Sandra A. Crawshaw-Sparks

Crawshaw-Sparks knows her entertainment industry clients run in tight-knit circles.

"I developed lots of relationships, particularly in the music business. Those were really important, because I've discovered that people in that business don't necessarily want to meet new people or trust new people," Crawshaw-Sparks said. "Once they know who you are, they know your name and appreciate the advice you gave them. You are the person they want to go to."

Crawshaw-Sparks has a long record of protecting intellectual property and handling difficult and highly sensitive matters for high-profile clients, including Lady Gaga, Madonna, U2, Sony Music Entertainment and The Recording Academy. Typical matters include copyright and trademark infringement, enforcement of personal services contracts, disputes over accounting and royalty payments, privacy and publicity.

"There are so many really interesting, confidential things I do for clients that I can never talk about. It's a source of pride for me, because they trust me with problems that they would never want anyone to know about," she said.

Crawshaw-Sparks was able to discuss a copyright infringement matter in which she represented Madonna, WB Music Corp. and related entities. The plaintiff claimed Madonna's song "Vogue" copied a horn segment from a song called "Love Break." VMG Salsoul LLC v. Ciccone et al., 2:12-cv-05967 (C.D. Cal., filed July 11, 2012).

The court granted Crawshaw-Sparks' motion for summary judgment in November 2013. She then filed a motion for attorneys' fees and costs, and the court awarded approximately 70 percent of the amount requested. The plaintiff appealed both rulings to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which on June 2, 2016 affirmed the district judge's 2013 ruling in favor of Madonna.

The case marked the first federal appeals court ruling to reject the 6th Circuit's 2005 decision in Bridgeport Music Inc. v. Dimension Films that found the de minimis defense does not apply to sound recording copyrights.

- Jennifer Chung Klam