Sander Shalinsky is an entertainment lawyer and strategic advisor with over three decades of experience in music, media and intellectual property. He was instrumental in helping bring The Weeknd to the global stage alongside then-protégé Tony Sal, and he's built a reputation as a trusted legal mind behind some of the most complex and high-value deals in Canadian music and entertainment. With a background that includes managing Juno-winning acts, running indie labels under Warner, Universal and EMI, and spearheading cross-border catalog sales, Shalinsky blends practical industry knowledge with legal precision. His clients have included everyone from Adam Cohen (son of Leonard) to today’s rising stars like Punjabi powerhouses Ikky and Chani Nattan.

For nearly 20 years, Angelika Heim has been a formidable presence at the negotiating table. A partner at Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Heim Finlay LLP, Heim works closely in the creative industry, advising on important legal issues including music recording and publishing, digital content and intellectual property protection in Canada. Boasting her legal counsel and strategic dealmaking, her global approach to client counsel has illuminated the path of success for her clients from up-and-comers to established music and TV juggernauts. This year, she led several successful catalogue deals (she has strict confidentiality with her clients, but they include Juno and Grammy-winning talent), ensuring rights are secure and assets are properly valued.

Veronica Syrtash is the Senior Vice-President of Business Affairs & Corporate Development at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and SX Works. With a passion for music and law, she has a heavy hand in CMRRA’s legal and business affairs, supervising rate-setting negotiations and proceedings. She also plays a key role in shaping the agency’s strategic growth and developing strategic initiatives that support the global music publishing community. Syrtash has worked on various phases of copyright reform in Canada and was cited by the Supreme Court of Canada in its decision relating to the engagement of the reproduction right by television broadcasters. Additionally, she fronted digital music licensing and secured deals in Canada with the major online music platforms, major and independent labels and satellite broadcasters.

Through Canadian copyright law, Casey Chisick works behind the scenes to protect artists’ catalogue transactions and publishing deals across the country. A partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Chisick is a go-to for many in the music industry, including some of Canada’s highest profile artists like Shawn Mendes, Avril Lavigne and Barenaked Ladies. That’s in addition to solidifying licensing agreements for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. He takes his industry associations further, serving as lead counsel for SOCAN, Music Publishers Canada, CMRRA, Music Canada and record labels like Sony and Warner. Awarded Copyright Practitioner of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property three times in four years, Chisick is also an advisor on legislative issues that are pivotal to the music industry right now, including the Online Streaming Act and federal government consultations on AI.

Miro Oballa represents some of Canada's most recognized musicians and creators in negotiations around contracts, publishing and more. His talents don’t go unrecognized. Oballa recently celebrated 20 years at Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP. What’s more, Oballa is an active member of the music business community. He serves as one of the founders and a board member of ADVANCE, Canada's Black Music Business Collective, and sits on the boards of CARAS, the Polaris Music Prize and the Canadian Live Music Association.