APRIL PYATT, ESQ.

Intellectual Property and Entertainment Attorney
Diserio Martin O’Connor & Castliglioni
apyatt@dmoc.com

Interview

• Where are you originally from?

  Petersburg, Virginia

• Where do you currently reside?

  New York, New York

• What prompted you to get into the sports/entertainment industry?

  Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed working with creatives. Even before becoming an attorney, working with talent, media, marketing and other creatives gave me a sense of joy. Their energy and passion are infectious. I also believe that companies and organizations can easily take advantage of a creative's talents when they are not properly represented, and may not know how to negotiate for terms they want and need. One may be happy just to have a seat at the table, but that does not mean one has to settle for less than they are worth. I would like to be a resource for those individuals.

• Please outline the services you provide for clients and any specialties.

  We do quite a bit of trademark and copyright prosecution work to make sure artists are properly protecting their work. As such, enforcement of our client's rights is also high on our list of services. We also handle licensing contracts, options, releases, distribution, media and spokesperson deals. We have a 360 approach to counseling clients about protection of their brand, whether that brand is in connection with a service, talent or physical product. Having worked within in-house legal departments for major corporations and for individual talent, I have the advantage of having some insight into both camps. That can be helpful in drafting and negotiating deals.

• What type of clients do you typically represent? What factors do you consider when deciding which clients to take on?

  We represent multinational corporations, individual artists, authors and everything in between. Each client is chosen on a case by case basis, and the factors vary, but when we are representing a client, believe that they are in great hands!

• What is one thing people would be surprised to know about your profession? What is one of the biggest misconceptions?

  People would be surprised to know how emotionally involved we get with our clients' cases, which is tied to the misconception that attorneys are heartless charlatans that are all about raking in the money. Ha! I genuinely care about my clients and getting them the results they want, or the most advantageous deal, in a cost effective manner. I am elated when I see their successes, and get fired up to help when I see someone try to take advantage of them.

• What are some challenges or obstacles you have faced as an African-American in this profession?

  I think there is always the obstacle of overcoming stereotypes. We are constantly fighting against someone's preconceived notions of what we are "supposed" to be. With the double whammy of also being a woman, it can be difficult when you do not feel seen or heard and your credibility is being questioned. However, as always, we persevere. We use those misconceptions to catch others off guard, and work it to our best advantage. I will never allow anyone to place me into a neatly labeled box, and that definitely carries over into my practice. I am always looking for a creative or unexpected solution to problems, and willing to go above and beyond to achieve my client's objectives.

• What do you think can be done to improve diversity with regards to representation?

  I think organizations like Diverse Representation are doing the work that we all should be doing. Spreading the word that there are diverse options for representation and building communities. As attorneys, agents and managers, it behooves us to continue building cross-functional relationships with one another to provide diverse resources for our clients. Particularly in this industry, referrals and word-of-mouth are bread and butter. I am hopeful that we will see more examples of diverse attorneys providing their clients with recommendations for diverse management or agents, and vice versa. We can only do that through fellowship.

• What advice would you have for other African-Americans looking to enter this profession?

  First, stay the course, and really want it. There will be naysayers and people that will tell you how difficult it is to get into this profession, the industry, etc. If you are truly passionate about pursuing the practice of law in any area, do not let anything stand in your way. Second, find mentors that can advise and guide you. Mentors should be people with whom you genuinely share a connection and whom you trust to offer solid professional and/or personal advice.

• What is the best way for people to get in touch with you?

  Email me at Apyatt@dmoc.com.