028: Jonathan Mason of Atlanta Show Biz Law discusses life as an Entertainment Lawyer

What makes a Lawpreneur? Listen as Jonathan Mason, of Atlanta ShowBizLaw.com,  shares what inspired him to hang out his shingle  as an entertainment lawyer in Atlanta GA – “The Hollywood of the South” and his advice to you on how to get started.

Jonathan Mason, Attorney, Professor, Actor, and Photographer was born and raised in a very small town in Maryland surrounded by farm animals and tobacco fields. He spent summers working in those tobacco fields to raise money for school clothes and other expenses. Jonathan attended Howard University, Stanford, and Georgetown Law, and now has his own firm and has served as a professor of Entertainment Law at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Mason Law Group is Atlanta’s premier “show business” law firm. Jonathan founded the firm specifically to serve the needs of creative individuals and companies in the music, television, film, theater, dance, art, and publishing industries. Jonathan’s practice also includes entertainment-related litigation, including royalty and commission disputes, copyright infringement, and trademark infringement matters. Even as a lawyer, he never lost my love for media. He created and Hosted “Knowledge Booth” on WWWE 1100 AM Atlanta, contributed to “Laying Down The Law” on Germantown Radio in PA. Jonathan appeared in film and TV productions on the on the big screen, The Oprah Winfrey Network, ABC Family Channel, and Lifetime. He was one of 50 “good guys” from across the country hand-picked to appear on Oprah’s Best Places to Find Single Men over 35.

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Fail fast to succeed faster

• When Jonathan left Big Law he wanted to own his own record label.  One of his early client wanted a choir of back-up singers which turned out to be expensive!  Sadly, his studio was robbed and he lost all his equipment and the musical track they had laid.  It was too much – and he decided to turn his focus back to law.

Tell us something good

• One of Jonathan’s song-writer clients wrote a song that was perfect for the Fast and Furious movies.  Jonathan was able to get the song to the right people, and it made it in the movie.  Seeing his client’s name in the credits of the movie was a victory.

What’s on your desk?

• Jonathan’s practice has followed the Atlanta scene’s shift from music to TV and films.

Favorite Resource

• Phone.com
• Favorite Books: HollyoodReporter.com/esq

Favorite Quote of the Show in a One Minute Clip

Thanks for Listening

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Miranda McCroskey – host of Lawpreneur Radio

Jonathan Mason found me on RadioGuestList.com: Get Radio Interview Guests Free at RadioGuestList.com