A great music lawyer can help you get in place the important agreements from the beginning which protect you and your work. It might be a band agreement which addresses things like how costs and royalties are dealt with, or rights to a band name. There are various famous instances of bands failing to do this and it causing severe problems later (e.g. Oasis and Pink Floyd).

You might be negotiating your first deal with a label, or an agreement with a producer or mixing engineer, and want someone in your corner who will fight for you and look after your interests - e.g. reasonable royalty splits or ensuring you have the proper rights to your work and masters. 

You may simply not understand various legal parts of the music industry and its jargon, such as publishing, copyright, royalties, or collection societies. I can help independent musicians on a more general basis. I will think of all these things for you and make sure they get done, so you can concentrate on simply making music. 

I can also help you avoid some of the pitfalls of the industry, because I’ve seen them myself. There are various bad actors who will promise the earth to take your hard earned money. They normally ensure what they have to deliver is vague or without clear milestones. Musicians are often left feeling like they’ve paid a lot of money and have very little to show for it. I am here to make sure that does not happen.You might be negotiating your first deal with a label, or an agreement with a producer or mixing engineer, and want someone in your corner who will fight for you and look after your interests - e.g. reasonable royalty splits or ensuring you have the proper rights to your work. 

You may simply not understand various legal parts of the music industry and its jargon, such as publishing, copyright, royalties, or collection societies. I can help independent musicians on a more general basis. I will think of all these things for you, so you can concentrate on simply making music. 

I can also help you avoid some of the pitfalls of the industry, because I’ve seen them myself. There are various actors who are happy to promise the earth and take your hard earned money. They normally ensure what they have to deliver is vague or without clear milestones. Musicians are often left feeling like they’ve paid a lot of money, have very little to show for it and have no clear recourse. I am here to make sure that does not happen.

Signing to a label is a big step. 

The main agreement which your label puts in front of you will likely contain a lot of very important terms which are absolutely vital in shaping and influencing how your career will progress. Advances, royalties, recoupment, ownership of masters, creative control and advertising - it will all be within those pages. 

Long technical agreements are difficult for most (non-legal) people to understand. Musicians are no different. It’s the boring stuff. You just want to be creative and make music. Fortunately my role is understanding and negotiating the fine print. I will draw out the key terms, identify the ones which the label may have “missed”, and stop at nothing to make sure your interests are protected.  

Often musicians are left in a scenario where they’ve been exploited or let down. Perhaps your label is treating you unfairly, a venue has not paid your fees or a mixing engineer has not delivered what was agreed. In these scenarios, after the chain of communication has broken down, there may be no alternative to exploring legal action of some sort. People tend to start listening when they know they might be sued! 

Given my past experience within litigation (see My Story), I can help advise you on the merits of your case after hearing what’s happened. I can also help you take legal action in the courts. In fact, the UK has one of the best court systems in the world. The courts are a great tool for those with a good case and who know how to use them.

It is very difficult to find lawyers outside of normal law firms (which are very expensive) who have this kind of experience and can help musicians at very affordable rates.