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Uwonda Carter Scott, Donald Woodard and John Seay co-founded Carter + Woodard, Georgia’s first majority Black-owned, full-service entertainment and corporate law firm. The firm, which is located in Midtown Atlanta and opened in March, recently hosted its launch party. Scott and Woodard, who are Black, each have more than 20 years of experience in the industry. The third partner, Seay, who is white, comes with 10 years of experience. The co-founders said the only other firm of its kind nationwide is Granderson Des Rochers, which has offices in Beverly Hills and New York. Scott said she and her law partners decided to start Carter + Woodard because there is only one major firm in Atlanta — Greenberg Traurig, where Woodard previously worked — that specializes in entertainment law. Carter + Woodard’s clients include recording artists Kelly Rowland, Big Boi, Summer Walker, NLE Choppa, Lil Yachty and Jacquees, plus music producer Metro Boomin, boxer Terence Crawford and USA Track & Field, where Woodard had worked before starting the new firm. “I was working at USA Track & Field the last four and a half years and commuting between Atlanta and Indianapolis,” he said. “I wanted to transition back to Atlanta full time and go back into private practice. He contacted Scott, a friend “who had been on the opposite side of deals” in the past. She was a solo practitioner whose business had expanded to include a law clerk, associate and paralegal, but needed more staff to handle all the client work she had. She said, “My conversation [with Woodard] was to come together to combine our resources and handle this.” Seay will remain somewhat behind the scenes as the firm’s third co-founder. Until recently, he had led The Seay Firm, a small boutique Midtown law office specializing in entertainment and intellectual property law. Prior to practicing law, Seay worked as an artist for 10 years, and as a tour manager and music writer. “I worked with Donald and Uwonda for years … I thought it was a great opportunity to build something with them in Atlanta. Atlanta has been a community of mostly solo practitioners [in entertainment law], and I thought this was a great way to start something in Atlanta that maybe was more reflective of the broader community here.”
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NIL Regulation: Can the NCAA Recover and Advance Its Own Fumble?
By Howard Mulligan
With a view toward injecting some modicum of clarity into the volatile arena of NIL, a plethora of legislation has been enacted at the state level and proposed at the federal level.
Determining Ownership Rights of Social Media Accounts
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Whether in the context of artist/entertainment company, employer/employee, franchisor/franchisee or influencer/brand relationships, who owns and controls the social media accounts and associated goodwill sometimes comes into dispute. This article provides guidance on the standards courts apply in determining ownership rights over social media accounts, as well as best practices to head off such disputes before they occur.
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s View of Parodies
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While most trademark-related lawyers are familiar with the “Bad Spaniels” and “Chewy Vuitton” federal court decisions on trademark parody, decisions by the USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board on trademark parody marks are rarely examined.
By Entertainment Law & Finance Staff
Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.