Russell M. (Mick) Spence
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Entertainment & Sports Attorney in Minneapolis, MN
Selected to Rising Stars: 1998 - 1999
As a partner at Parker Daniels Kibort LLC, Russel M. “Mick” Spence devotes his practice to helping individuals and organizations in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area with matters involving business and intellectual property litigation. He has handled many cases involving art, entertainment and sports law, and he has represented legacy artists, professional athletes and Fortune 500 companies. During a career spanning three decades, Mr. Spence has earned a reputation as a fierce advocate and a talented and creative litigator.
Mr. Spence earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and his Juris Doctor from what was then known as the William Mitchell College of Law. He was admitted to the bar in 1993, and he is licensed to practice law before the state courts of Minnesota and the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. He chairs the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Art and Entertainment Law and Music Law Sections, and he has participated in the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries.
In addition to making presentations on matters including copyright law, trade secret protection and nondisclosure agreements, Mr. Spence has developed and taught classes on these subjects at the McNally Smith College of Music and the Musictech College of Recording Arts. Mr. Spence has been elected president of the Minnesota Music Academy twice, and he has earned the coveted AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest rating possible, and it is reserved for attorneys who adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 40%Entertainment & Sports
- 50%Business Litigation
- 10%Intellectual Property Litigation
Entertainment, Sports & Leisure Law, Non-Compete Agreements
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 1991, 1993 - 2003
- Rising Stars: 1998 - 1999
Additional Sources of Information About Russell M. (Mick) Spence
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About Russell M. (Mick) Spence
Admitted: 1993, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: https://www.parkerdk.com/the-team/mick-spence/
Pro bono/Community Service
- Head Usher, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church
- Board Member, World Voices
- President, Board Member, Grade Coordinator and Coach, Edina Football Association
- Board Member, Tangletown Neighborhood Association
- Former Chair of the ABA’s Art & Entertainment Committee of the Young Lawyer’s Division
- National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (the “Grammys Organization”)
- ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries
- Minneapolis Arts Commission
- Chair of Music Law Committee, Minnesota State Bar Association
- Chair of the Art & Entertainment Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association
- President of the Minnesota Music Academy, a non-profit corporation
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- Copyright Law, From Creation Through Litigation
- Author of regular Arts & Entertainment Lawyer column for City’s Tone magazine
- Protecting Trade Secrets & Drafting Non-Disclosure Agreements
Honors/Awards
- Martindale Hubbell’s highest rating of AV
- , America’s Top 100 Attorneys: Minnesota
- , Named Rising Star by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine
- , Named Super Lawyer by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine
Verdicts/Settlements
- Royal “Bud” Chapman v. Ford Motor Company
- Oarfin Distribution, Inc. v. Nora
- HK Productions, LLC v. McNally Smith College of Music, Inc. et al.
- Stueve o/b/o St. Jude Medical, Inc. v. Starks, et al.
- Rowe, et al. v. The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc. et al.
- H2Joe v. Lund Food Holdings
- Nyhus v. City of Blaine et al.
- Giant Client Publishing, LLC v. Heyday Media Group, LLC et al.
- VelleBe, LLC v. Uzi Vert, LLC et al.
- Kern v. Lilly Singh
- Lazover v. Clifford and City of Minneapolis
- Mills v. Infinity Broadcasting Corporation
- Epic Games, Inc. et al. v. Vraspir
- NPG Records, Inc. et al. v. Roc Nation, LLC et al.
Educational Background
- University of Southern California, B.S. in Business
Bar/Professional Activity
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (pro hac vice)
- Virginia (pro hac vice)
- Utah (pro hac vice)
- Florida (pro hac vice)
- New York (pro hac vice)
- California (pro hac vice)
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (pro hac vice)
- Minnesota
- United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Industry Groups
- Entertainment Business
- Intellectual Property; Broadcasting; Film & Television
- Personal Services
Last Updated: 3/15/2021