Shane D. Valenzi
Member
Overview
Shane Valenzi focuses his practice on a wide range of commercial litigation matters, including fiduciary duty claims, restrictive covenant disputes, oil and gas litigation, construction litigation, business divorce disputes, and intellectual property litigation. He regularly represents clients in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and Illinois. He is also a frequent author and lecturer on copyright law and provides legal advice and services to a wide variety of arts organizations. Shane maintains an active presence in the Pittsburgh arts community, and has served as the Chair of the Arts and Law Committee of the Allegheny Bar Association since 2021.
Prior to joining private practice, Shane served as a judicial clerk for the Hon. C. Lynwood Smith of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Professional Affiliations
- Allegheny County Bar Association, Chair of Arts and the Law Committee
- Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Associate Member
Community Involvement
- Board of Directors, Prime Stage Theatre Company
- Artistic Director, Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company
News and Insights
Publications
- “Rereading a Canconical Copyright Case: The Nonexistent Right to Hoard in Fox Film Corp. v. Doyal, Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal, 2014.
- “It’s Only a Day Away: Rethinking Copyright Termination in a New Era,” IDEA: The Intellectual Property Law Review, 2013.
- “A Rollicking Band of Pirates: Licensing the Exclusive Right of Public Performance in the Theatre Industry,” Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law, 2012.
Speaking Engagements
- “Copyright Law for Artists,” presenter, New Hazlett Theater, 2021-2022
- “Intellectual Property Law for Arts Organizations,” presenter, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, 2020
- “Intellectual Property Issues in Artistic Collaborations,” panelist, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, July 2017.
- IP Scholars Conference, presenter, Chicago, IL, August 2015.
- International Society for the History and Theory of Intellectual Property (ISHTIP) Conference on Openness and Intellectual Property, presenter, University of Pennsylvania, July 2015.
- “Copyright for Artists,” guest lecturer, University of Colorado at Boulder, April 2015.
Interests
An award-winning stage director, Shane currently serves as the Artistic Director for the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, based in Chicago, Illinois. Shane is also a classically trained bass-baritone, and has sung professionally with various companies in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Alabama.