Lawyer Monthly - November 2021 Edition

Steve Levitan , BA, JD was called to the bar in Ontario, Canada in 1979 and practiced exclusively Entertainment and Media Law. In 1989 he left practice to join the film and television production company of one of his clients, eventually becoming President. In 1993 he founded Protocol Entertainment Inc., a film, television, and digital content production company of which he is the sole owner. Steve has been founding chairman of The Desrosiers Dance Theatre and was appointed by the City of Toronto as Chairman of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and later to the Board of TO Live. He has produced numerous film and television projects, some of which have achieved extraordinary worldwide success. Steve has been the instructor of numerous courses at Ryerson University’s Creative School Faculty since 2012. In 2020 he began practice as a mediator specialising in dispute resolution in the creative and cultural industries. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Institutes of both Ontario and Canada. there was a need for specialised, knowledgeable mediators in the sector. What do you think lawmakers and practitioners in the legal sector could do to address these issues? They could advise clients that mediation can be an effective avenue to address conflicts. Too often the practitioners’ advice to artists will be to give in because artists do not have the time or money to pursue any other route – and conversely, the advice to producers, engagers or more powerful entities is to stand firm for the same reasons. They can let the industry know that mediation can literally take place within EXPERT INSIGHT 49 NOV 2021 | WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM hours if not days, cost a fraction of litigation, and lead to very workable solutions for both sides – with the right mediators. On a more personal note, which of your career achievements in the creative sector would you say that you are especially proud of? What I have been most proud of and taken most gratification from is assisting, enabling or bringing together talented creators in diverse fields and seeing them realise their visions. I have been lucky to have had that privilege throughout my career. What I have been most proud of and taken most grati cation from is assisting, enabling or bringing together talented creators in diverse elds and seeing them realise their visions. Steve Levitan Founder Creative Industries Mediation E: sslevitan@gmail.com creativeindustriesmediation.com