Entertainment Lawyers often serve many functions for an artist, band, producer, or record label. As the music business has evolved, so too has the role of the Entertainment Lawyer. Today’s Entertainment Lawyers provide services from what I call Straight Legal Work to Management, Business Advice, Shopping Demos and litigation to enforce agreements, copyrights, and trademarks. Entertainment Lawyers may also serve as regular outside counsel to record labels, producers, and publishers.
Straight Legal Work
This is what Entertainment Lawyer traditionally do: draft, negotiate, and review agreements, contracts, licenses; register copyrights and trademarks; set up legal entities and countless other mundane tasks that only an Entertainment Lawyer can do. Contact us by clicking here to learn more about this service.
Management
This is the cutting edge of the business right now. It used to be that record labels took an artist of band under its wings, developed and refined the music, book gigs, recorded records, made them famous through TV appearances, magazine articles, radio and more, and generally made things happen for an artist or band. They invested their money and put their team on the job. For the most part, the big labels are out of that business. In some cases, Indie labels are trying to fill that void as are managers. So too are enlightened Entertainment Lawyers. We can provide you with not just business advice and legal advice but connections to the industry and we can put our team on the job for you too booking gigs, producing recordings, and getting you publicity. We can do that in conjunction with other outside professionals or we can do that with our own in-house people. We can even provide you with access to funding in certain circumstances. Click here to submit your information and inquire more about this cutting edge service.
Business Advice
Today’s Entertainment Lawyers are in a unique position to offer business advice in addition to just legal advice. Entertainment Lawyers are involved in many deals on a regular business and see the latest trends in the industry. In my case, I am particularly well-suited to providing business advice. Click here to submit your information and inquire more about this cutting edge service.
Demo Shopping
Sometimes controversial, Entertainment Lawyers are in the unique position of being able to call-on the many well-placed people they know in the entertainment industry to at least convince them to listen to your demo recording or song. We call that demo shopping perform that service for our regular clients on a daily basis for percentage fees. In the case of a new client, we can provide this service with an upfront, non-refundable, retainer plus a percentage of the deal. CAUTION! just because we can get someone to listen to your music doesn’t mean we can get them to like it. The music has to speak for itself. Click here to learn more about Demo Shopping and to submit your information and inquire more about this cutting edge service.
Litigation
Often music artists believe their copyrights have been infringed if they think someone stole all or part of their song. Also, a band may believe another band has stolen their name or has one too similar to theirs. In either of those cases, an Entertainment Lawyer can help enforce the rights owned in copyrights or trademarks utilizing the courts. Contact us by clicking here to learn more about this service.
Outside General Counsel
An Entertainment Lawyer can act as outside General Counsel to a record label, producer, or publisher much the same way as an in-house employee would but without the cost of a full-time employee. Much like the “On Retainer” arrangement below, the Entertainment Lawyer is always available to serve the needs of the client. Contact us by clicking here to learn more about this service.
On Retainer
In certain situations, it may be a good idea to have an Entertainment Lawyer “On Retainer.” That means, the client pays a set monthly fee every month which allows the client to have access to the Entertainment Lawyer at any time on a priority basis. This is a good idea if you think you need quick and regular access to a lawyer as you conduct your business. Services are then billed on an hourly basis for each project. Contact us by clicking here to learn more about this service.
St.Art (Starving Artist Program)
For emerging artists only, we provide a very low-cost form of retainer service. For one very low fee, we get to know you, your goals, your strengths and weaknesses through regularly scheduled monthly conference calls. We feel these early discussions with an Entertainment Lawyer can help provide direction and bring a vision or refine one into practical realities. See more here. Click here to submit your information and inquire more about this cutting edge service.
