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)
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
Memberships
- State Bar of Texas (21 years): Section Memberships - Criminal Justice; Entertainment & Sports Law [Council Member, 2006 - 2009] ; Intellectual Property
- American Bar Association Advisory Panel (2 years)
- International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (23 years): Legislative Committee; Spring Conference Co-Chair (1997); Fall Conference Co-Chair (2006)
- International Trademark Association (4 years)
- Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (28 years)
- Country Music Association (14 years)
- National Academy of Recording Arts & Science (8 years)
- 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