Koenigsberg, I. Fred

I. Fred Koenigsberg has spent his career as an attorney specializing in copyright and related intellectual property law.  A graduate of Cornell University (B.A., 1967), the Annenberg School of Communications of the University of Pennsylvania (M.A., 1969) and Columbia Law School (J.D., 1972), Koenigsberg spent the first 18 years of his career as in-house counsel for the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP).  He then went into private practice as a partner in White & Case, LLP, from which he retired at the end of 2011.  While at White & Case, he represented clients in various disciplines of the arts, including music, literature, fine arts, and motion pictures.  While a partner, he also served as ASCAP’s General Counsel, and most recently (and continuing after his retirement) as Counsel to ASCAP’s Board of Directors.

Koenigsberg also served as President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (the first copyright lawyer to serve in that position), and as Chairman of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law.  He was a private sector representative on the United States delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization diplomatic conference that led to the WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties, as well as State Department’s Ad Hoc Committee on Adherence to the Berne Convention and the Library of Congress’ Advisory Commission on Copyright Registration and Deposit.

Koenigsberg has taught as an adjunct professor at Pace Law School (Copyright Law, 1979-1988), Columbia Law School (Seminar on Law & the Music Industry, 2006-2016), and Columbia’s Teachers College program in Arts Administration (Law & the Arts. 1984-2017).