Law Rocks Team

March 12, 2020

Concert Recaps

Ninth Annual Law Rocks Los Angeles (2020)

Law Rocks Team

March 12, 2020

Concert Recaps

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

Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, 2022
Whisky A Go Go
$228,900 in total fundraising

Friday Winner:
Friday Judges’ Choice Award: Castle of Funk of Cox, Castle & Nicholson for United Friends of the Children

Saturday Winner & Judges’ Choice Award: Attractive Nuisance of Allen Matkins / Buchalter for California Strong.

Law Rocks took over the Whisky this past weekend, with 11 bands of rock star laywers battling it out for local nonprofits. Competition was fierce, the sets were awesome, and the Whisky was packed with fans.

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; Glancy Prongay & Murray; Allen Matkins; casetext; McNicholas & McNicholas; Pillsbury; Vega & Rivera; Cox Castle Nicholson; Cytovance Biologics; Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp; Project Farma; Secretariat; Perez & Caballero; and Wolf Greenfield.

Thanks for everything, LA! See you next year for our 10th anniversary event…

FRIDAY BANDS

Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Photo / Video

Featured

Side Hustle

With legal talent from Latham & Watkins; Doll Amir
Rocking Friday for Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Formed in late 2012 in anticipation of the 2nd Annual Law Rocks LA, Diversion is a band comprised entirely of Latham & Watkins personnel that has played consistently for the past four years since that first show at the Whisky. Throughout the year, the band performs regularly at a variety of clubs throughout Southern California such as the Troubadour, House of Blues, the Viper Room, and Molly Malones, as well as internal Latham events and other gatherings, often raising money for charities. More information about Diversion can be found at www.facebook.com/diversiontheband.

Doughboys

Featuring legal talent from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Rocking Friday for In-N-Out Burger’s Slave to Nothing foundation

Don’t let the name fool you. The Doughboys rock it hard. Covering popular songs and mixing original lyrics to familiar beats and riffs, they are as deft with a mic as they are with a memo. The Doughboys are 10 strong, and they will rock for The In-N-Out Burger’s Slave to Nothing Foundation this year, and they’re ready to rock the mic.

Castle of Rock

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

Privileged Communications

Starring legal professionals from Perkins Coie
Rocking Friday for City of Hope

Privileged Communications comprises partner Michael Wise on lead vocals, partner Joe Hamilton on guitar, partner Lara Dueppen on keyboard and partner Oliver Gold on drums, with firm friends Niall Fordyce on bass and Steve Smith on guitar. 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.

Click below to follow or learn more:
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Whisky Kick

Featuring legal talent from Michael Sullivan & Associates
Rocking Friday for Olive Crest

Born in a garage in the grueling pandemic times of 2020, Whisky Kick features legal pros and friends of Michael Sullivan & associates. They are pleased to be reliving their rock star dreams under mentally favorable and financially stable conditions.

Check them out on Instagram or Facebook

SATURDAY BANDS

Featured

The Grind

Featuring legal talent from Grindr; Fisher Phillips; Law Offices of John Given
Rocking Saturday for Transgender Law Center

The Grind is committed to the full expression of our most authentic selves, including all sexual orientations, gender identities, and genres of music. The Grind is Bill Shafton (General Counsel, Grindr), Zack Domb (Partner, Domb & Rauchwerger Employment Law Group), and John Given (environmental law solo practitioner), Gary Binford (Grindr's VP of Finance), Sean Henry (Grindr's Director of Product) and AJ Balance (Grindr's Chief Product Officer) and featuring special guests The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. The Grind proudly supports the Trans Law Center, the national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all peoples.

Jimmy's Brother

Featuring legal talent from Winston & Strawn; Farella, Braun + Martel; The Trade Desk Inc.
Rocking Saturday for American Red Cross/International Committee for humanitarian aid to Ukraine

JIMMY'S BROTHER is an LA-based rock n’ roll band. No gimmicks, no nonsense. Just vocals, guitars, and attitude. Formed in 2009 after a chance meeting around an old hotel piano in downtown LA, the band is known for its high energy mix of originals and cover songs, late night impromptu concerts at the Omni, and their legendary 2019 show at the Viper Room. Some boldly claim that Jimmy's Brother is one of the best acts to emerge from Winston & Strawn's Los Angeles office in recent years.

Several Dudes

Featuring legal talent from General Dynamics Mission Systems, Midtown Alliance, Starr, Gern, Davison and Rubin
Rocking Saturday for League of American Bicyclists: Nick Stevens Cycling Safety Advocacy Fund and Sentinels of Freedom

Several Dudes got together in the late 80's to write and play groovin' music for a loyal following in Atlanta while most of the dudes were in law school and medical school. Now lawyers, doctors, and musicians on the back ends of productive careers, the band has reformed to honor founding lead guitarist Nick Stevens after his tragic death in a cycling accident. Like back in the day, Several Dudes' new music will move your body and soul. The band will be releasing a tribute album - Our Brother Nick - and playing charity events to raise money for worthy causes including cycling safety. Saddle up!

Learn more at severaldudes.com.

The JDRF Troubadours

Featuring legal talent from Wolf Greenfield & Sacks
Rocking for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

The JDRF Troubadours have been raising money with Law Rocks for over 8 years and have amassed over 10 Law Rocks appearances in New York City and Los Angeles since 2014. This year, the band is proud to be again raising money for JDRF at the world-famous Whisky a Go Go on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip on April 30, 2022. The group has evolved over its years with the Law Rocks organization, with many friends and colleagues joining the group over time and playing under the names of Doc McCool and the Fools, the Rocke Lords, the Wolfpack, and CellarSonic. The JDRF Troubadours bands together friends and family from Connecticut and Oklahoma to try make a difference for JDRF! Founding band members CT-based Gabe McCool (bass, supporting vocals) and Ted Bednarczyk (drums) team up this year with NYC Law Rocks alumnus Eric Litchfield (guitar) and Gabe’s twin brother, Jesse McCool (guitar, supporting vocals) and friends, Kevin Pollard (lead vocals) and Lance Johnson (backing vocals), each from Oklahoma City.

With T1D, a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin—a hormone essential to turning food into energy. The daily life of someone with T1D brings a multitude of challenges, including insulin injections that need to be carefully balanced with eating and activity, disruptive glucose monitoring, sleepless nights—and wishing for a tomorrow where this struggle doesn’t exist. Living with T1D means there are no days off and there is no cure. But there is hope. Your generosity will help JDRF fund life-changing breakthroughs to remove the incredible daily burden of this disease—until it no longer exists. Please support The JDRF Troubadours’ fundraiser by making a donation today! The band wishes to thank our generous sponsors this year, which are: Wolf Greenfield, Wheeler Bio, NextWave Electrical Contractors, Alloy Therapeutics, Synthace, Project Farma, GableGotwals, That's Nice, and Robinson Park.

Run BMc

Featuring legal talent from Baker & McKenzie; Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete; Glancy Prongay & Murray; and SEADE Coaching & Consulting
Rocking Saturday for LA Family Housing

Run BMc has more than two decades of collective Law Rockin’ experience, including members of two different past champions. They are back to rock, roll, rap, dance, and funkify your minds. Not to be mistaken for your typical law-firm-charity-classic-rock-cover band, it discovered its musical destiny by covering artists like Run DMC, Tina Turner, Coldplay, Janis Joplin, Adele, Def Leppard, and Justin Timberlake. The band is known to bring sexy back, roll in the deep, and pour some sugar on you, while curing fevers with the only prescription – more cowbell.

Down By Law

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

Inspired by the Rainbow Road setting on their Teslas (More Cowbell!!!), Down By Law has been rockin’ since 2016. Formed out of a desperation to convince their kids that they are cool, and inspired (in equal parts) by Jim Jarmusch, the Starlight Vocal Band, and Iggy Pop, DBL rocks to answer the eternal question: “Is she really going out with him?”

THE NONPROFITS

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

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ROCK PANEL OF JUDGES

Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Photo / Video

Featured

Host - Carla Betz

Carla Betz is an actress, musician and host. She can be seen on episodes of Criminal Minds, Beverly Hills 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, multiple national commercials, and most notably playing bass for Law Rocks winners, Attractive Nuisance. She hosts "Deck Sessions" live music show and performs musical comedy with "Songs That Embarrass Our Families". She can be seen in the premiere of "All American" at this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival at the McCadden Theatre.

Host - Chuck Jarrell

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 The Nuisance, which has performed in the LA show for many years, and has won both the Judges’ Choice and Overall Winner awards in prior events. Chuck is a partner at Allen Matkins in Los Angeles.

Rock Judge, Trey Alexander

Trey is a survivor of 10 years in the Radio Industry during it final heyday. He was a music director and afternoon drive DJ at various stations throughout the midwest before being scooped up by MTV in the 90's because he kinda looked like Alan Hunter. It wasn't long after arriving in New York that Nirvana, ended Trey's MTV stint. Everyone was going grunge and he was unable to grow any facial hair. He moved on to other areas of the entertainment industry, but is proud of some of his past escapades, such as playing golf with Journey, drinking several gallons of beer with Brian Johnson of AC/DC, and being fired from "Friends" for saying something stupid to Jennifer Aniston. He is most proud of his former world record of Hot Tub Sitting (4 days at 105 degrees). He thanks his wife for being so patient when it came time to have children.

Rock Judge, 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.

Rock Judge, Laura Ferreiro

Laura Ferreiro is a long-time music journalist and founder of M4G Media, a boutique marketing agency that connects brands, artists and nonprofits and helps tell their stories to inspire action. She also founded Story Harmony to helps artists, business leaders and entrepreneurs uncover and share their most authentic brand stories to magnetize their ideal audience.

Laura previously served as West Coast Editor of British music magazine NME and has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, Variety, Yahoo, LA Weekly, Nylon and Rolling Stone. She's worked extensively in marketing, communications & PR, with brands including Red Bull and Gretsch Guitars, and nonprofits WaterAid, Easterseals, MALDEF and the Levitt Foundation. When she’s not scribbling away or attending shows, she enjoys hiking and making ceramics.

Rock Judge, Andy Radden

Andrew H. Radden currently works as Director of Corporate Partnerships for the LA Phil and its three iconic venues: Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and The Ford. Previously, he was an Account Executive for KROQ-FM 106.7 selling radio, podcasts, digital and live events. During his career, Andrew has worked with major brands including American Express, Rolex, Diageo, JP Morgan Chase, Red Bull, Activision, Home Depot, Pepsi, Postmates, and Toyota among others to integrate onsite at live music venues across Southern California. Andrew received his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Business at Claremont Graduate University. He is married to Patrice and has two sons - Davis (14) and Hudson (12).

Rock Judge, Joe Trofino

Joe Trofino is the Deputy 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. Joe currently lives in El Segundo with his wife, Melissa, 8 year old son/2032 NHL first round draft prospect, Crosby, and 3 year old daughter, Mila.

Rock Judge, Matthew Umhofer

Matthew Umhofer is a former federal prosecutor and Skadden survivor who founded the intergalactic litigation phenomenon known as Spertus, Landes & Umhofer. Law Rocks has afforded him the opportunity to defile the stage of the Whisky with mediocre covers on several prior occasions. To everyone’s great relief, Matthew will not be taking the stage this year to fill fans’ ears with feedback, and instead will be getting his Simon Cowell on, which is the closest he’ll ever come to being a judge.

Rock Judge, Lisa Whynot

Lisa Whynot is a LA based entertainment executive from Canada. In her two decades in the entertainment industry, from being an inhouse lawyer at EMI records to working with several illustrious entertainment law firms in LA, industry she has worked with some of the biggest recording artists in the world.