Making the transition from a casual garage band with your buddies to an ambitious professional touring band with complex relationships and commitments can be extremely daunting and difficult, as success and 
recognition can happen literally over-night. In these instances, it is prudent to enlist the services of a quality music lawyer in Toronto to navigate the myriad of legal issues and contractual obligations that arise when bands and musicians become a viable business entity.
Among the many reasons music artists and groups need the guidance and representation of a qualified entertainment attorney include:
- structuring band agreements
- signing a competent manager
- dealing with record companies and labels
- intellectual property rights
- copyright and trademark issues
- music publishing, licensing and distribution concerns
- production agreements
- performance contracts
- representation
- matters of business law
A Toronto entertainment lawyer can assemble a fair band agreement, which will be used to decide things like earnings percentages, future earnings, what happens in case of termination, which members might have more say when it comes to making decisions, band naming rights, and more. Essentially, what a band agreement does is put the exact groundwork into place that will serve as a road map to the decision-making process. Coming to an agreement like this can be time consuming and strenuous, which is why a musicians lawyer is a necessity.
With such an agreement in place, recruiting a manager is the next logical step, and that’s also an area where a lawyer is absolutely vital. How many horror stories are floating out there about the horribly mismanaged career of a once-relevant artist, or the band who got ripped off by a greedy manager? The simple task of hiring an attorney to go over the agreement and outline the responsibilities and expectations of the band manager can save a lot of pain, frustration and exploitation down the road.
Artistry comes in many forms, including song writing, because someone needs to come up with all the great material before it can be recorded. For professional freelance songwriters, the assistance of a music lawyer to negotiate and enforce a publishing deal to ensure they get the most they possibly can from their creations is incredibly important.
Deals that involve song publishing and music licensing tend to be lengthy and difficult to understand without the commensurate experience. No respected artists want their creative works to be unfairly exploited or misrepresented without express consent and compensation, so getting a highly trained Toronto music entertainment attorney to protect intellectual property rights is a smart move.
Disagreements are bound to happen in an industry as competitive and potentially volatile as the music industry. This is why finding a practicing music lawyer based in Toronto who is familiar with the local music business scene is so important. Contract disputes, even small ones that may seem relatively minor can turn out to be a much bigger issue than initially thought, are the most common reason why a Toronto musician attorney is necessary for artists in the 416 – 905 area.
A quality Toronto music lawyer will be someone who engages in the process for their client, represents their clientele faithfully and ensures the best contracts possible at all times. For newer and inexperienced bands out there, many do not even realize how important having an astute music attorney and legal counsel overseeing all musician agreements and contracts can be, to protect their business interests in an industry rife with unscrupulous and manipulative bullies and con artists.
Toronto Music Entertainment Lawyer Information
In Toronto Ontario Canada, there is generally a distinction between the terms barrister and solicitor, however both legal professionals will provide clients legal advice and opinions, and assist with negotiating, arbitrating and resolving legal disputes.
A barrister is generally regarded as a litigator that represents clients in court, in matters of litigation. A litigation lawyer’s duties include court procedure, mediation, arbitration and representation before tribunals. Other legal functions would require a barrister to draft pleadings, attend examinations for discovery, hearings preparation and advocating on a client’s behalf. Barristers specialize in representing clients in court once legal proceedings have been initiated.
A solicitor generally does not attend court and, as a business lawyer would assist clients with other legal matters such as contracts, intellectual property, real estate transactions, and incorporation. Solicitors specialize in structuring contracts for litigation avoidance and prevention.
Other legal areas that a Toronto music entertainment lawyer could provide legal advice and expertise include business law, copyright law, corporate law, criminal law, employment law, entertainment law, estate law, family law, immigration law, insurance law, patent law, personal injury law, real estate law, tax law, trust law, and worker’s compensation.