Senior Partner
Prior to forming Bienstock & Michael, P.C. twenty-five years ago, Ron was editor-in-chief and publisher of International Musician & Recording World and was General Counsel to Hoshino, U.S.A. (manufacturer of Ibanez Guitars, electronics, and Tama drums). In 1991, Ron was voted one of the top 100 “Most Influential People In The Music Business” by BAM Magazine.
Ron teaches Entertainment Law as an adjunct professor at New York University and is a frequent guest lecturer for various graduate and undergraduate schools at NYU. Ron has also been a music business commentator for NPR, Air America Radio, WBAI, Barely Legal Radio, Tech TV and CNN, and has been a guest lecturer, instructor and panel moderator for the BMI, ASCAP, CMJ, NEMO, SXSW, NAMM, PMA, RPMDA, the New Jersey Videographers Association, the Florida Music Conference, Miami Music Conference, Atlantic Records’ A&R University, the On-Line Music Conference, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the Alaska State Bar Association, Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, St. John’s School of Law, Rutgers School of Law, Seton Hall Law School, Ithaca College, and many other organizations and universities.
As the result of Bienstock & Michael’s landmark trademark opposition win against Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Ron has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, and online publications across the country, including the ABA Journal, Arizona Republic, California Chronicle, SmartMoney, Forbes, Bergen Record, Yahoo! Finance, Entrepreneur.com, Res Ispa Magazine, Music and Sound Retailer, and New Jersey Savvy Living. Representing 17 guitar manufacturers in the trademark opposition proceeding against Fender, Ron successfully argued that Fender should not be allowed trademark registrations to three guitar and bass body shapes. The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeals Board decision is available here.
On other matters, Ron has been published in the New York Law Journal, on musicplayer.com, and NYSBA’s Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal. He has written a monthly column for Guitar Magazine and GetSigned.com and has also written guest editorials for Musical Merchandise Review (MMR) Magazine. Interviews, editorials, and other articles featuring Ron can be found in NJ Biz, Music Inc. Magazine, Performer Magazine, MusicianCoaching.com, Premier Guitar Magazine, Playback Magazine, MusicRadar.com, and The Morning Call. Ron has also Co-Chaired the NYSBA committee on the Recording Industry and the Internet.
As a performing and recording musician since 1972, Ron has performed extensively with various major recording artists. He continues to perform and record with “Blue East and QT Jazz Collective” (Transglobal Records) and “The Suits,” whose debut LP on Viceroy Records secured them national tours and numerous TV appearances including “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and CNBC. Over the last twenty years, “The Suits” have performed with the Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, Jim Messina, Nils Lofgren, Taj Mahal, Curtis Mayfield, Gov’t Mule, Ziggy Marley, The Doobie Brothers, The Connells, Rory Gallagher, Hot Tuna, John Hammond, Foreigner, Bass Desires, Leslie West, Robben Ford, Ambrosia, Eric Burden and the Animals, among many others. In addition to “The Suits” and “Blue East and QT Jazz Collective,” Ron continues to perform and record with many other offshoots from these and other bands.