Buchwald

Marty Buchwald, Jorma Kaukonen, John Casady, Paul Kantner and Signe Anderson, collectively comprising a professional music group known as “The Jefferson Airplane,” individually entered into identical “personal management” contracts with Matthew Katz. The contracts pro vided that Katz would receive a percentage of each performer’s earnings in return for acting as adviser, counselor and manager for each in his professional music career. The agreements explicitly stated that Katz would not obtain bookings or employment for the group. Disputes would be arbitrated in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Within a year a dispute arose and Katz commenced proceedings with the arbitration association. The Jefferson Airplane filed a petition with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to the Artists’ Managers Act (Act) (Lab. Code, §§ 1700-1700.46), claiming that the Labor Commissioner had sole jurisdiction over the matter since Katz was in fact an unlicensed artists’ manager within the terms of the Act. When Katz challenged the jurisdiction of the Labor Commissioner, The Jefferson Airplane filed an action against Katz in the superior court seeking a ruling…