Biography
Danielle Van Lier is an intellectual property, technology, and transactional attorney with special expertise in artificial intelligence and its impact on creative professionals.
Prior to starting her solo practice, Ms. VanLier advanced through roles of increasing challenge andcomplexity in SAG-AFTRA’s legal department, most recently holding the position of Assistant General Counsel, Contracts, and Compliance. In that role she managed the organization’s intellectual property and related efforts aimed at protecting the rights of SAG-AFTRA and its members. Danielle was also responsible for managing SAG-AFTRA’s third-party contracts.
Danielle played a leading role in many of SAG-AFTRA’s most innovative contracts, including its Influencer Agreement, Podcast Agreement, Microbudget Project Agreement, and the recent Tiered-Budget Interactive Media Agreement. In addition, Ms. Van Lier was recognized as an internal expert and resource on generative AI and had an integral role in several AI-related issues, including the union’s 2023 contract negotiations and its first contract with an AI company.
Ms. Van Lier is an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern Law School where she has taught courses on the Entertainment Guilds and Trademark Law. Prior to teaching at Southwestern, Danielle taught Sports and Entertainment Law at Western State College of Law.
Danielle is a sought-after speaker and has delivered presentations to global audiences on topics that include Artificial Intelligence, Deepfakes, Rights of Publicity, Copyright, and the Entertainment Guilds. She has spoken on panels at bar association conferences (such as the American Bar Association and Association of Corporate Counsel) and industry-specific events, such as San Diego Comic-Con and CES.
Ms. VanLier earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. She holds a B.A. in Japanese Language, Literature and Cultural Studies from UC Santa Barbara. In 2019, she earned an LLM in Innovation, Technology, and The Law through the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and she is currently completing an MBA through Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
