The occupation of attorney may seem dull to some people. Surely it’s not all major trials and yelling, “Objection” like in the movies or on TV. It’s tons of research, phone calls, and dealing with a plethora of Latin terms. But there are many different types of law, some more exciting than others. Entertainers need specialized lawyers. Attorneys who represent show business personalities have some fun stories to tell.
Meet John Branca
A longtime entertainment attorney, John Branca has worked for some of the biggest names in the music industry. As such, he has had many encounters with celebrity musicians behind the scenes. These looks at the person behind the persona are often hilarious.
The Brian Wilson Story
As a young man in his mid-20s, John Branca Harvard took on his first client, the legendary group, The Beach Boys.
He tells the story of a board meeting he had with the band. Steve Love, brother of lead singer Mike Love, was the group’s manager. The meeting involved reviewing his contract. Mike Love and Al Jardine merely wanted to go over the contract, but Carl and Dennis Wilson both wanted to fire Steve Love. The vote was deadlocked. The fifth member of the group, Brian Wilson would have to break the tie, but he was sleeping, his head lying on the table. So John Branca Havard said, “Brian if you want to keep Steve, knock once. If you want to fire him, knock twice”. Wilson responded by knocking three times. Only in entertainment law.
Catalog Negotiations
For as long as records have been made, musicians have had to fight to retain the rights to their catalogs of recordings. This is one of the primary functions of a music attorney. John Branca Harvard is a veteran of these wars. In addition to aiding The Beach Boys in obtaining their catalog rights, he did the same for other famous artists. Branca was the key figure in putting together the deal that resulted in the Bee Gees securing the rights to their entire catalog of master recordings. Perhaps his most famous negotiation was the work he did for Michael Jackson in retaining the rights to his recordings.
The life of an attorney may seem like it would be dull. But some types of law are filled with excitement, fun, and a little glamor. Entertainment attornies can work for big-name clients and have an impact on the industry.