Stephanie Furgang Adwar is a founding partner of Furgang & Adwar, LLP. She brings years of experience in both transactional and litigation matters in entertainment, trademark, unfair competition, and copyright law. She represents a wide variety of clients in the entertainment field, including independent film productions, screenwriters, producers, actors, comedians, authors, performing artists, musicians, independent record labels, music publishing companies, and television production companies as well as obtaining, maintaining, and protecting the firm’s clients’ complex intellectual property rights, from licensing and other transactions through litigation.

She has been quoted in the news media, including ABC-TV Network’s Nightline, has appeared on The Security Brief with Paul Violis, and in numerous publications as an expert in entertainment, copyright, and trademark law.  In 2012, she was appointed to the part-time position of Acting Village Justice of the Village of Suffern, New York, then reappointed in 2013 and 2014. Judge Adwar is the first female justice in the 218-year history of Suffern.

Ms. Adwar has remained deeply committed to improving knowledge of entertainment law among both attorneys and entertainment industry leaders. She has directed the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program for the Cutting Edge Music Festival in New Orleans and judged both NYU’s Mobil Awards for excellence in film production and Cardozo Law School’s BMI Moot Court Competition. She lectures regularly at educational institutions like the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at Tisch School of Arts at New York University (NYU), The Learning Annex, and the 92nd Street Y, industry events like CMJ Music Marathon and Diversafest Music Festival, and before professional organizations like the American Bar Association and at the North American Entertainment, Sports, and Intellectual Property Law Summit.

Ms. Adwar serves as Communications Chair on the Governing Board of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries and has, in the past, served as its Membership Chair and Co-Sponsorship Chair. She is a member of the International Trademark Association, the New York State Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Committee and Intellectual Property Law sections, and the Rockland County Bar Association. She also maintains active roles in entertainment professional organizations, including the prestigious New York Women in Film and Television, The Recording Academy, and the American Film Institute.  Ms. Adwar holds a Martindale Hubbell “AV” Peer Rating.