Alumna named to Variety’s Power of Women Impact Report
Lori Landew, 1984 College graduate and entertainment lawyer with the Philadelphia-based law firm Fox Rothschild, has been named to Variety Magazine’s esteemed Power of Women New York Impact Report.
The report highlights the impact and achievements of 85 professional stalwarts across a wide array of fields. The list includes several producers, directors, writers, managers and attorneys, who have had a stellar year in the entertainment industry.
A history major in the College of Arts and Sciences, Landew went on to complete her law degree at Columbia University before entering the corporate world. Today, she is a titan of the industry with over 25 years of experience providing legal assistance and consultation to clients in the world of entertainment and media.
“When I started college, I was told by people that I should be a lawyer. This had more to do with the fact that I seemed to like to argue with people,” Landew said. “My family was very clear that while I could do anything that I wanted to do when I was in college, they expected that I would either be a doctor, lawyer or an accountant.”
During her high school days, she was an active performer herself, having been a part of the youth choruses of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera. It was during her time at Penn, however, that she gradually transitioned towards the organizational aspect of the performing arts through various groups and events such as Penn Players and Spring Fling.
“I had been performing on the stage for years and then continued to do so at Penn. But it was really when I got to Penn when I realized that I was probably much better behind the stage than on it. When I started doing production work, which I had never done before, I really loved it because it played to my strengths,” she said.
Gradually, it was the amalgamation of these diverse interests that led her to her current line of work.
“As I approached graduation, I still had that bug in my ear telling me that I’m supposed to be a lawyer. So I tried to figure out a way to combine the two areas that I was interested in, and I became aware of the fact that there were lawyers who really dedicated themselves to arts and entertainment.”
When asked how she felt about being selected for this elite list of success stories in the entertainment industry, Landew said, “It was particularly nice because this recognition is not limited to lawyers. It’s women across all different careers and professions, who are involved in the entertainment world in different ways.”
Over the past few decades, Landew established herself firmly in the entertainment industry. Landew said that while she would be open to change, this is certainly where she sees herself in the future.
“I’m very fortunate because it’s a very interesting line of work. I have wonderful, interesting clients, and I get to work on really cool things.”
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