Deborah Murad is a seasoned entertainment/theater attorney with a passion for advancing the rights and legacies of creatives.

With a background spanning over a decade at the Dramatists Guild of America, where she served as the Director of Business Affairs, Deborah was a driving force in at the Guild, providing invaluable guidance to thousands of playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists on copyright, negotiation, rights of privacy, publicity and defamation and rights acquisition. During her time at the Guild, she reviewed contracts and assisted well over 8,000 creatives.  She has a track record for crafting new contracts for the industry tailored to the artistic and financial aspirations of dramatists.  Deborah was the brain behind the Guild's devised theater materials, which were groundbreaking to the industry, and spearheaded efforts to create best practice guidelines in the areas of festivals and opera.  During her tenure, Deborah drafted several new model agreements, including those for translators and livestreaming. Deborah served as a member of the Coalition for Broadway Unions and Guilds and a contributor to the Dramatist Magazine.

Most recently, Deborah served as the Executive Director at DG Copyright Management Co., where she continued her mission by leading initiatives to protect the work and legacies of creatives. During her time at DG Copyright Management, Deborah built trust relationships with leading dramatists, resulting a remarkable tenfold increase in enrollment. She was pivotal in ensuring that all dramatists had a plan in place for their works and worked hand-in-hand with T&E attorneys to ensure their wishes were met. Deborah developed and led a yearly conference during National Estate Planning Week for dramatists, with nearly 700 creatives in attendance.  Her strategic leadership extended to corporate governance, where she has played a pivotal role in expanding the board of directors and driving corporate strategy.

Deborah's expertise also encompasses intellectual property management. Deborah oversaw the entire IP portfolio of the Dramatists Guild, managing licensing and publishing and identifying new opportunities for over 250 songs and 50 plays. Through strategic networking with publishers, agents, and attorneys, Deborah more than doubled the company's income during her tenure. Additionally, she administered music and sync rights in partnership with key organizations such as ASCAP,  Harry Fox, and U.S. Copyright Office.

Deborah has also been an active participant in various organizations and events, serving as a panelist, lecturer, and instructor for esteemed institutions such as TCG, Maestra, Jen Waldman Studio, and the American Alliance for Theatre and Educators (AATE). Her extensive speaking engagements on devised theater have taken her to prestigious venues worldwide, including the Segal Center in NYC, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Writer's Guild of Great Britain.

These experiences ultimately led Deborah to establish her own practice, EmpowerART Legal and Consulting Solutions. After years of working closely with artists at every stage of their careers, she saw firsthand the gaps in legal support available to creatives—particularly those just beginning their professional journeys. Her practice was founded with a clear mission: to provide thoughtful, ethical legal guidance to artists and creative professionals, and to reconnect the legal profession with the tradition of lawyers who serve as trusted advocates for artists rather than obstacles to their success. Deborah is committed to helping bridge the divide between emerging and established creators, ensuring that all artists have access to knowledgeable counsel who understands both the business and the creative realities of the industry. 

BA - Economics and Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University, suma cum laude.
JD - Cardozo School of Law, cum laude.