Event Summary

A series for creatives of all kinds who want to take the next step in their professional career by creating their own business.

WALA Creative Entrepreneurs Series)

(Legal Issues for Creative Entrepreneurs)

WALA’s Creative Entrepreneurs Series is a series for creatives of all kinds who want to take the next step in their professional career by creating their own business.

Explore the basics of forming a business for your creative endeavors, from deciding whether to incorporate as a non-profit or for-profit entity, to understanding copyrights and trademarks, to contract and negotiation skills, and finally to taxes and understanding the grants process.

• Session #4: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 ~ Contracts & Licensing


Presentation and Q & A with:
Cynthia M. Gayton, Esq.

This session covers:

When is a deal a deal?
- Offer
- Acceptance
- Consideration

What can you license?
- Ownership
- Contract considerations
- Royalties

What Happens If Someone Fails?

- Remedies
- Deadlines
- Indemnification
- Governing Law
- Limitations on Remedies

Cynthia M. Gayton, Esq. holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University and a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law. Cynthia is a member of both the State Bar of Virginia and the District of Columbia Bar. She is an adjunct professor at the A. James A. Clark, School of Engineering at the University of Maryland as well as The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is the owner of Gayton Law, in Arlington, Virginia, which concentrates on small business formation, intellectual property, information technology, and business transactions/contracts. In addition, she has worked for the federal government, in the private sector and for non-profit organizations. Ms. Gayton is the author of several law-related articles and of the textbook "Legal Aspects of Engineering, Design and Innovation" 11th Edition, published by Kendall-Hunt in January 2023 and “Guide to Contracts, Copyrights and Trademarks for CryptoCreatives, 2022. For over twenty years, she has volunteered her services to the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts.

Visit Gayton Law online at www.gayton-law.com

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The 2026 Spring WALA Creative Entrepreneurs Series is FREE for *WALA members.

*$20 per workshop for non-members.

#WALASPRING2026

WALA programs and activities are sponsored in part by:

Event Details

• Date

  April 21, 2026

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• Time

  11:00am - 1:00pm

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• Venue

  Online