I am an attorney in Austin, Texas, practicing music law and intellectual property litigation at Reed & Scardino, an intellectual property boutique firm.  My path to my current position has been winding but rewarding, and my career combines two equally important pursuits in my life: the gift of gab and music.

At the beginning of my freshmen year in high school, I started two activities that would eventually shape my life.  I joined my school’s debate team, and I started playing the guitar.  My debate path took off immediately and has stuck with me for decades.  After winning a state championship as a high school debater, I debated (quite unsuccessfully) in college.  I then taught and coached for six years at a high school in Austin, where I was fortunate enough to coach multiple state finalists and a state champion public speaker.  I left teaching (and Austin) to attend Georgetown Law in Washington, DC, where I lived for four years before moving back to Austin to work at Reed & Scardino.

Compared to my careers revolving around persuading others, my music ability was slow but steady.  It took five years for me to be able to play a single song on an acoustic guitar, and another five years before I could sing and play at the same time.  In the meantime, I attended hundreds of shows and bought thousands of records.  I am a geek about all things music: guitars, records, labels, bands, production, vintage recording equipment, and the industry itself.  And I am fortunate to find myself in a career where I can combine my gift of gab and my love of music as an attorney in the music industry.  This blog is a combination of those worlds with one goal in mind: to make music law understandable and accessible for everyone.