Peter J. Strand

Peter is senior counsel in the Corporate & Finance practice and a member of the Entertainment & Sports industry team. With decades of experience in entertainment law and a personal background as a professional musician, he offers clients a unique perspective that blends legal insight with an insider’s understanding of the creative process.

Peter represents a national client base across film, television, music, publishing, and digital media. His work spans the full spectrum of the creative industries — from negotiating multimillion-dollar financing deals to advising on intellectual property rights, production agreements, and publishing contracts. He works with emerging artists, legacy talent, and creative entrepreneurs alike, providing tailored legal strategies that support both their artistic vision and business goals. Peter began his career in the entertainment industry as a full-time touring musician and recorded multiple albums for RCA/Millennium Records before becoming an attorney. He imbues his practice with this experience, analyzing the nuances of every contractual detail not just through a legal lens, but a practical one — developed through years of first-hand insight into the critical business decisions that creatives face every day.

In the film and television space, Peter advises production companies, producers, filmmakers, and writers on investment, production, completion funding, marketing and promotional partnerships, and rights acquisition. He has also been involved in high-level negotiations involving global artists. Within the music industry, Peter provides counsel to musicians, recording artists, songwriters, composers, record labels, and music publishers on recording, publishing, and performance rights.

Additionally, Peter works closely with authors and publishers, negotiating author and literary publishing agreements. His experience includes enhancing standard literary purchase agreements into robust contracts to protect his clients’ interests in film adaptations.

Peter regularly counsels clients on copyright ownership, registration, and infringement issues, with particular emphasis on legal developments around AI-generated works based on guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office. He has also filed more than 500 trademark applications, including distinctive marks for artists.

Peter’s deep industry insight, combined with his legal and academic experience, sets him apart in the entertainment law field. He served as the chair of the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, as well as the inaugural chair of the Forum’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Division. Through his work with the Wisconsin Entertainment Lawyers Association, he furthers the organization’s mission to educate his peers and other creatives on legal issues important to the entertainment industry.

Peter continues to shape the next generation of entertainment lawyers as an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School and formerly at Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law, and DePaul University College of Law.

Devoted to uplifting the creative community, Peter is actively involved in pro bono initiatives through the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where he has led the organization as a board member and Honors Council member. In recognition of his support of the arts, LCA bestowed him with the Thomas R. Leavens Award.