Managing the estate and legal aspects of a celebrity’s career is no easy feat, but it’s for this reason that entertainment attorney and partner at Nixon Peabody, Julian Petty, joined the industry.
After an internship with Def Jam Records during his undergraduate years at Howard University, Petty saw first-hand how celebrities within the music space were being misrepresented and told himself that if he ever got an opportunity to do something about it he would. After completing law school at Fordham University and being admitted to practice law in 2006, Petty was fortunate enough to link arms with one of the industry’s top entertainment lawyers, L. Londell McMillan.
In an interview with BlackEnterprise.com, Petty details his journey to becoming a leading entertainment attorney today and talks about his early career experiences of handling the estate of Big Pun to now closing deals such as the one with chart-topping singer Estelle and the hit-show Empire.
BlackEnterprise.com: Did you always know you wanted to be an entertainment attorney?
Petty: I did not. Sort of the catalyst of it all was when I did a summer internship at Def Jam records. When I was there, I realized two things. Number one, the lawyers were extremely involved and they always seemed to keep a job in the music business. You look at contracts from the 80s and 70s and those lawyers are still in the business. So that was my number one observation. Number two was, I realized there were a lot of artists that were just poorly represented and they weren’t really aware of their contracts or the terms in their contract and they weren’t being advised on what deals they should and shouldn’t do. I walked away from that summer saying, “If I ever get an opportunity, I’m going to do something about this.”
Any challenges you faced when trying to break into the business?
Yes, no one wanted to hire me. Everyone pretty much told me the same thing which is we don’t really hire anyone directly out of law school. They came with these exceptions which were we would consider you if you walk in the door with a superstar, or we will consider you if your mom or dad is a partner here. I didn’t have either one of those going for me. I actually landed my internship with Londell just on a cold call. I was looking at Black Enterprise and you guys had an article on Londell McMillan. I cold called his office and they had me come over. I jumped on the train from Brooklyn to Manhattan and got there as quick as I could. That was my start into the entertainment business.
Who was your first celebrity client?
My first client was the estate of Big Pun.
How did that come about?
His wife, Liza Rios, was doing an interview on AllHipHop.com. I read it and she was saying how she wasn’t getting royalties or publishing income and how she just felt she was wronged. I reached out via email and said “Hey, I’m Julian Petty. I’m working at this great firm. I would love to bring you in and talk to you and see if we can help out.†I ended up working with her for several years. We did a documentary deal and a few other things.
Do you think after working on that case it upped your reputation as an entertainment attorney in the business?
I think it was a combination. Working with her and that estate did open
up a lot of doors, but it was also just working with Londell. He had an incredible practice and he brought me to every meeting whether it was with a client or an executive. He let me get my hands dirty very early on so I sort of piggy backed off what he was doing and he was happy for me to do it. He put me out there and said soak up all this knowledge and go do your own thing. So I have to give big credit to him.
Have you noticed any changes in the industry from when you first started?
On the music side it’s just a lot less traditional deal flow. When I first joined the McMillan firm, it seemed like we were doing 1-2 record deals a month and that’s just a reflection of the number of artists getting signed. By the time I left there in December 2009 that wasn’t the case anymore and we were just doing a handful a year. Now, on the flip side entertainers are doing a whole bunch of other deals outside of their core area. So you take a great artist like Estelle. She’s not only doing music, but she’s appearing on Empire. She has a new scarf line. She has endorsement deals. So artists are doing all sorts of things now and moving beyond that core area.
Do you think social media has had any impact on the shift that’s occurring?
Yes, it raises more issues for us. It raises copyright issues when your clients are uploading photos or their music or a clip of their film. A lot of times they don’t own that work. The studio, or the network, or the record label owns that work so
you have to advise them on not doing those things or getting permission first. Even photographs they take from somewhere else and do something with it. Social media has just made things move 100 times faster than what it used to be. And when things move faster, that means we have to be able to advise much faster and be available more often. So that occasional weekend that I got off, I don’t get that weekend anymore.What advice do you have for recent graduates who are interested in entertainment law?
I would say first you have to familiarize yourself with these various technologies. Our clients are using these mediums to reach and touch their audience and anytime you have that sort of direct connection it’s a really good thing, but it’s also the opportunity for things to go wrong. Number two, before you become a good entertainment attorney, or tax attorney or real estate attorney, you need to first be a good attorney. So those skills of analysis and research, they are transferable between any area that you go into. So I would advise them to get good mentors and good training.
Who are some of your clients that you work with currently?
I work with Estelle. I represent Earl Sweatshirt. I represent a young man by the name of Vince Staples who’s with Def Jam. I also represent a number of legacy artists like the estate of Notorious B.I.G. I represent A Tribe Called Quest. But then I also represent brands like the Harlem Globetrotters and I work with H&M on a number of matters. So I kind of run the gamut. The majority of my clients are on the talent side, but I also work with a number of corporate entities and brands.
What sets you apart from other entertainment attorneys?
Number one, I don’t only focus on one area of entertainment. I’ve been trained in multiple areas. When Estelle created/released the single Conqueror, Fox came calling saying they were about to launch a new TV series Empire and wanted to use Estelle’s song but make it into a duet with Jussie Smollet. Estelle was understandably reluctant to “share†her  song in this manner since it was just released. Since I not only work in music but also TV/film, I was able to call folks over at Fox who I do business with and get a better sense of how the network was valuing the series and the type of dollars they were investing in it. After extensive discussions with contacts over at Fox, and learning of the incredible commitment they made in the series, I was able to advise Estelle as to why she should license her song and she ultimately made the final decision to go ahead. So when you come to me, you get a perspective over various areas of entertainment.
Also, I’m in there for the long haul. I’m there to help people build their careers. When your career is on top, I want you to continue to be there. But I started with folks when they were just pitching a demo and doing showcases. I stick with them through the ups and downs. I’m about helping people establish a career and setting up wealth for them and their families.