QUICK LINKS: Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Photo / Video

Thursday and Friday, March 21 and 22, 2019
Whisky A Go Go
$178,193 in total fundraising

Thursday Winner & Judges’ Choice Award: Lodestar of Glancy, Prongay & Murray / Hooper, Bookman & Lundy for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).

Friday Winner: Privileged Communications of Perkins Coie for City of Hope.

Friday Judges' Choice Award: Attractive Nuisance of Allen Matkins / Buchalter for California Strong.

Los Angeles beat its own records at the 8th Annual Law Rocks LA, raising over $178K over two night at the Whisky (previous record was $153K). A huge thank you to everyone came out to make the night amazing!

All of the bands put on amazing sets - both nights had a great mix of playlists, large and small bands, and awesome crowds. Both nights included a special video message from Dave Navarro (founding member Jane’s Addiction, Royal Machines and host of Paramount’s Ink Master). Billy Morrison (Billy Idol, Royal Machines) sat on the rock panel and also took the stage to share a bit about Above Ground, which the event benefited alongside each bands’ nonprofit pick.

Law Rocks wouldn't exist without the support of all the bands and firms - major thanks to every participating band! Thanks also to the Whisky team, the Rock Panel of Judges, and our nonprofit guests. None of this would be possible without our sponsors, making the show possible - thank you to Perkins Coie; Raines Feldman; JAMS; Buchalter; Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete; Doll Amir Eley; Glancy Prongay & Murray; Latham & Watkins; DISCO; Day Pitney; EPIQ; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp; Pillsbury; and Spertus, Landes & Umhofer.

Thanks for everything, LA! See you next year…

Event Press Release

Featured

Confidential

Featuring legal talent from Buchalter; Travelers

Confidential is a hard rock band straight out of Irvine. It was the brainchild of four friends with similar musical interests: Darren Wilsey (lead guitar and author of, "The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond"), Jason Goldstein (bass guitar, shareholder at Buchalter), Abram Rodriguez (lead vocals , teacher, Mayfair High) and Matty West (rhythm guitar, teacher, coach, author). Add drummer Patricia Oceguera (professional interpreter) and guitarist Bob Dato (of counsel, Buchalter), and you have an eclectic combination of rock n' roll die hards that are looking to rock the Whisky-a-Go-Go on March 21, 2019.

The Confidential set list offers a broad range of appeal for rock music aficionados - from the novice to diehards like us. And remember, no matter what happens before, at or after a Confidential show: "Your Secret Is Safe With Us." TM pending.

Lodestar

Featuring legal talent from Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP; Hooper Lundy & Bookman PC
Rocking for Kind, Inc. (Kids in Need of Defense). Kind helps ensure that no child appears in immigration court without high quality legal representation.

Lodestar is a hard rock band that recently took third place in the Banding Together to End Domestic Violence concert last July at the El Rey Theatre.

Marc Godino, guitarist for Lodestar, is a senior partner at Glancy Prongay & Murray, and along with bassist Daniel Cubert have been playing music together for over 40 years. Combined with drummer John Ferrigno from Hooper Lundy & Bookman, percussionist/attorney Melissa Wright, and vocalist/attorney Gary Yones, Lodestar promises to deliver a high energy, guitar driven rock experience.

MauxFaux

Featuring legal talent from Faraday Future; Praedicat, Inc; Strumwasser & Woocher LLP
Rocking for Family Violence Appellate Project

MauxFaux started at Morrison & Foerster as Band Morrison and has been a staple for several years in the gritty underground corporate-lawyer Los Angeles music scene. Now faux MoFos, the three existing members have moved on to Praedicat, Inc., Faraday Future, and Strumwasser & Woocher LLP. As a power pop trio, MauxFaux strives to bring garage-band, punk sensibilities to pop hits. It's like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but the brides are the Bangles and the brothers are the Ramones.

Matthew Umhofer

With talent from Spertus, Landes & Umhofer
Rocking for ACLU of Southern California

Daughter: “Daddy, why do you do Law Rocks every year?”
Me: “Because, sweetie, Daddy has unresolved insecurities from his childhood and expresses those through attention-seeking behaviors.”

Daughter: “Oh. That’s exactly what mommy says. You’re weird. And embarrassing.”
Me: “Imagine how my law partners feel.”

Daughter: “Seems like you’ve been doing this since I was born—have you ever won Law Rocks?”
Me: “No sweetie. But thanks for rubbing it in.”

Daughter: “What songs are you going to do?”
Me: “I’m going to desecrate several classics from the 80s, 90s, and today. You know, the usual.”

Daughter: “Please don’t do like real music like Cardi B and Ariana Grande. It’s cringy and needy.”
Me: “I know. But I think the audience appreciates the awkwardness of my musical stylings in ways that cause them to cheer sympathetically. Kinda like when a video of a puppy barking at himself in a mirror gets a billion likes.”

Daughter: “Who is your charity?”
Me: “It’s the ACLU. They fight for people’s rights and make the president rage-tweet.”

Daughter: “Then I like them. Do they know you’re not very good at this?”
Me: “Shhh, honey. Let’s keep that just between us.”

Scene

The MHAS Warriors

With legal talent from Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp
Rocking for Mental Health Advocacy Services (MHAS)

MSK’s band, the 2017 Judge’s Choice winner, will again be playing to support Mental Health Advocacy Services (MHAS), an organization dedicated to providing free legal services to those with mental health disabilities. They’re playing this year as The MHAS Warriors to honor Jim Preis, the long-time leader of MHAS who passed away last year. MHAS is a truly inspiring organization with a vibrant new Executive Director, Jenny Farrell, leading MHAS into an exciting new chapter. The MHAS Warriors, fresh off covering the back side of Abbey Road last year, are mixing it up this year with a mix of indie/alternative tunes from The Cure to The National to the Alabama Shakes.

The Wolfpack

Featuring legal talent from Day Pitney; Wolf Greenfield
Rocking for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

The NYC-area based Wolfpack is excited and honored to be joining the Law Rocks LA show this March as they continue to raise money for JDRF! The band has had the good fortune of playing the NYC show since 2014, raising nearly $30,000 for various charities in the process. Gabe, Greg, Brian, and Ted will be flying out to the Sunset Strip to rock the Whisky with a killer set of hard-hitting rock songs that will be sure to keep the crowd howlin’ all night! The band greatly appreciates your support in helping to raise funds for the LA Chapter of JDRF - the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF's goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D until “type one” becomes “type none!

FRIDAY BANDS

Featured

Attractive Nuisance

With legal talent from Allen Matkins and Buchalter
Rocking for California Strong

Attractive Nuisance roared onto the Whisky stage in 2014 for its inaugural Law Rocks! set. The Nuisance won the Judges' Choice Award in 2016 and won both the Saturday night concert and the Judges' Choice Award in 2017. The Nuisance has played gigs all over Southern California, from Agoura Hills to Hermosa Beach. Law Rocks is thrilled that the Nuisance is bringing back its mosh-inspiring sound for 2019 in support of California Strong, which is raising money and awareness to support those affected by the Borderline Shooting in Thousand Oaks, the Camp Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey and Hill Fires in Southern California.

Big Dicta

With legal talent from Doll Amir & Eley
Rocking for Mirman School

2015 champs and 2016/2018 Judges' Choice Award winners, BIG DICTA, are back and ready to rock! Doll Amir & Eley lawyers, Sunset Strip veterans -- the danger of rocking too hard is indeed present. This year, all amps will be set at 11.5 and more cowbell is guaranteed.

The Doughboys

Featuring legal talent from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Rocking for In-N-Out Burger Foundation

Don’t let the name fool you. The Doughboys rock it hard. Mixing original lyrics to familiar beats and riffs, they are as deft with a mic as they are with a memo. The sextet from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman will rock for The In-N-Out Burger Foundation this year, and they’re ready to prove that it’s all about that bassoon, ‘bout that bassoon, no treble.

Castle of Rock

Featuring legal talent from Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP
Rocking for United Friends of the Children

Down By Law

With legal talent from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete; Reed Smith
Rocking for LACBA Counsel for Justice

As hard-core devotees of the Starland Vocal Band, we first met at the Annual SVB Convention in Dubuque in 2012. Upon realizing that we that we all worked for the same law firm, we spontaneously broke into a 4 and a half-part harmony of “Afternoon Delight.” After that, we knew that we had to form our own band to make awesome music together. Our motto: OBOS!

The Four Horsemen

With legal talent from Latham & Watkins
Rocking for City of Hope

Representing Latham & Watkins with members from Diversion, a Latham band who performed at 3 prior LawRocks events, the Four Horsemen will pay homage to classic Sunset Strip Heavy Metal. Performing timeless face-melting classics from bands who performed at the world famous Whisky A Go Go throughout the 1980s. Get our fist in the air and relive the heyday of the Sunset Strip metal scene! The Four Horsemen will be raising money to support The City of Hope.

Ocean Park Sound System

Featuring talented legal professionals from Raines Feldman
Rocking for White Heart Foundation

Ocean Park Sound System is a soul/funk reggae party. Featuring members of Raines Feldman LLP, Ocean Park Sound System came together out in the surf lineup and create a live groove mix of soul, reggae, funk, surf, and rock. The band plays around town and at fundraisers to keep the soul shakedown going!

Privileged Communications

Starring legal professionals from Perkins Coie
Rocking for City of Hope

Three-time Law Rocks champion Privileged Communications formed in early 2013 to represent Perkins Coie in the Law Rocks competition in Hollywood, California against other firms such as Latham & Watkins and DLA Piper. Privileged Communications comprises partner Michael Wise on lead vocals, partner Joe Hamilton on guitar, partner Lara Dueppen and counsel Oliver Gold on keyboards and drums, respectively, and non-Perkins attorney Niall Fordyce on bass. While Privileged Communications does not have any available recordings currently, the group is in contract discussions with several large record labels and expects to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show within the next few years.

In addition to each band’s nonprofit pick listed below, Law Rocks Los Angeles also benefited Above Ground, the organization founded by Billy Morrison (Billy Idol, Royal Machines) and Dave Navarro (founding member Jane’s Addiction, Royal Machines and host of Paramount’s Ink Master) dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the treatment of mental health issues.

Featured

2019

Thursday Host - Charles Jarrell

Charles “Chuck” Jarrell is a long-time supporter of, and participant in, Law Rocks. He helped form the inaugural board of directors for Law Rocks, and has emceed Law Rocks events nationwide. He is the guitarist for Attractive Nuisance, which has participated in the LA show for 5 years.

Chuck is a partner at Allen Matkins whose practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on complex business disputes and commercial fraud claims. His practice encompasses a broad spectrum of litigation, including real estate, partnership, environmental, and construction disputes.

Friday Host - Stryker

Since 1999, Ted Stryker has been a staple at KROQ and millions of Southern Californians are familiar with his voice as the drive-time DJ on The World Famous KROQ weekdays from 2pm to 6pm and his popular “4:20” feature that provides exposure for the best new artists. During his tenure at KROQ, Stryker has interviewed virtually every top rock musician in the world.

Outside of KROQ, Stryker works in front of the camera as a co-host on Red Bull TV during their worldwide broadcasts of popular music festivals such as Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, etc. as well as hosting shows on AXS TV, MTV, VH1, Fox Sports, Fuse, Direct TV, AMA Red Carpet pre-show, and the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. Stryker has appeared in the movies “Grandma’s Boy”, “Out Cold”, “The Sweetest Thing”, and was part of the incredible ensemble cast in the action/thriller “Sushi Girl”.

Shawn Dailey

Shawn Dailey has been a professional touring and recording musician since the age of 17. Most recently he played bass for Courtney Love / Hole. He has also toured and recorded with several other critically acclaimed rock bands. He currently serves as Executive Director for the Take Me to The River Music Education Initiative, a charity that seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of civil rights, music history, and cross-generational collaboration.

Laura Ferreiro

Laura Ferreiro is the founder Music for Good and M4G Media, which connects brands and musicians with reputable non-profits, helps tell their stories, and promotes musicians and the good causes they care about most. She previously served as West Coast Editor of British music magazine NME, and is a longtime music journalist contributing to Yahoo, the Los Angeles Times, Variety, LA Weekly, IGN.com, Nylon and Rolling Stone. She has also worked extensively in marketing, communications & PR, with brands including Red Bull and Gretsch Guitars, and non-profits such as WaterAid, Easterseals, MALDEF and the Levitt Foundation. When she’s not scribbling away or attending shows, she enjoys hiking and making pottery.

Dan Flores

Dan Flores is a Senior Vice President and the head of litigation at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Prior to joining MGM in 2013, he practiced in the Los Angeles office of Gibson Dunn in the areas of entertainment, intellectual property, and antitrust law. Dan received his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 2002 and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Music from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1999. He serves on the board of the Jazz Education Network, the leading organization supporting college and high school jazz educators and students, and he has previously served on the President’s Council at the Colburn School. Dan currently plays tenor saxophone with Gary Greene and His Big Band of Barristers, an institution in the Los Angeles legal community that has allegedly been declared as America’s #1 Legal Band by the American Bar Association. Once upon a time he could also play clarinet, guitar, bass, and piano reasonably well but now he is admittedly kind of a hack. Dan’s favorite non-lawyer band is Fishbone.

Billy Morrison

Billy Morrison is an English guitarist, singer and actor who plays guitar with Billy Idol and performs with the Los Angeles-based cover band Royal Machines (and previously with Camp Freddy). Morrison previously fronted the hard rock act Circus Diablo and has been a member of The Cult, Stimulator, Doheny and Into a Circle.

Morrison co-hosted Indie 103.1's Camp Freddy Radio, with Dave Navarro, until its retirement in 2008.

Chris Poole

Chris Poole is President and Chief Executive Officer of JAMS, the largest provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide.

Poole joined JAMS in 2006 and since that time has led the organization through an unprecedented period of growth, which also helped elevate the ADR industry as a whole. In his role as President and CEO, Poole works closely with senior management and the highly-trained panelists who own the company. He is actively involved in recruiting high-profile ADR talent to the JAMS panel and overseeing the operations and marketing functions across all locations worldwide.

Poole’s extensive business experience in the legal industry makes him uniquely qualified for the head post at JAMS. Prior to joining JAMS, Poole was CEO at Thomson Elite, part of The Thomson Corporation. Under Poole’s leadership, Thomson Elite, the software division of Thomson’s $3-billion Legal and Regulatory Market Group, grew to be one of the most successful suppliers to the legal industry. At Thomson, he was responsible for overseeing multiple product lines with 800 employees. During his tenure, Elite dominated its core market and became a global leader in legal software, achieving a market share of over 60 percent of the largest law firms in the world.

Poole was COO of Elite Information Systems from 1995 to 1998, Chair and CEO of Elite Information Group from 1999 to 2003, and President and CEO of Thomson Elite from 2003 to 2006. Before joining Elite, Poole was Executive Director of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. Latham is one of the largest law firms in the world, with more than 2,600 attorneys in 30 offices around the globe. He served as Executive Director from 1993 to 1995, and prior to that, he was the firm’s Director of Technology from 1989 to 1993.

Poole was the recipient of the 2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Harvard University in 1979 and his M.B.A. in Computers and Marketing from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 1984.

He is based in the JAMS Irvine Headquarters and lives with his family in Southern California.

Mick Smiley

Mick Smiley is a songwriter and producer. Career highlights include three platinum records, a Grammy nomination, and playing bass on Billy Idol's first album. He is perhaps best known for writing and performing the song "Magic" from the 1984 Ghostbusters soundtrack. Mick has owned Better Music Services for the past 25 years, a top Southern California DJ service specializing in weddings.

Joe Trofino

Joe Trofino is the Associate General Counsel and a senior executive in the Legal Affairs Department at ICM Partners, one of the world’s largest talent and literary agencies with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and London, where he focuses on general corporate legal matters including litigation, corporate contracts, regulatory compliance, insurance matters, real estate, employment, business development and legal policy matters. The agency represents creative and technical talent in the fields of motion picture, television, books, music, live performance, branded entertainment, and new media. Mr. Trofino joined ICM Partners in 2008. Mr. Trofino currently lives in Culver City with his wife, Melissa, and 4 year old son/2032 NHL first round draft prospect, Crosby.

Debbie White

Debbie White, partner at Loeb & Loeb, focuses her practice in the music, motion picture and entertainment industries, with particular emphasis on representing recording artists, songwriters, producers, managers, record companies, publishing companies, and digital media and technology companies in their ongoing business affairs.

Recognized as a top entertainment lawyer by leading publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, Debra is known for her work negotiating multimillion-dollar recording contracts, as well as agreements related to publishing, worldwide touring, film soundtrack and Broadway cast albums, merchandising and sponsorships. A significant portion of her music practice centers on the development of copyright strategies and implementation of licensing efforts for digital companies, major advertisers and advertising agencies, sports and television networks, and entertainment companies.

Her experience representing talent, combined with her in-depth understanding of licensing and publishing rights, uniquely positions Debra to address the complex issues that arise when artists work with subscription streaming services and other new media companies and licensors of digital content.

She also leverages her talent and recording relationships to negotiate entertainment-related strategic marketing partnerships, tour sponsorships, brand integration agreements and celebrity product endorsement deals on behalf of advertising agencies and Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries.

In addition, Debra represents actors, fashion designers, athletes, chefs, models and high-level industry executives in a range of traditional entertainment matters. She has been very successful at expanding her clients’ interests through ventures such as book publishing, fragrance and cosmetic licensing agreements, non-scripted television deals, and infomercials.

Debra's practice is international in scope, and she is increasingly active in Asia’s expanding entertainment and media market, with clients that include China’s largest tech company and one of the most popular K-pop bands in history.