Breaking the Ice: Practice combines legal, musical background

Fredrikson’s Tony Mendoza brings decades of experience as an attorney and a musician to his work with clients in arts and entertainment and communications, among other fields.

“Having been a professional musician and still performing and releasing stuff, there’s an innate understanding of what are often some abstract concepts around copyright ownership and name, image and likeness,” Mendoza said.

The right of publicity, for example, protects against misappropriation of a person’s name, image and likeness, Mendoza said. But he found that a patchwork of state laws leaves unclear whether similar protection exists for one’s voice.

The question arose after a client’s voice, misappropriated through the use of an artificial intelligence-powered voice generator, was used to endorse a product the client hadn’t endorsed. Social media sites complied with Mendoza’s requests to remove the material.

“There’s no national framework or law that governs this question,” Mendoza said.

Name: Anthony S. Mendoza

Title: Officer, Fredrikson

Education: B.A., finance, University of St. Thomas; Drake University Law School

Q: Best way to start a conversation with you?

A: Morning coffee. Take me out for coffee. Love to have a conversation over a cup of coffee.

Q: Why law school?

A: At St. Thomas, I was president of the Pre-Law Society and competed in mock trial competitions. That led to an interest in going to law school. Until I got into the Pre-Law Society, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do. I was a professional musician, but I stopped playing professionally during college. I was 18-19 years old and decided it was probably a good idea to get an education. Some of the friends at school were in the pre-law group. I said, I’ll try that. And it took.

Q: What are you reading?

A: A novel called “Bad Monkey,” by Carl Hiaasen. Set in the Florida Keys. Very funny.

Q: Pet peeve?

A: People who aren’t paying attention to what you’re saying. Looking at their phones while you’re having a conversation.

Q: Best part of your work?

A: I love working with creators and artists. They’re incredibly interesting people for the most part. It’s a challenging, competitive business, and I feel like I can bring value to creators. Most don’t necessarily want or have the focus on the legal or the business side, so providing that to them with the understanding of what they do is a real joy.

Q: Most challenging?

A: Getting people to listen and to want to take the time and spend the money to get good advice. Sometimes, especially with newer clients and younger artists, that bright, shiny object is very alluring. It’s challenging to hold that artist back and say, let’s take a look at this. Let’s do your due diligence. Let’s make sure this is real. I don’t always win that battle.

Q: Favorite activity away from work?

A: I play in a band (The Long Goodbyes), and we’re releasing an album in April. I still love doing that.

Q: Where would you take someone visiting your hometown?

A: St. Paul has been my hometown for a long time. I’d take them to see some live music at the Turf Club.

Q: Legal figure you admire?

A: I had a judicial clerkship with the Iowa Supreme Court. The judge I clerked for was truly a mentor to me. His name was Judge Bruce Snell, from Ida Grove, Iowa. I still admire him, though he’s no longer with us.

Q: Misconception about your work?

A: Many artists think every lawyer in this area is also an agent and can pitch them, get them a record deal or shop their product. I don’t do that. There’s a potential inherent conflict with attorneys that hold themselves out as something other than being an attorney and giving good, objective advice.

Q: Favorite book, movie or TV show about lawyers?

A: “My Cousin Vinny.” The way the case comes together through happenstance and accident, having an expert in automotive mechanics as your girlfriend and putting her on the stand, the whole thing is really funny.