2021/2022 officers

Michele Martell is chair of ESLABA and owner of Martell Media House. Michele is a rare commodity as a community, marketing and legal strategist, and implementer. Michele provides business strategy and implementation as an experienced legal, marketing, and business executive. She leads digital marketing and social media programs for clients such as Ayla Networks, Echelon, WindSpring, and other technology companies. With a background in entertainment and edtech as well as intellectual property law and a focus on innovative storytelling for every screen, Michele has been part of the executive management teams for The Jim Henson Company, Cinedigm Entertainment, SD Entertainment as well as WWE. She can be found tweeting at Austin music shows, food festivals, and edtech events or speaking on panels at SXSW on virtual reality issues.

Michele is on the Development Council for the Denius-Sams Gaming Academy at the University of Texas, at Austin. Michele was a 2013 nominee for the Women in Toys Wonder Woman Award, and serves on the WiT Legal Committee. Michele obtained her JD from UCLA School of Law, and her undergraduate degree from Pomona College.

Stevie Fitzgerald is the chair-elect of ESLABA. Stevie is currently the Associate General Counsel at SXSW, LLC. Where she manages the intellectual property portfolio and drafts and negotiates the entertainment related agreements. Stevie started her career in New York as a Staff Attorney & Estate Manager at the Authors Guild. During this time, she worked with law makers on intellectual property protection and organized multiple Amicus Curiae briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court on matters of copyright law. In 2015, she co-authored the 4th Edition of Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Self-Publishers, which has become the definitive legal guide for publishing law. Stevie returned to Austin in 2016 to accept a position as Corporate Counsel for Greenleaf Book Group. She consulted across the company on issues involving copyright, trademark, defamation, and privacy concerns. From 2017 through 2021, Stevie operated her own firm to continue to advocate for the creative community focusing on the publishing industry and ancillary literary deals. Stevie maintains an active license to practice law in Texas and New York and regularly teaches classes on publishing law to both authors and lawyers. She is also Council Member of the Texas Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Section.

  Rachel Luna is the immediate past chair of ESLABA and owner of Luna Law. Rachel enjoys assisting businesses and creative professionals make decisions that help foster their success. Prior to opening her own practice, Rachel spent six years as a litigator and twelve years as General Counsel for a national organization that had more than 8,000 employees and several affiliated small businesses. Drawing on this experience, Rachel considers issues from many perspectives, which allows her to provide support on a strategic as well as an operational level. She cultivates relationships with her clients, based on a foundation of common understanding and trust, in order to provide guidance that is appropriate to their goals and risk tolerance. Rachel and her husband, Lance, have lived in Austin for more than 20 years. They spend their free time spoiling their dog, Mojo, traveling, attending local festivals, as well as frequenting local businesses. Additionally, Rachel is an avid runner, national parks enthusiast, and amateur photographer. 

 Alyce Zawacki is the vice chair of ESLABA and owner of Alyce Zawacki Law, PLLC. Inspired by the bold and visionary, Alyce is a supporter and protector of Creatives, determined to help them monetize their work and manage the risks associated with bringing their projects to life. Alyce strongly believes that legal education and representation should be within reach for all Creatives. Armed with a degree in both Media and Law from La Trobe University in her home town of Melbourne, Australia, as well as a Master of Laws (LL.M) from Texas Tech University School of Law, Alyce opened her practice, in Austin, Texas in 2018 enabling her to combine her legal experience with her passion for the arts.  Outside of her practice, Alyce enjoys soaking up Austin’s vibrant art scene with her husband, discovering upcoming artists, searching for Austin’s best coffee shops, and snuggling with her two cats, Tiramisu and Cannoli. Alyce is an avid volunteer for local music and legal organizations, she regularly volunteers for the Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, is the current Secretary for the Texas Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Section, is the past chair for the Austin Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Section, and is the current Board President for Austin Classical Guitar. Alyce also is an Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College, where she teaches Legal Aspects of the Entertainment Industry.

Adrian Resendez is the treasurer of ESLABA and partner at Brough & Resendez. Adrian grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to Villahermosa, Mexico and Maracaibo, Venezuela where he learned to speak, read, and write Spanish. He attended the University of Texas at Austin on scholarship and graduated in two and a half years with a double major degree. He then attended Texas A&M School of Law, focusing on intellectual property, international business, and immigration. Adrian is currently the chair of the board for the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas and the Austin Bar Solo/Small Firm. Additionally, Adrian has served as a committee member for the Silicon Labs’ Austin Sunshine Run through the Young Men’s Business League (YMBL), a member of the Austin Bar Association, American Bar Association Intellectual Property division, American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA), Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, Austin Young Lawyer’s Association (AYLA), and Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA). In his legal practice, Adrian concentrates in the areas of immigration, business, probate, and intellectual property, devoting himself to effective counseling and communicating with each of his clients. Outside of the office, Adrian enjoys following his favorite sports teams, spending time with his dogs, and traveling the world with his wife Lexi.

 Curtis Fuller is the secretary of ESLABA and an attorney at Carr & Ferrell LLP. Originally from East Texas, Curtis now lives in Austin with his partner and several house plants in varying stages of demise. Curtis began practicing in 2021 with a mission to help Texas creatives and entrepreneurs establish, grow, and protect their businesses. He received his associate degree in foreign language from Austin Community College, a bachelor’s degree in communication conferred cum laude by the University of Texas Permian Basin, his Juris Doctor with concentrated study in IP from the University of Nebraska College of Law, and an LL.M. in Business Law from The University of Texas at Austin. He volunteers with Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts and The Dance Project ATX. Curtis currently sits on the Dean’s Advisory Board at Nebraska Law and has won awards for leadership and academic excellence.