Zacco feat. Morten Jessel, new Attorney-at-law

20 April 2022

We are glad to say hello and welcome to our newest Attorney-at-law Morten Jessel. Not only has he joined the Zacco office in Copenhagen in March, he has also just passed his final trial exam. Exciting, isn’t it?

Morten Jessel specialises in entertainment law and has been working as an in-house legal manager for a major company within the entertainment industry. Due to his background, he is able to advise on all matters related to entertainment law including the review and drafting of contracts, conducting negotiations and the protection and enforcement of IP rights. Trademark and copyright law also fall within his expertise, and he is able to advise clients on all aspects of these fields.

Morten holds a Master of Laws from the University of Copenhagen from 2015 and a specialised LL.M in Intellectual Property Law from King’s College London from 2016.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Morten to ask him a few questions, please read the interview below.

Morten, first of all: Congratulations on passing your final trial exam! How was it?

Thank you, it was a great experience, first arguing your case to the judge, interrogating witnesses and finally delivering a closing statement. I am very excited because I am now able to assist clients throughout the process, from offering legal advice early in the development process all the way through to litigation, if necessary.

Do you have a preference of client now that you are qualified?

I would definitely like to continue working alongside the music industry, as I bring in-house experience and can shine a light on their needs from multiple perspectives. More generally, I enjoy working with companies within the entertainment field, this could be broadcasters, influencers, you name it. For me, the attraction lies in establishing a reliable attorney-client relationship, providing on-going legal advice that covers a broad spectrum of issues. Both parties benefit from establishing a relation developed from on trust and mutual understanding. Over time you learn how a client operates, what they need to be successful and what motivates them, and your advice will intuitively adapt to their requirements.

What are some of the pitfalls you help clients to navigate?

My specialist expertise, Entertainment law, predominantly focuses on contracts and agreements. A common pitfall when it comes to contracts is simply that they become outdated or unenforceable, often as a result of technology or consumer habits. Consider that much of today’s artistic revenue is generated from digital streaming, a development that needs to be embodied in your contracts. There are also brand new challenges. For example, I and my fellow attorneys are following the legal arguments and practice regarding NFT’s closely. NFTs are an asset that represents a digital item, sometimes linked to a physical one, which are often used in online worlds such as metaverses, but also on social media and other communication channels. The market for them is growing rapidly, it is largely unregulated and infringement is everywhere, so we are often helping brand owners and artists to secure assets related to existing IP. Mostly this is to prevent others from registering them first, but many are also developing them as a new revenue stream so we need to make sure that contracts are watertight.  Maintaining a continuous dialogue with clients means that you are best placed to understand their needs, and this means that we are in a better position to make sure their contracts protect what they want to be protected.

What do you like the most about your work?

Entertainment law is the most exciting type of law, if you ask me. I am involved when artists are signed, both on a global or local level, and my clients are often inspiringly creative people. They truly appreciate a reliable partner who covers their legal needs and structures these aspects of the business because this allows them to remain  focused on their art and creativity. Recent court cases, like the copyright claims against Ed Sheeran, underline the importance of effective legal representation for artists. I know a thing or two about securing and enforcing copyright, so get in touch, I am here to help!

Thanks Morten, we look forward to working with you and welcoming your clientele to Zacco!