PRINCIPAL FOUNDER, SYLVA LAW FIRM
Jennifer Burke-Sylva is a music and convergence attorney in private practice who works in the area of entertainment and technology. Sylva represents authors, musicians, visual and recording artists, producers, record companies, as well as technology companies from the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Prior to founding the firm, Sylva served as head lawyer and executive with Sony Connect Inc., Sony’s online digital distribution venture, where her duties included obtaining rights from major and independent record labels, motion picture studios and production companies, television networks, recording artists, publishers and other rights holders. She has drafted and negotiated numerous music and video content, software and technology license agreements, prepared policies, services and online agreements for Web sites and in support of e-commerce, and provided legal advice to multiple business units within the company in the US, Europe and Japan.
Prior to Sony Connect, Sylva worked as General Corporate Counsel for Redwood City-based Liquid Audio, Inc. and was also employed in private practice. Sylva was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and was a scholarship recipient of and attended the University of Kent, Canterbury, England. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law. While in law school, Sylva served as an articles editor for, and was published in the High Technology Law Journal, earned the Pro Bono Award for her work with California Lawyers for the Arts, and earned the High Technology Law Certificate. Sylva was awarded the First Place Nathan Burkan Memorial Writing Award by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) for her article about digital distribution and content delivery. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Sylva was employed by Virgin Records in the U.K. and in Ireland.
Sylva publishes articles periodically and speaks on panels where she helps to educate others about music, copyright, and other intellectual property issues. Sylva is a member of the State Bar of California, a panel attorney for California Lawyers for the Arts, and the Chapter/Committee Relations Sub Committee Chair of the national Intellectual Property Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel.