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DAN SATORIUS
Minneapolis, MN
Lawyer
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Title/Occupation:  Attorney 

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DAN SATORIUS

A noted entertainment attorney as well as an active film producer, Dan Satorius combines a rare understanding of both the business and creative sides of filmmaking. Formerly a partner and Vice President at the Lommen Abdo Law Firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Satorius is now of counsel to that firm and has his own practice, Satorius Law Firm, PLLC. His practice focuses on transactions, intellectual property, and financing principally in the entertainment business. His clients include Academy Award, Emmy Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Peabody Award winning independent producers, writers, and television stations in the film and television industry. He is a Minnesota “Super Lawyer” in Entertainment Law and a “Minnesota Leading Attorney”. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell (highest competency).

Satorius received a Masters of Arts in motion picture production from the University of Iowa, and his experimental narrative film, “Fear and Trembling” was a finalist for a Student Academy Award. He went on to earn a law degree from Southern Illinois University.

Settling in Minneapolis, he spent his first several years producing documentaries, television commercials and corporate communications projects, but ultimately decided to pursue a career in law. He established a firm specializing in music, and developed a practice with clients including Prince’s NPG (New Power Generation) Records, The Replacements and Soul Asylum among others. He subsequently teamed with attorney Ken Abdo to expand into a broader range of entertainment work, and developed an extensive client roster in film and television. That firm eventually merged with the general practice firm of Lommen, Nelson, Cole & Stageberg to become Lommen Abdo.

Satorius devoted himself entirely to his legal practice until the late 1990’s, when his continued passion for film led him to associate produce “Varian and Putzi,” a documentary by Richard Kaplan about an American scholar who rescued a long list of Jewish artists and intellectuals from Vichy France; the film was broadcast on public television. He also executive produced “Dirty Country,” a documentary about a renowned country musician famous for his obscene lyrics. It was recently released by New Video. He is currently in development on several feature-length projects.

In 2009 he produced TWELVE THIRTY, a dramatic feature-length motion picture written and directed by Jeff Lipsky. The film was one of the films in competition at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival. TWELVE THIRTY was released in January, 2010.

A frequent speaker, Satorius has participated in panels at film festivals including Toronto, Sundance, SXSW and others. He organizes a nationally recognized annual series of panels for the DOC:NYC festival. He regularly teaches courses at the film and law programs of various colleges and universities, and was an adjunct professor for eight years at William Mitchell School of Law. He has also spoken and written for organizations including the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sport Industries, the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the University of Minnesota Law School. Satorius served on a variety of boards of directors including those of IFP/ Minnesota, Minneapolis Community and Technical College’s Cinema Department, Blockbuster McKnight Film Fund, Screenwriters Workshop, and Resources in Counseling for the Arts.