Leading Morrison & Foerster's engagement as international
counsel for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games,
Steven L. Toronto and Kelly C. Crabb have the key bases covered — the
former in the capital city of the People's Republic of China and the
latter in Los Angeles, the acknowledged entertainment capital of the
world.More than a single straight line between two points, their effort
spans the globe and bridges the Olympic Games generations, including
Salt Lake City's in 2002.It's a time-consuming task for a twosome who first became
acquainted as BYU students and Provo Missionary Training Center staff
three decades ago. Their paths ran somewhat parallel before finally
meeting and merging for the Beijing Games.The managing partner of Morrison & Foerster's Beijing office
and involved with the Beijing Organizing Committee interactions since
the global megafirm was first retained, Toronto specializes in venture
capital financing mergers and China-related securities and investment
activities, particularly in technology-based companies.Joining the firm after doing legal work with the Salt Lake
Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympics, Crabb focuses on the
entertainment and media fields, including financing, production and
content matters. His works ranges from rights and licensing to mergers
and acquisitions, and everything in between."I often tell Steve he's the energetic one who gets to do all the work, and I get to have all the fun," Crabb said.The pair lead a firm team of 30-plus, based in major U.S., Asian
and European cities. They also help BOCOG engage consultants who worked
closely with the Salt Lake and Athens organizing committees."It's firm-wide — Steve and I work together to coordinate that," said Crabb, adding "as a team, we have a vast knowledge."As the only international legal firm involved, Morrison &
Foerster provides liaison work and legal oversight for BOCOG,
particularly in infrastructure and commercialization. Assistance
includes helping draft requests for proposals, negotiating contracts,
introducing consultants, reviewing concerns and providing seminars and
workshops to share information.Infrastructure efforts include venue construction and leasing as
well as arranging for security, hospitality and accommodations. "There
are tons and tons of these contracts," Toronto said.Five key areas comprise the commercial aspect — entertainment
programs, sponsorships, licensing, ticketing and broadcasting.The opening and closing ceremonies and torch relay are
high-profile entertainment-oriented events requiring contacts,
contracts and coordination with participants and performers.Licensing and ticketing provide substantial revenue for an
organizing committee, but most money comes from sponsorships and
broadcasting, the two most valuable aspects.The five-ring Olympic logo is the world's most widely recognized
trademark — and the most aggressively protected, as sponsors pay
millions to use the logo in marketing and advertising. This is true
also for the Beijing Games-specific logo used on a national level in
China.For each Olympics, a television production company is created —
"becoming the largest television production company in the work,"
Toronto said - as the Olympic committee sells the video signal for
millions and billions of dollars to national broadcasting corporations
across the world. For example, in 2003, NBC paid $2.2 billion for the
multi-platform U.S. broadcasting rights for the 2010 and 2012 Games.With the provided video signals, the national broadcasters in
turn add their own graphics and voice-overs and try to recoup their
costs through advertising sales.With the Olympics around the corner, most legal work with BOCOG
"is pretty much done," said Toronto, adding "with the exception of
'strange things,' much of the so-called heavy lifting is done."Crabb knows all about Olympic surprises, having represented U.S.
gymnast Paul Hamm, the first American male to win the individual
all-around gold medal, at the 2004 Athens Games. South Korea lodged a
belated protest on event judging totals while the International
Federation of Gymnastics suggested Hamm relinquish his gold — and Crabb
helped to successfully represent Hamm all the way to the
Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport."That was a classic example of what can come up," Crabb said.BOCOG will continue to work with Toronto, Crabb and the firm
through the Paralympics and the final wind-up process, during which the
organizing committee ceases operations, transfers facilities and shares
information with future organizing committees. The wind-up could take
from six months to a year.Both Toronto and Crabb hope Beijing is as successful with its
Olympics overall and the post-Games transfer as was the Salt Lake
Organizing Committee in 2002."Salt Lake was the paradigm, the model that everybody should
follow," Crabb said. "It makes everybody stand in amazement at how well
they did it."Added Toronto: "The opportunity we have had — for me — has been
satisfying to be able to introduce to our friends in Beijing to our
friends in Salt Lake City."Toronto and Crabb were first associated as BYU students and MTC
employees in the late 1970s. A recently returned missionary from
Taiwan, Toronto was working on his undergraduate degree while teaching
Mandarin to missionaries.Staying on at BYU to finish a master's degree in public
administration, Crabb — who served a mission in Japan and has used his
Japanese on a number of cases — worked for the missionary department
for five years during the same time as a director of research and
development, focusing on programs, text materials and lesson
improvements.The two also left Provo for the Columbia Law School — Crabb
first, with Toronto later calling for perspective and recommendations
before heading East.They've since shared another similarity — adding LDS Church
leadership responsibilities to their career and family workloads.
Toronto is president of the Beijing China International District that
oversees ex-patriate church members residing through much of mainland
China; Crabb is now second counselor in the Pasadena California Stake
presidency after recently being released as bishop.Crabb will join Toronto in China during the Olympics, to get a
first-hand look at the result of the multi-year legal efforts."Just the opportunity to be involved in China with the Games is a
high privilege," said Toronto, adding. "To see China as the
international focus will be wonderful, when you think of where China
was 20 to 30 years ago."
Kelly C. Crabb's name should be familiar to Utahns.Crabb negotiated the media rights — including TV and book deals — for former kidnapped teen Elizabeth Smart.He also was hired — first by the University of Utah and Brigham
Young University and later retained by the Mountain West Conference
itself — to explore increased regional and national exposure for The
mtn., the MWC's own conference-specific but sparsely available
television network.Earlier this year, The mtn. — owned by CBS College Sports and
Comcast and operated by Comcast SportsNet — was picked up by national
satellite provider DirecTV for the coming school year, with Dish
Network expected to soon follow.Calling the constant negotiations for national visibility
"mind-numbing but successful," Crabb added, "this fall, I will enjoy
the fruits of my labors.
E-mail: taylor@desnews.com