Entertainment attorneys. What do they do? Why are they so important? Where to find them? And how do they get compensated? Let's cover it all. Entertainment lawyers have one of the most important roles in this business. Their involvement can set you up for success or sign you up for a quick road to failure. They are underpaid, underappreciated, and sometimes villainized. They are the wordsmiths of agreements. They are the know who's and the know how's. By definition, they could represent individual clients, work for a specific entertainment company, or represent corporations that do business in the entertainment industry. If you're a musician, your lawyer will review, edit, and explain record, publishing, brand, touring, and distribution contracts that are presented to you. If you're a record label, independent, or major, the label attorney will learn your label goals, then create agreements that fit your goals to present to future artists that you wanna sign. A reason why lawyers are so important for artists, in particular, is because of the artist's tendencies to receive offers and contracts and only look at two points in the agreements and ignore everything else. They rush to ask, how much am I getting paid, and when am I getting paid? Unfortunately, the rest of the language in the agreement is where all the important stuff lives, points like terms of the agreement, exclusivities, carve outs, representations and warranties, and more that affect every other aspect of the contract. Here's how you go about finding a good attorney if you're looking for one. Finding a good attorney is as simple as looking at your peers that are around you that you're working with to see who they're working with. Maybe they could recommend a good attorney that they've started with, and that may be a good fit for you. My attorney is also my mentor. I thought I knew a lot until I met him 11 years ago and realized I knew nothing. Starting with a ton of language I didn't understand and different ways in which companies finesse terms to sway contracts in their favor by using legal jargon that we don't understand. I learned the value in asking questions, probably the single most important quality I picked up on and still have to this very day. My attorney worked for and with the record labels before representing individuals. So he understood what their agendas were, which helped give me a better perspective. A good lawyer isn't after the quick deals and quick paychecks. They are after the best setups for their clients so the client understands what they're getting involved in and getting what they want. I began calling my attorney every day because I realized the importance of wording things correctly and fighting for things I knew my clients and I would need to execute projects effectively. I got comfortable enough with my attorney and explained to him how important it was to me that we always bet on ourselves. So he gave me formulas and deal structures that would best suit our business planning and mentality. I used to like long-term deals because of the security it supplied. Until I understood that the shorter the term meant the sooner I can get back to the table and renegotiate the deals. As long as we did well and delivered on our end, the shorter terms would get us back to the table quicker to rework our partnerships. How do entertainment attorneys get paid? I've seen them paid in one of two ways. First, by an hourly agreed upon rate that the lawyer charges for their work or they would get a percent of every deal that comes in for an individual or company which was typically 5% of the gross fees across all deals. In my early experience as a manager, the artist I worked with did everything they could to avoid having a lawyer involved in the deals which always rubbed me the wrong way but it was usually out of fear of having to pay them. The irony of those situations and in most scenarios where artists or companies avoid legal counsel is it usually cost them double or more to clean up a mess caused by the lack of legal involvement to begin with. Hiring a lawyer as an aspiring or established artist isn't something you go and do just because an entertainment attorney has a law degree or some cool pictures with artists you like. It's an interview process. It's something you take your time with and see who you align with the most. You're putting your well-being in their hands so trust, understanding and aligned beliefs are important qualities to consider before committing to any entertainment attorney. Today we discussed why it's so important to have a great entertainment attorney by your side if you plan on being in this business. Please leave a comment below and I can't wait to see you guys next week.