ARTIST ENTERPRISE COUNSEL
Your Creative Empire Needs a Legal Architecture.
Touring deals. Record label negotiations. Brand partnerships. Licensing agreements. You need outside general counsel for music artists who integrates every piece — not a specialist who sees only one.
15+
Years in Practice
2
Attorneys on Deck
IP · Licensing · Corporate
Core Practice
IL · MO · WI · NY
Licensed States
THE PROBLEM
You Have Specialists. You Need a Strategist.
One-off attorneys solve yesterday’s problem. Enterprise growth demands integrated legal strategy across every deal and entity.
All IP in the Operating Entity
Your master recordings, publishing, trademarks, and brand assets are all inside one entity — fully exposed to liability, underfunded for tax purposes, and impossible to license efficiently.
Brand Deals, No IP Review
Sponsorships, brand partnerships, and licensing agreements are signed without proper IP ownership confirmation — meaning you could be licensing rights you don’t fully own.
Transactional Counsel, No Integration
Your entertainment attorney, business attorney, and CPA all work in silos. Nobody is connecting entity structure, IP ownership, deal flow, and tax strategy into a single architecture.
WHAT WE DO
Outside General Counsel for Music Artists — Built for the Entertainment Industry.
As outside general counsel for music artists, we integrate entity structure, IP protection, deal review, and regulatory compliance into a unified legal strategy — on a fixed monthly retainer.
Entity Structure
Holding companies, loan-out corps, IP holding entities. Built for asset protection, tax efficiency, and deal flexibility.
IP Protection
Trademark registration, copyright strategy, licensing agreements, and ownership chains — structured to maximize long-term royalty and licensing value.
Regulatory Compliance
Licensing requirements, securities compliance for fan investment vehicles, multi-state business registration, and ongoing regulatory monitoring.
Deal Review
Record deals, publishing agreements, touring contracts, brand partnerships, and sponsorship deals — reviewed in the context of your full legal architecture.
RETAINER OPTIONS
Two Tiers. One Goal: Full Legal Integration.
Both retainer tiers are structured around your deal volume and complexity. Pricing is tailored to your situation — schedule a strategy session to get a proposal.
Lean OGC
Ideal for artists at the emerging enterprise stage who need outside general counsel for music artists — growing deal flow, building the first entity layer, and protecting core IP.
- Monthly strategic counsel calls
- Entity structure review & formation
- Core IP registration (trademark + copyright)
- Contract review up to 4 agreements/month
- Business licensing and regulatory compliance
- Direct attorney access via email
★ FULL ENTERPRISE
Enterprise OGC
For established artists with active deal flow, multiple entities, and enterprise-level IP portfolios. Comprehensive outside general counsel coverage.
- Unlimited strategic counsel access
- Full entity architecture (holding co. + subsidiaries)
- Comprehensive IP portfolio management
- Unlimited contract review and negotiation support
- Business licensing and multi-state compliance
- M&A and deal structuring
- Dedicated attorney team (2 attorneys)
YOUR TEAM
Attorneys Who Understand the Business of Music.
Thomas Howard
Managing Attorney · IL · MO · WI
Thomas has spent 15+ years building legal frameworks for entrepreneurs navigating complex regulatory and commercial environments. He has represented clients through multi-state business formations, brand licensing deals, and high-stakes contract negotiations. His practice integrates transactional work, IP strategy, and entity architecture into a single, coordinated engagement.
Teron East
partner · NY
Teron brings deep expertise in entertainment transactions and IP law from the New York market. He advises artists, labels, and rights holders on deal structure, copyright, and brand licensing — providing East Coast coverage and entertainment industry depth to the practice.
15+
Years in Practice
2
Attorneys
IL · MO · WI · NY
Licensed Jurisdictions
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions About Outside General Counsel
What exactly is Outside General Counsel (OGC)?
Outside general counsel for music artists means we function as your in-house legal team on a retainer basis — without the overhead of a full-time hire. You get a dedicated attorney who knows your business, your deals, and your goals, available on an ongoing basis rather than billing by the hour for each separate transaction.
Does an Outside General Counsel replace my entertainment attorney?
How does the strategy session work?
What size artist or business is this right for?
Our retainer model is designed for artists at the enterprise stage — meaning you have real deal flow, multiple revenue streams, existing entities, and IP that needs active management. If you’re generating meaningful revenue from touring, licensing, or brand deals and the legal picture is getting complex, this is built for you.
How quickly can we get started?
After your strategy session and engagement agreement, most clients are fully onboarded within two weeks. We conduct an initial legal architecture review — entity structure, IP ownership chain, outstanding agreements — and establish the ongoing cadence from there. Time-sensitive deals or filings are handled immediately upon engagement.
Ready to Build the Legal Architecture Your Career Demands?
Schedule a complimentary strategy session. We’ll map your current legal structure, identify the gaps, and show you exactly what outside general counsel for music artists looks like for your situation.
Attorney Advertising. The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Howard East Corporate Law · Chicago · Peoria · New York