Neal Clarance, is a Partner, Canadian Media & Entertainment Leader, for Ernst & Young. For over 15 years, Mr. Clarance has dedicated his practice to the film, recording and theatre segments of the entertainment industry. Mr. Clarance provides financial and business advisory services to producers, distributors, studios and broadcasters; from financing and inception to final audit and tax filings for film projects. He has assisted in series, movies and documentaries. He has advised on numerous other co-productions and co-ventures.
He has authored several studies and reports on the entertainment industry for government and other interest groups including reports entitled “Review of Incentives for the New Media and Animation Industries”, “Opportunities for Film and Video Production and Investment in British Columbia” and “An Analysis of Existing Studio Space and Related Services and the Needs of an Expanding Industry” for the B.C. Provincial Government.
Neal has also participated in several government sponsored trade missions on behalf of the BC and Canadian Film Industries. He is a charter member and Director of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. and Chair of the Business Development Committee, a Director and Treasurer of the Whistler International Film Festival, a member of the Film & Media Advisory Committee to the B.C. Competition council, and a member of the International Who’s Who of Professionals.
Keith Spencer is a partner with the Technology and Intellectual Property Law Practice Group of Fasken Martineau. Keith's clients range from start-up and emerging technology companies to large multi-national technology and telecom companies, and parties in outsourcing transactions. He is a member of various boards and advisory boards for a significant number of private early stage technology companies. Keith was in-house counsel to the Vancouver-based Wireless Data Group of Motorola, Inc. (formerly MDI Mobile Data International), where he had overall responsibility for its legal affairs.
Keith has lectured in the area of technology, outsourcing, e-commerce and intellectual property law at The University of British Columbia Law School and at various Continuing Legal Education and Information Technology industry conferences. He has also authored articles in the areas of computer and information technology, outsourcing, e-commerce and intellectual property law.