Donald J. Valdez

Of Counsel

Burnett Plaza, Suite 2000
801 Cherry St., Unit 46
Fort Worth, TX 76102-6836

Assistant: Barbara Turner

817.336.2400

Practice Areas & Experience

Brand Protection:

Work with clients to establish cost effective programs to protect clients' intellectual property from criminal and civil infringement; Programs include evaluation of delivery systems, manufacturing operations, retail sales, and establishing valuable contacts with local, state, and federal investigative agencies and prosecutors; Legislative initiatives are implemented in cases that will assist in strategic protection of the client's intellectual property.

Entertainment:

Regularly advise businesses operating in the entertainment and media industries, including record companies, music publishers, personal managers, agencies and event promoters; represent a select number of writers, musicians, and recording artists in the negotiation of contracts relating to their services.

Education

University of Memphis, (B.S., 1968)
University of South Carolina, Graduate School of Communications/Journalism, (1971-1972)
University of Memphis, (J.D., 1975)

Court Admissions

All Texas Courts
United States District Court, Northern District of Texas

Awards & Recognition

Named to "Tarrant County's Top Attorneys" by Fort Worth Texas Magazine, (2006 & 2009)

Speaking Engagements

Dimensions of Dallas - Making Music for Money
Emory University School of Law / Georgia Bar Association (CLE) - Protecting Your Music
Miami University of Ohio - CLE Seminar for U. S. Attorneys/Prosecution of Music Copyright Cases
National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - Music Piracy
National Record Company Seminar - The Prepared Record Company Witness
Dallas Association of Legal Secretaries – When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star!
Texas Wesleyan University Law School – Anti-piracy Protection for Sound Recordings
SMU Law School – Recent Developments in Sound Recording Protection
National F.B.I. Conference – IP / Sound Recordings: Investigation & Prosecution
South By Southwest (SXSW) – Music Industry Panelist - Mind if I tape this?
Dallas Sound Lab, Studio Engineering & Business School – Policing the Record Industry
International Anticounterfeiting Coalition – Using the Media to Send Your Message
North Carolina Bar Association – Copyright, Trademark and Piracy
Amusement & Music Operators Association – Music Piracy in the Box
Dallas Bar Association – Music Piracy Update
Dallas Baptist University, Music Business Studies – An Overview of Music Piracy
American Society of Industrial Security – Combating Music Piracy
Wittenberg University – CLE Seminar for U. S. Attorneys/ Protecting Music in the 21st Century
Impact Summit Music Conference – Piracy & Pre-release Issues
Tarrant County District Attorney's Office - Effective Prosecution of Criminal Trademark Violations
National Constables Association - It's all about the Benjamins.. Technology.. Information.. and Counterfeiting
The Breakfast Club - IP Infringement and it's Effect on U.S. Commerce

Memberships

State Bar of Texas (22 years): Section Memberships - Criminal Justice; Entertainment & Sports Law [Council Member, 2006 - 2009; Chair 2010] ; Intellectual Property
American Bar Association Advisory Panel (3 years)
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (25 years): Legislative Committee; Spring Conference Co-Chair (1997); Fall Conference Co-Chair (2006)
International Trademark Association (5 years)
Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (31 years)
Country Music Association (14 years)
National Academy of Recording Arts & Science (8 years)

Community Involvement

University of Memphis Alumni Association, Class Agent
Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Alumni Association
Vestry Member, St. Peter & St. Paul Episcopal Church, (2004 - 2007)
Brotherhood of St. Andrew
MDA Executive Lock-up, (2007)
United States Tennis Associaton
Tennis Competitors of Dallas
United States Golf Association