Laura Lamansky

Laura Lamansky is an attorney at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where her practice focuses on trademark, copyright, and entertainment law. She helps clients create, grow, and protect their brands and artistic works through trademark and copyright prosecution, clearance, counseling, and enforcement, as well as the negotiation and drafting of licenses, assignments, and other intellectual property agreements. Laura advises on a wide range of entertainment and arts law matters, helping clients navigate entertainment agreements as well as legal considerations around advertising, marketing, and social media. Her experience includes preparing and prosecuting complex copyright applications and negotiating agreements for high profile theatrical productions, including a recent Broadway production, as well as counseling creators, producers, and arts organizations on legally compliant content development and brand strategy.

Laura is also a frequent speaker and thought leader on emerging and “hot topic” issues in intellectual property and entertainment law affecting brands, creators, nonprofits, and the evolving media landscape. Her work has been recognized through several honors, including being named a Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient, a Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch” honoree for Intellectual Property and Sports and Entertainment Law, and Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)’s Rising Star.

Before becoming an attorney, Laura worked directly in the entertainment industry as a media and event producer and digital strategist for Los Angeles-, Chicago and New York based international entertainment companies, and for a leading New York talent agency, where she drafted and negotiated contracts for major projects, including agreements related to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School, an M.F.A. in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Laura has been a frequent American Players Theatre audience member since childhood and benefited firsthand from APT’s student matinee and educational programming. She is honored to continue her long standing relationship with APT as a member of the Board.