Since Michael D. Steger started practicing law in 1993, he has sought to help solve his clients’ problems and expand their business opportunities. Whether in business transactions, litigation and other disputes, or counseling behind the scenes, he has focused on providing value to the individuals, companies and other entities that he has served.
From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Steger practiced law in Los Angeles, California, concentrating on litigation in state and federal court. He handled all aspects of litigation for clients ranging from individuals and partnerships to Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Steger was responsible for a wide range of commercial litigation matters, including entertainment, intellectual property, employment, bankruptcy, real estate, business and construction disputes.
In 2000, Mr. Steger became in-house counsel for STF Productions, Inc., the producer of Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted” and the syndicated “Final Justice,” where he also handled business and legal affairs for other Fox entities. In these roles, his portfolio included handling entertainment, media, intellectual property, Internet, litigation and employment matters for the programs, as well as union issues and other business negotiations.
To provide cost-effective solutions using his legal skills and experience in both private practice and as a corporate counsel, Mr. Steger opened his own law offices in 2005. He continues to advise and represent clients on entertainment, media, intellectual property, and employment and labor matters, as well as civil litigation. For more about his work in these subject areas, please click on the individual tabs under “Practice Areas.”
Mr. Steger is a member of the the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section, Communications Law Forum, Entertainment and Sports Law Forum, and the General Practice/Solo Section; the City Bar of New York; and the Rockland Business Association. He is an active member of the New York, Virginia, and District of Columbia Bars, and an inactive member of the California State Bar. In 2010 New York Enterprise Report named Mr. Steger the Best Intellectual Property Lawyer for Growing Businesses in New York.
Mr. Steger has written two law review articles on First Amendment issues: “Slicing the Gordian Knot: A Proposal to Reform Military Regulation of the Press,” University of San Francisco Law Review (1994), and “A Cautious Approach: Racist Speech and the First Amendment at the University of Texas,” Journal of Law and Politics (1992), as well as "You Can’t Win ‘Em All: Fantasy Sports and Rights of Publicity", ABA Entertainment and Sports Lawyer, Fall 2006; "Document It: Courts Find Joint Authorship in Documentary Films in Absence of Written Agreement," ABA Entertainment and Sports Lawyer, Winter 2008; "It's One, Two Three Strikes You’re Out at the Old Ball Game: Use of Player Names and Statistics in Fantasy Baseball", The Computer & Internet Lawyer, February 2009. He was also a contributor to "Advising and Defending Corporate Officers and Directors" published by California Continuing Education of the Bar (1998). A noted speaker on entertainment and media law issues, his public presentations include "The Media and the War for the 'Fourth Freedom': Covering the War on Terror", National Press Club, January 2003; "The Strongest Links: The Confluence of the Arts, Media, Entertainment, Sports, Intellectual Property and Information Technology," Virginia Bar Association, July 2003; "A Dangerous Intersection: The First and Sixth Amendments and Media Coverage of Crime," Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, September 2003; "So You Want to Use Music?" DC Independent Film Festival, March 2004; "Audio and Video Recording and Privacy in the Workplace," WMACCA IT Forum, June 2004; ABA Media Advocacy Workshop, January 2005; "So You Want to Use Music?" DC Independent Film Festival, March 2005; "An Hour Off The Clock," WBIS Radio, May and October 2005; and "How Does Grokster Affect Your Business?" WMACCA IT Forum, September 2005; ABA Media Advocacy Workshop, January 2006; "Legal and Business Aspects of Reality Television Production," District of Columbia Bar, March 2006; "We Need Clearance: Legal Issues for Producers," Arlington Independent Media, July 2006; "Staying Legal Online", NY State Bar Association, March 2008; and at the National Sports and Entertainment Law Conference, "Fundamentals of Film and Television Productions" (2007), "Careers in Entertainment and Sports Law" (2008), and "Regulation of Agents and Managers" (2009).
Mr. Steger received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was the Notes Editor of the Journal of Law and Politics. He also received both his M.A. (Foreign Affairs, 1993) and his B.A. (Foreign Affairs, Minor in History, 1989) from the University of Virginia.
Mr. Steger lives in Palisades, New York with his wife and daughter.
Andrew Mirsky, resident in Washington, DC, focuses on corporate finance, publishing, tax and technology law. Mr. Mirsky has 16 years’ experience as a business and commercial lawyer, including 5 years’ experience in company management of media and technology enterprises. Mr. Mirsky began his law career in New York City at the corporate law firm of Kaye Scholer LLP, focusing on corporate and finance transactions and advising clients in media, healthcare, securities, finance, manufacturing, and real estate. Mr. Mirsky left Kaye Scholer to work in-house at a client technology startup, with a business of supply-chain management technology.
Mr. Mirsky moved to Washington in 1999 and worked in Advertising Operations at The Washington Post Company, before joining Atlantic Media Company as Director of Business Development and Legal Affairs. Atlantic is publisher of The Atlantic Monthly, National Journal magazine and Government Executive magazine. At Atlantic, Mr. Mirsky had lead responsibility for 2.5 million in new revenues; negotiated outsourcing contracts, web serving agreements, archival services and software and hardware technology licensing; structured and negotiated deals for syndication services, custom publishing, reselling/database licensing, and site licensing; and marketed name and brand services with core and target markets through television and radio partnerships, complimentary partners and legislative outlets
Mr. Mirsky, admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, is a founding member of the Washington, DC-based industry group “Media Future Now” (www.mediafuturenow.com), a monthly lunch forum for the discussion of new media and digital technology business issues impacting content creators, advertisers and marketers, production and operations managers, financiers and related new media players. Media Future Now has approximately 300 members in Washington and New York, including members from Atlantic Media, The Economist/Roll Call Group, Congressional Quarterly, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Washington Post, Holland & Knight, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, NBC News, ABC News, Google, C-Span, Associated Press, Burson-Marsteller, New Media Strategies, Qorvis Communications and many others.
Mr. Mirsky received his law (1993) and undergraduate degrees (1990) from the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. He attended high school in Millburn, NJ (1986), and studied classical and jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music (Preparatory Division), in New York City.
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