Attorney At Law (Part I)

In an effort to stay current with some of the legal issues surrounding the entertainment industry, I was able to catch up to and have a conversation with attorney Adrian D.Cranford, Esq.  Attorney Cranford has had the opportunity to work at a prestigious entertainment law firm here in the city of Detroit where cases were brought against DMX and Sean Puffy Combs. After a successful association with the Detroit Law firm, Attorney Cranford opened his own law firm. He has since negotiated film and television contracts, distribution, copyright, trademark, financing, and a wide range of music law transactions. In our conversation I was able to get some great insight on what to be aware of in the entertainment industry as I navigate through my own career.

I asked attorney Cranford what resources he would recommend for anyone to use to better equip themselves with business as well as legal information about the entertainment industry. He shared that he does not have a book that he recommends because there are so many books on the subject; however, he would recommend anyone serious about learning the music business to intern with an entertainment firm. I totally understand and agree with this approach. In most situations, experience can become your best teacher. Also, the skills you gain from an intern can give you qualifications that you can add to your resume and use to establish your career.

Another important question that I was able to ask attorney Cranford was how important the role of an attorney is to the success of an entertainment career? He explained that an attorney who understands the music business is very important because the attorney ensures that everyone on the team is under proper contract, which the attorney may have to enforce from time to time. In essence, he explained to me that an attorney is extremely important to an entertainment career. As I have talked about in the past the importance of understanding a contract before entering into one, an attorney can help make that process even smoother. 

Lastly, I asked attorney Cranford when in an entertainer’s career would he advise them to seek counsel from an attorney? He suggests that the attorney is the first person that needs to be added to the team because of all of the contracts that may have to be signed up front (booking agent, personal manager, accountant, etc.) This makes a lot of since. The attorney can really make a huge difference in how those other contracts come about and the quality of the contracts that have to be signed by each individual on the entertainer’s team.

It was great having the opportunity to be able to listen to attorney Cranford share his in-depth knowledge about the industry. He is definitely qualified in the area of entertainment law and the information he shared is very true. I plan to use what he shared in my own business practices and consult with him as well for his services. I would encourage you to check out his website. Again, it was truly a pleasure to interview attorney Adrian Cranford.