Lidia is Office Manager at Stohn Hay Cafazzo Heim Finlay LLP, a position that she has held since the firm’s inception.
In addition to keeping the lawyers in line, Lidia oversees systems and operations, and handles all accounting matters.
Diana practises primarily in the areas of entertainment and copyright law. She represents production companies, distributors, broadcasters, online vendors, creative individuals and others in all facets of the development, production and exploitation of film, television, publishing, music and digital media projects.
Diana represents Canadian and international companies in structuring production arrangements, treaty co-productions, co-ventures, and corporate mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian cultural industries.
Diana also advises a wide range of clients on collective and other copyright matters.
Before joining the firm, Diana was a partner at the law firm McMillan Binch LLP (now McMillan LLP).
David practises in all areas of entertainment law including music, television, theatre, publishing and interactive media.
His clients consist of well-known recording artists, record companies, producers of dramatic and reality programs, writers, directors, theatrical producers and music and book publishers.
He has helped a number of his clients expand into complementary businesses such as celebrity endorsements and merchandising.
David’s practice also includes sports law where he advises individuals and companies on sports-related matters such as advertising and promotions, merchandising and licensing, broadcast rights, franchise operations, intellectual property, player contracts and ticket matters, among others.
David was a partner at the law firm of Aird & Berlis LLP, where he practised for nine years.
Erin is a partner with the firm where she practises in the areas of entertainment law, copyright, privacy, broadcast regulatory and cultural policy. She provides a wide range of legal services and strategic direction to producers, artists, musicians, authors, publishers, trade associations, copyright collectives and cultural businesses in the development, production, exploitation and protection of film, television, publishing, music and digital media projects.
Erin has led the negotiation, drafting, and enforcement of multi-party collective licences, directed complex copyright tariff and CRTC broadcast regulatory and policy proceedings, and has appeared numerous times before the Copyright Board of Canada, the CRTC, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada and Committees of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), and the Senate of Canada. Her expertise spans a range of legal, policy and government relations experience in the music, film and television production and publishing industries.
Before joining the firm, Erin was the Chief Legal Officer at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), where she provided legal advice and strategic direction to the organization and its producer member companies on a variety of matters, including CRTC regulatory proceedings, business affairs, television financing, tax credits, broadcast licences, terms of trade, Canada Media Fund policies and guidelines, intellectual property, and the role of copyright and licensing in our ever-changing media landscape. Prior to her work at the CMPA, she was General Counsel and Director of Government Relations at Access Copyright and an associate practising in the entertainment law group at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. With more than 15 years’ experience as both in-house counsel and in private practice, she brings a practical perspective to resolving complex issues and advocating for her clients in Canada’s creative industries.
Erin has deep roots in and passion for the creative industries as a singer and musician and she recently performed on the Grammy- and Juno-nominated Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Handel’s Messiah.
With over twenty years’ experience as both in-house and external counsel, Ron provides strategic and practical advice to Canadian and international clients on all aspects of the media, entertainment and communications industries, focusing on film and television rights acquisition, production, co-production structures and distribution/exploitation opportunities.
Ron founded Stohn Hay LLP in 2003 with Stephen Stohn and David Dembroski, and in 2005 they welcomed Diana Cafazzo and Sandra Richmond to form Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP.
Ron began his law career as an associate at the law firm McMillan Binch (now McMillan), and then left to join the ranks of in-house counsel, first at Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. (where he was Vice-President, Business & Legal Affairs – Television), then at Balmur Entertainment Ltd. (where he was Vice-President, Business & Legal Affairs). He returned to private practice in 2001.
Law is Ron’s second profession. Prior to attending law school he worked as a professional musician for six years; he played viola with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic, and was also active as a recording studio and freelance musician. While at law school he regularly played in the orchestras of both Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, often with a law text open at his feet. Memorable performances include several concerts with the TSO at Carnegie Hall, playing with the Three Tenors at Maple Leaf Gardens, participating in the opening week of Roy Thomson Hall, and participating in the opening ceremonies of the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre).
Ron brings to his practice a passion for the arts and the creative process, and understands the importance of establishing professional relationships with those who share and embrace that passion in the creative industries.
Angelika Heim (she/her) is a partner at Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP and represents clients in the business of entertainment, media and digital content. Before joining the firm, Angelika was an associate at Goodman and Carr LLP.
Angelika works closely with clients in the creative industries, advising on transactional matters, disputes and business strategies related to film, television, branded content, talent agreements, music recording and publishing, digital content, book publishing, and intellectual property protection.
Her film and TV clients rely on Angelika to shepherd a production from development to post-production, which can include securing intellectual property rights, negotiating distribution and broadcast agreements, engaging talent, reviewing for errors and omissions, and navigating the funding agencies, financing models and tax credit opportunities both in Canada and with international partners.
Angelika represents a broad spectrum of music clients from emerging artists to JUNO- and Grammy-winning sensations. She also works with independent labels and publishers on engaging talent and organizing the production, licensing, exploitation, and sale of their intellectual property rights.
Angelika’s roots are in the creative industries. Before becoming a lawyer, she worked in the theatre, television, news, film and magazine publishing industries as an actor, producer, director, writer and editor.
Recognized as a leading practitioner of entertainment law by:
Paul practises in all areas of film and television and corporate law, including film and television rights acquisition, production, co-production structures, financing and distribution/exploitation opportunities, and corporate shareholder, structuring and financing arrangements.
Before joining Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP, Paul was a corporate lawyer at Stikeman Elliott LLP, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions in the field of entertainment. He also worked as in-house counsel at Indigo Books & Music, where he helped support the company’s creative vision, including the launch of its podcast. His passion for the arts, and a desire to work with artists, led him to return to private practice.
A lifelong lover of all things film and TV, Paul has had the opportunity to work with production companies in various capacities, including producing short films and working as a script consultant. He is focused on providing practical legal advice to the creative community to help bring artistic dreams to life. When not practising law, he’s either watching movies or talking about them.
Sandra’s practice focuses on entertainment and media law and on corporate law within those industries.
She advises a variety of clients (including producers, writers, broadcasters, distributors and financiers) on all aspects of the development, financing, production and exploitation of film, television, publishing and digital media projects. Her twenty years of experience include helping clients with rights acquisition, errors and omissions insurance, interim financing, broadcast and distribution agreements, endorsement agreements, shareholder agreements and share acquisitions.
Sandra was a partner at the Toronto law firm McMillan Binch (now McMillan).
Before studying law, she was an editor at Oxford University Press and HBJ/Holt. Since becoming a lawyer she has edited two non-fiction books and, somewhat compulsively, almost everything else she reads.
Max practises in the areas of entertainment, music, digital media and intellectual property law. Before joining Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP, Max worked as in-house counsel for the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA) and as an associate at Bereskin & Parr LLP. With experience both as in-house counsel and in private practice, Max brings a practical and business-oriented perspective to legal matters.
Max works with a wide variety of clients, ranging from emerging and established artists to music publishers and copyright collectives. He assists them with negotiating and drafting agreements, intellectual property enforcement, licensing and royalties, and provides general copyright law advice.
Max has prepared legal and policy submissions for various levels of court and government, including the Copyright Board of Canada, and the Departments of Canadian Heritage (PCH) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).
He is also the corporate secretary for Interactive Ontario, a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the economic and creative growth of the Interactive Digital Media (IDM) industry in Ontario.
Stephen has been providing strategic legal advice to performers, advertisers, merchandisers, recording artists, songwriters, multimedia creators, broadcasters and film and television producers as an entertainment and copyright lawyer since 1979.
He is currently Executive Producer of the television series Degrassi: Next Class (streamed worldwide on Netflix in over 17 languages), and previously has been Executive Producer of earlier iterations of the Degrassi franchise and of series such as Open Heart, Instant Star and The L.A. Complex and their related websites, webisodes, new media and social media initiatives. He was Executive Producer of the lifestyle television series Savoir Faire and Room Service, and Executive Produced Riverdale, English Canada’s first prime-time soap opera, as well as two feature films, Me? and The Clown Murders (starring John Candy).
He has worked in the entertainment industry for over 40 years commencing with part-time appearances as a performing artist and continuing with active work as a songwriter (including two songs that reached the Canadian Top 10, Maybe Your Heart and Once In A Long Time).
Lidia is Office Manager at Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP, a position that she has held since the firm’s inception.
In addition to keeping the lawyers in line, Lidia oversees systems and operations, and handles all accounting matters.