From the Barre to the Bar: An Immigration and IP Lawyer for the Ballet World

Sticky Lawyers

Cielomar Puccio grew up dancing in Puerto Rico. And although she didn't pursue it professionally, her passion for ballet led her to a unique niche law practice. Based in Miami, Cielo's practice focuses on helping dancers, choreographers, and others in the arts with immigration and intellectual property matters.

With a background in advertising and PR, Cielo has grown her practice through continued participation in the local ballet community, referrals, and a robust social media presence. Join us as we learn how this sticky lawyer pursues visas for artists with extraordinary ability, secures copyrights for arts-related businesses, and navigates the complicated process of copyrighting choreography, especially as viral dances explode on TikTok.

Chapters

1. From the Barre to the Bar: An Immigration and IP Lawyer for the Ballet World (00:00:00)

2. Cielo's dance background (00:02:01)

3. Her education path – advertising and PR before law school. (00:05:41)

4. After marrying and moving to Miami, practicing immigration law on the federal bar, helping other dancers with visas. (00:09:46)

5. Confusion about Puerto Rico bar access in the U.S. (00:11:53)

6. Describing her boutique law practice for O, P, and EB visas for ballet artists. (00:15:44)

7. Working with dance companies, plus word of mouth and social media referrals. (00:17:37)

8. Her trademark and copyright practice with dancers. (00:21:17)

9. The complicated process of copyrighting choreography. (00:23:01)

10. How the pandemic affected her practice and the livelihoods of dancers. (00:26:25)

11. Measuring success not only in dollars but also in relationships. (00:31:31)

12. Adding the work of artists who create art in outer space to her practice. (00:37:24)