Joan has been legal counsel for DECODE since its inception in 1997. She has practiced entertainment law exclusively for the past 25 years. She began her career as in-house counsel for the feature film company Quadrant Films Limited and went on to specialize in entertainment law with Cassels, Brock, and Peter Steinmetz and Associates. Joan has had her own entertainment practice and for two of those years rendered legal and business affairs services exclusively to Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. She oversees all legal aspects of development, production, financing and distribution of DECODE programming.


Joan is participating in the 2007 WIFT International Summit as a panelist for:

Session #23 Leveraging Canada: Co-Productions for Film and Television
Presented in Partnership with NBC Universal
Tuesday, July 17, 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Roof Salon
Panelists including a Producer, Lawyer, Government representative, discuss interprovincial and international co-production agreements, tax benefits, and success stories.

Session #30 Leveraging Canada: Co-Productions for Film and Television (panel repeat)
Presented in Partnership with NBC Universal, Goodmans LLP and Kay and Warburton
Tuesday, July 17, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Roof Salon
(see above for panel discription)