David McLaughlin - Music Lawyer

David McLaughlin
Phone: +64 9 363 2738
Mobile: +64 21 630 201
Fax: +64 9 363 2727

david@mclaughlinlaw.co.nz www.mclaughlinlaw.co.nz

David McLaughlin is the Principal of McLaughlin Law. His passion for providing the most effective solutions to the legal issues confronting his clients as well as his commitment to being a market leader is his field led him to establish McLaughlin Law in 2006.

David began his career at Russell McVeagh, one of New Zealand’s leading national law firms. During his time at Russell McVeagh David developed an expertise in commercial law, providing advice to a wide range of publicly listed and private companies on all aspects of their activities. David also worked on complex securities law transactions for both New Zealand and International clients. It was also during his time at Russell McVeagh that David developed a particular interest and a depth of knowledge in IT Law. Acting for vendors and purchasers, well established companies and start ups on a variety of IT transactions, David was exposed to and participated in some of the most high profile and complex IT transactions of the time. Over the course of his time at Russell McVeagh David also worked in house with an iconic New Zealand company listed on both the Australian and New Zealand Share Markets. Reporting directly to the New Zealand co-ordinator of legal affairs David worked on a number of securities law, general commercial, IT and international sales of goods matters.

After Russell McVeagh David moved to work at Sharp Tudhope. Expanding his experience in general commercial law David provided advice and worked on transactions for various high profile companies and co-operatives in respect of their activities within New Zealand and abroad. Working within a firm that counted the country's leading sharebroking firm amongst its clients, David also worked on various public listings on the New Zealand share market and provided advice to a range of entities on capital raising matters. David also established a successful IT practice at Sharp Tudhope.

In 2005, David's profile from his time at Russell McVeagh as well as his solid experience at Sharp Tudhope lead to him being headhunted to take up a position with the boutique law firm MGF Webb. Bought in to beef up the commercial and IT law aspects of MGF Webb's practice, David was soon working on a range of high profile Telecommunications transactions involving New Zealand's major suppliers of telecommunications services and owners of telecommunications infrastructure. David also provided advice to other clients of the firm including various international clients in terms of their activities in New Zealand. One of these clients included the world's leading producer and distributor of PC and console games. Expanding his own client base David was also approached in this time to act for various IT start ups and more established players in the IT sector.

In expanding his own client base during his time at MGF Webb, David worked hard to develop his reputation as a leading arts and music lawyer in New Zealand. Having been an active member of the New Zealand band Vauxhall since 1997, with whom he recorded 3 EPs and one full length album, David has a unique perspective on the way the music industry works, understanding both the legal and commercial realities as well as the common concerns of artists. David's interest in and support of the developing New Zealand video gaming industry also saw him establish a solid reputation amongst the flourishing video gaming developers community within New Zealand.

Seeking to create an environment in which he could most effectively provide top level legal advice to his expanding roster of clients throughout the country, David established McLaughlin Law in September 2006. With a focus on providing the best and most responsive service possible to meet the specific needs of his clients, David has quickly established himself as a market leading practitioner within his fields of expertise. Today David counts some of country's most prominent bands, musicians, record labels and managers amongst his clients. He is an authority on legal issues as they apply to the New Zealand video gaming industry and acts for the country's top independent video game developers. His reputation within the arts community as a knowledgable provider of legal services continues to expand. His services are also retained by an ever increasing number of the country's most innovative and exciting IT companies who are themselves market leaders in their own fields.

David is currently a member of the New Zealand Software Association, the Auckland regional ICT Cluster, the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand and the International Game Developers Association.

David has been a contributor to CIO Magazine and regularly writes on technology, video gaming, music and arts related legal issues both through the industry specific publications McLaughlin Law produces, as well through his regular colums in The New Zealand Musician Magazine and Art All.