Shirin Chahal
Top rated Business & Corporate attorney in Boulder, Colorado
Howard O. Bernstein, P.C.
Practice Areas: Business & Corporate, Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports; view more
Licensed in Colorado since: 2011
Education: University of Colorado Law School
Selected to Rising Stars: 2021 - 2024 Call today:
303-800-3201
Free Consultation Howard O. Bernstein, P.C.
1111 Pearl Street, Suite 203Boulder, CO 80302 Visit website
Details
As an attorney with the law firm Howard O. Bernstein, P.C., Shirin Chahal handles legal matters related to business law, intellectual property rights, entertainment and sports, and tax resolution, serving clients in and around Boulder, Colorado. As an innate artist who has prior experience working in the field of business, she understands both the toil that goes into creating art as well as the intricacies of handling business.
With a special focus on copyright law, Ms. Chahal advocates the protection of the rights of business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals in the media and sports industries. She aids them in affairs relating to contracts and agreements, protection of trade secrets, real estate transactions and data privacy, among others. Apart from identifying the potential liability areas, she counsels her clients on the provisions under the law of business enterprises, including tax compliance and entity formation.
Graduating from the University of Southern California – Thornton School of Music in 2007, Ms. Chahal studied law at the University of Colorado Boulder. Completing her J.D. in 2011, she was recognized with the Colorado Law Public Service Pledge Award for dedicating 300-plus hours for pro bono representation. Furthermore, she functioned as an editor for the Colorado Technology Law Journal.
As a law student, Ms. Chahal clerked for the Colorado Judicial Branch where she drafted pending orders on various types of legal motions and familiarized herself with the proceedings of the court. In addition, she was a clerk with a multi-attorney private firm, which enabled her early exposure to cases on employment, tax, corporate, evidence and partnership deals.
Passionate and knowledgeable in her field of practice, Ms. Chahal commits to prioritizing the interests of her clients. She is prompt and professional in her communications, and takes pride in being able to help build, protect and fulfill the dreams of others. She is rated “Superb” on Avvo, as a recognition for her commitment and compassion towards her clients.
Outside of her practice, Ms. Chahal devotedly contributes to her community by taking up pro bono cases and volunteering for various legal organizations not limited to the Colorado Attorneys for the Arts and the Boulder County Bar Association’s free legal clinic. She currently serves on the advisory board for the Nederland EcoPass – Boulder County, and is actively affiliated with several organizations including:
- Copyright Society of the U.S.A.
- Colorado Attorneys for the Arts
- Boulder County Legal Services
- Colorado Bar Association
- Boulder County Bar Association
Practice areas
Business/Corporate, Intellectual Property, Entertainment & Sports, Tax: Business, Tax: ConsumerFocus areas
Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Copyrights, Entertainment, Sports & Leisure Law, Intellectual Property Law, Limited Liability Companies, Sub-chapter S Corporations, Tax Law, Trademarks
- 40% Business/Corporate
- 30% Intellectual Property
- 10% Entertainment & Sports
- 10% Tax: Business
- 10% Tax: Consumer
First Admitted: 2011, Colorado
Professional Webpage: https://www.bernsteinattorney.com/attorneys/shirin-chahal/
- Pro Bono attorney for Colorado Attorneys for the Arts, 2017 - 2020
- Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), Board Secretary, 2017 - 2021
- Board member, Nederland Eco Pass Public Improvement District Advisory Committee (NEPPIDAC), 2017 - 2021
- Chapter Co-Chair, Copyright Society of the USA, Rocky Mountain Chapter, 2017 - 2021
- Volunteer attorney for Boulder County Legal Services, 2015 - 2016
- Colorado, 2011
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2016
- Board Secretary, Board member, Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), 2017, 2019
- Colorado Rising Stars, Super Lawyers, 2021 - 2022
- University of Colorado Law Public Service Pledge Award, 2011
- Shirin Chahal has been awarded the Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA). The award recognizes an outstanding attorney who has provided pro bono legal services to Colorado creatives and advanced CBCA’s Colorado Attorneys for the Arts (CAFTA) program. Ms. Chahal has transformed a lifelong passion for arts and music into a legal practice that supports the creative industries., Volunteer Attorney Impact Award, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), 2021
- Awarded for completing 200 Hours of pro bono representation through Boulder County Legal Services, 2015 - 2016, Pro Bono Award, Boulder County Bar Association
- Invited to presentation and reception as a nominee for the Outstanding Women in Business program, Outstanding Women in Business Nominee, The Denver Business Journal, 2016
- Bachelor of Science, University of Southern California, Music Industry, Honors: magna cum laude, Major: Music Industry, 2007
- As you read this, one of your clients may be searching the internet for images they can use for free or at a low cost. A search in any browser for “free images” reveals a variety of sources. Some companies truly deliver free images and are transparent as to their license terms. Others are suspect and may be setting your clients up for a future copyright headache. Even using Creative Commons licenses are not entirely without risks. We will walk you through key terms and scope of the licenses themselves so you can help your clients navigate tricky issues like attribution and whether incorporating the “free” image into your client’s product will inadvertently make the product free as well. Join us for a discussion of the basics of Creative Commons and other open-source potential pitfalls, Presenter, The Good, Bad & Ugly of Creative Commons & Other Free Images, Colorado Bar Association, 2020
- Are you new to the practice of intellectual property law or do you simply want to polish your basic IP skills? Gain knowledge and insights from experts on practice essentials of patent, trademark and copyright law, and licensing. And receive actionable, foundational basics to better represent your clients. Copyright Law - What is copyright? - The copyright registration system - Licensing and the exploitation of copyrights - Copyright infringement and fair use, Presenter, Rocky Mountain IP Institute 2021: Copyright Fundamentals, Colorado Bar Association, 2021
- Presenter at workshop regarding contract law and principles for small business owner, Presenter, Conscious Contracts: Stop Being Scared of Your Legal Documents, Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA), Business, 2019
- Participant in attorney roundtable for attendees of Creative Outfitter Expo, an event during the Fort Collins Startup Week, 2020, Volunteer Attorney, Fort Collins Startup Week Creative Outfitter Expo, Fort Collins Startup Week
- Presenter at workshop on legal issues relevant to artists and their businesses, 2017, Presenter, Setting Up Your Arts Business, Art Students League of Denver, Arts And Culture
- Guest lecturer on copyright and other legal issues relevant to photographers, 2019, Presenter, Copyright Law for Photographers, Palmers Divide Photographers, Arts And Culture
- Guest lecturer on behalf of the Copyright Society on copyright and other legal issues relevant to photographers, 2019, Presenter, Know Your Rights: Copyright, Pike's Peak Camera Club, Arts And Culture
- Presenter on behalf of the Copyright Society at lecture on copyright issues relevant to photographers, 2018, Presenter, Copyright for Photographers in the Digital Age, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Arts And Culture
- Presenter at workshop on legal issues relevant to artists and their businesses., Presenter, Creative Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Law for Artists and Creatives, Firehouse Art Center, Arts And Culture, 2018
- Presenter at workshop on various legal issues relevant to artists and creative entrepreneurs, Presenter, The Business of Being Creative: Tackling Legal Matters for Creative Entrepreneurs and Arts-Based Businesses, RiNO Arts District, Denver, Arts And Culture, 2018
- Presented at workshop to discuss choice of entity, tax, and intellectual property considerations relevant to artists and their businesses, Presenter, Creative Entrepreneurship: Starting and Running an Arts-Based Business, Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), Arts And Culture, 2016
- Presenter at the Peak to Peak Small Business workshop, 2018, Presenter, Small Business Basics: Navigating the Law for Entrepreneurs and Owners, Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA), Business
- Presenter at lecture on legal issues relevant to artists and their businesses, 2017, Presenter, Navigating the Law for Creatives, Loveland Artists Collective, Arts And Culture
- Presented at workshop on copyright and trademark issues as relevant to artists and their businesses, Presenter, Copyright and Trademark Issues for Artists, Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA), 2016
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2021 - 2024
