Arts. She was also featured as regular on-air legal analyst on E! Entertainment (French affiliate) for the 2005 Michael Jackson trial and has been appointed Avocat-Conseil (Legal Counsel) to the French Consulate in Los Angeles.
In addition to her law practice, Ms. Parant is actively involved in wild horse protection issues. She is pro-bono general counsel for Return to Freedom, and co-founded the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, for which she built a coalition of national organizations representing over 10 million supporters. She sits on the organization's Board of Directors.