Mark Quail (CA)

Mark has been a lawyer since 1990. His Toronto-based practice is restricted to music and new technology-related matters. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mark worked as a band roadie and music journalist.

His legal career has been divided between private law practice and in-house counsel for music companies. He started his legal career as a litigator making court appearances. He was head of Business and Legal Affairs for EMI Music Publishing Canada. He was then head of Business and Legal Affairs for the music division of Alliance Atlantis Communications, then Canada’s largest film and television production company. He spent two years as President and head of A&R of Song Publishing Inc., then Canada’s largest independent music publisher. Since 2001 he has been in private law practice.

Mark’s work in the music business includes negotiating and drafting all manner of music agreements such as recording contracts, music publishing contracts, film and TV composer contracts and management contracts, both domestic and international. He has advised musicians and music industry executives on career development in Canada, the United States and Europe. He co-owned Distort Records which was home to platinum-selling Canadian recording artists Alexisonfire. Mark served as executive producer on the soundtrack album for the two-time Oscar nominated film The Sweet Hereafter. Mark has represented such electronic music institutions as Beatport and Digitally Imported (streaming radio). He currently advises leading electronic music superstars such as Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Art Department, John Acquaviva, Matador, Pleasurekraft, Mathew Jonson and Shaun Frank.

Mark is also a Managing Director for Q&A Music Rights Administration Inc, a music publisher that works solely in the electronic music genre,

He is a co-author of two legal text books, one of which, titled Entertainment Law in Canada, is the leading text book on the topic in Canada. He appears, regularly, as a panelist or