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From contracts to copyrights and almost everything in between, no matter your goals, issues, or level of success, I'll help you to learn your options, own your success, and know you're protected.

NASHVILLe ENTERTAINMENT lawyer & music attorney helping Nashville area entertainers and creators of music, film, television, live entertainment, and digital media

You want to be successful and protected in your entertainment or music career and business activities, and your personal life.

Career or Industry Uncertainty or Confusion

Bad Deals or Contract Disputes

Loss of Creative or Career Control

Missed or Too Few Opportunities

Threats or Risks of Financial Loss

Whether you're an entertainer or creator who's pursuing or maintaining success in the music or entertainment industries, you can't afford to worry about or deal with

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Hire an affordable entertainment attorney or music lawyer who understands and wants to help you.

Learn Your Options

You get expert legal advice from me on all your music or entertainment related concerns so that you understand your options and any issues or risks to having success and protecting yourself.

You choose how we'll work together on your music or entertainment issues and how much risk you're willing to take in pursuing your goals to maximize your chances of success.

Own Your Success

You will eliminate your fears and worries so you can focus on more important things and what matters most to you because I'll be proactive and always looking out for you.

Know You're Protected

As the managing entertainment and music attorney and founder of my firm, I help to create success and protect performers and creators of music, movies, television, digital media, and live entertainment. If you're my client, I promise that you will

Zach Scott Gainous is the founder of The Fruitful Firm and regarded as one of the top-rated music lawyers and best entertainment attorneys.

Zach has nearly 20 years of various combined experience working in the music and entertainment industries in both the creative and business sides. Zach is a trusted advisor and tireless advocate who regularly helps and represents entertainers, performers, celebrities, creators, and entrepreneurs involved in music, motion pictures, TV, digital media, and live entertainment.

Zach founded entertainment and music law firm The Fruitful Firm to help entertainment and music clients like you who need advice and representation so that you'll understand your options, have the best chances of success, and know you're protected.

MEET entertainment & music lawyer ZACH scott gainous

Zach Scott Gainous, Entertainment & Music Attorney

Zach HELps to create success and prevent and solve problems for Entertainment & Music Clients

The music and entertainment industries are rapidly changing, complex, and can be a confusing to navigate without a guide to help you. Whether you want to ensure your creative freedom or control over your career, maximize your career opportunities or earnings, ensure you're paid for your work and creations, or protect your copyrights, trademarks, privacy, reputation, property, or family, Zach can be your guide to help you to achieve success on your own terms and ensure that you have peace of mind. Zach helps entertainment, movie, TV, and music industry clients with many issues, including

  • entertainment, music, film, and TV contracts, including advising and representing clients during negotiations, disputes, or lawsuits involving recording contracts, record label or 360 deals, songwriter, music publishing, co-publishing, or pub admin agreements, record producer and music mixer agreements, NFT and non-fungible token contracts, featured talent, actor, film or television appearance contracts, live appearance, concert and touring agreements, movie and TV director, producer, script or screenwriter agreements, artist manager or talent management deals, booking agent or talent agency contracts, team member or employment agreements, development, production, and distribution deals, and more,

  • 
copyright, trademark, trade secret and intellectual property issues, including protection and registration, IP audits, take-down notices, termination of assignments and copyright recaptures, infringement disputes or litigation, and more,

  • entertainment or related business and financial issues, including overseeing or assisting with entertainment or music royalty audits or disputes, deals involving music or sync licensing for film and TV, music sampling, licensing or sales of masters or sound recordings, sales of music publishing or song catalogs, merchandise or apparel royalties or sales audits or issues, etc.,

  • entertainment, music, movie, or TV industry or career advice or issues, including planning or discussion of career or business goals, needed finances, vetting or introduction to potential team members or employees, performing due diligence on career or business opportunities, etc.,

  • advising and representing entertainment clients with media related issues including reputation or defamation, publicity rights or name, image, or likeness concerns, claims, or protections, etc.

  • protecting our entertainment client's privacy, assets, property, or family, including advising and representing on their estate planning, real estate, or family law concerns, issues, and more.

Ready to hire a top music attorney or entertainment lawyer?
Here's how you become a client.

1. Tell Zach What You're Looking For

Tell Zach about yourself and when you would like to have you free initial consultation.

2. Attend Your Free Consultation

Attend your free consultation with Zach and discuss your music or entertainment goals, concerns, and issues.

3. Sign Your Fee Agreement

Sign your fee agreement to learn your options, own your  success, and know you're protected.

"Zach showed empathy and compassion when addressing my needs. He listened to my concerns, answered all of my questions and developed a plan for every possible scenario that could come up. He was prepared and professional, kind and considerate. Zach was with me every step of the way. I would highly recommend Zach. Thank you so much, Zach!"

"So thankful to have found Zach Gainous to guide me through my first intellectual property contract. He was highly knowledgeable, great to work with, and made legal points easy to understand. Zach made important adjustments, gave every point more clarity, and ultimately produced a stronger contract. I have another project in the works...and will definitely be calling him again!"

"Zach was a huge help on this contract. His knowledge was insightful and answered many questions I had about the negotiations. His responses were friendly, prompt, and he immediately got back in touch when a new question arose. I would highly recommend Zach and I will certainly use him again as an attorney on any legal issue I had."

What Zach's Entertainment & Music Clients Say...

You might still be wondering...

As the managing entertainment and music lawyer of a boutique law firm, my fees are based on the value I bring and the time we spend working for you. You'll pay either a minimum flat fee or an hourly fee, or a small percentage of the money you earn as a result of the work I do for you on your music or entertainment related issues. I try to charge flat fees for as many things as possible to be transparent about pricing and provide a greater value to you. When I can't do flat fees, I charge an hourly fee of $265.00 per hour. Flat fees and hourly rates for entertainment and music legal services start at a minimum of one billable hour per month. Specific pricing and costs will be provided after your initial free consultation with me.

In addition, I charge you for any necessary travel and hotel costs if I or my firm's staff need to travel to serve you. Other costs to consider could include court costs, filing fees, and any other outside expenses charged by others to me or my firm on your behalf. I will get prior approval from you for these costs when possible and try to inform you of them as early as possible.

How much does it cost to hire you to be my music or entertainment attorney?

We understand the financial struggles of creators and entertainers who are just starting out or having difficulties. We attempt to keep our prices and attorney's fees as affordable as possible while still being compensated fairly.

If you can't afford the minimum flat or hourly fees, we offer payment plans when possible. In addition, a lot of our entertainment and music clients have their legal fees paid for or reimbursed by the label, publisher, etc., that the client's negotiating with as an additional part of their signing advance. Finally, we will in rare occasions take clients on a contingency fee basis, taking instead a small percentage of your earnings from any of your career or business deals or activities we help you with until you can afford to pay the larger amount owed.

Payment modifications for music and entertainment law clients are assessed on a case by case basis and we'd be happy to discuss options with you if needed.

What if I can't afford to pay for a music or entertainment lawyer?

You might think that you can save money by doing some things yourself instead of hiring a music lawyer or entertainment attorney. Hiring Zach or his firm gives you the knowledge and confidence that you're getting the best expert advice and representation you can from an experienced music and entertainment lawyer, as well as the firm's resources and connections. In addition, the firm carries insurance for your protection.

If you were to try to handle things yourself, you risk not recognizing costly issues or missing out on opportunities to maximize your music or entertainment earnings potential. In addition, you risk paying much more later on to hire our firm to attempt to correct any errors. It is significantly more affordable to hire us early on than to do it yourself and risk needing to hire us later.

Is this something I can do myself instead of hiring an entertainment or music attorney?

You might think that you need to hire a large entertainment or music law firm to have the best chances for success and protection. After all, bigger is surely better right? The reality is that larger firms will not likely provide you with the best value and are rarely necessary. Not only are larger firms likely to be more expensive and rigid in how much they charge you, but you'll probably notice that they'll be less efficient. Large firms tend to have multiple music or entertainment lawyers unnecessarily doing the same work and aren't as quick to adopt the latest, most efficient technologies, increasing your costs. In addition, in our experience listening to former clients of larger firms, you'll likely be unable to get in touch with your music or entertainment attorney as often and quickly as you want and will ultimately feel like you are just another name or number on their client list.

We're a boutique law firm that is selective about who we work with and the number of music and entertainment clients we take on. While we might be smaller, we do this so that we can give you the personal attention you need, be available when needed, provide custom solutions and prices so that you can afford our services, and provide maximum value to you. In the rare event that you need the resources of a larger firm, Zach has relationships with many other firms that we can partner with to supplement his music or entertainment legal services.

Why should I hire you instead of a larger music or entertainment law firm?

While some music and entertainment attorneys might, Zach does not pitch, shop, or plug unsolicited songs or music, scripts, books, screenplays, or any other creative works to his current or former clients, or to any outside publishers, labels, studios, producers, artists, entertainers, etc. Zach helps music and entertainment clients who already have interest or past success in their industries. If you have interest, offers, or past success, he'd be happy to help you.

Can I send you my music, script, or other creative project to have you shop, pitch, or plug me or my work to publishers, labels, studios, etc.?

While this is not a typical arrangement, it is possible. To do so however requires certain conditions to protect you, Zach, and the firm, including a written conflict of interest waiver.

Zach is very selective about who he accepts as music or entertainment clients, especially when clients want to have dual representation by him and the firm. Often, because clients don't have an immediate need for both a manager and a music or entertainment lawyer, Zach will start out as one or the other, most often starting out as a client's attorney. Zach will always discuss with you the possibility and any risks of The Fruitful Firm acting as both your legal counsel and your personal manager if you're interested.

Can I hire you to be both my entertainment attorney or music lawyer and my personal or artist manager at the same time?

While Zach helps entertainers, creators, and entrepreneurs with their music or entertainment careers, businesses, and select personal matters, Zach does not handle criminal legal matters for music and entertainment clients who are accused of a crime. Zach will gladly refer clients who need a criminal defense lawyer to another firm or criminal defense attorney when necessary. Zach will coordinate with his client's outside criminal defense lawyers and assist clients to the extent necessary if their potential criminal exposure also impacts their entertainment or music career or businesses.

Do you handle criminal problems for your music and entertainment clients?

Zach named his music and entertainment law firm The Fruitful Firm because "fruitful" is the perfect description of the kind of relationship Zach strives to have with his music and entertainment legal clients, and hopefully clients have with Zach and the firm: an abundantly productive, beneficial, or profitable relationship that produces good results.

Why is the firm named The Fruitful Firm?

Want to Learn More?

If you want more information on how we can help you to create success and know you're protected in the music or entertainment industries, click the links below to learn more about how we can help you.

Music Artist Management

Personal Management for Film, Television, & Live Entertainers

Sports Management for Pro Athletes

Personal & Career Talent Management for Entertainers & Athletes

Music & Entertainment Law

Sports Law

Intellectual Property

  • Copyrights

  • Trademarks

  • Trade Secrets

Name, Image, Likeness, & Publicity Rights

Business & Corporate Law

  • Contracts & Agreements

  • LLCs, Partnerships, Corporate & Business Entities

Websites Domain Names, Cybersquatting, & Social Media

Estate Planning & Probate

  • Wills & Trusts

  • Probate

Food & Beverage Law

Fashion Law

Media Law

Defamation, Libel, Slander, & First Amendment Law

Real Estate Law

  • Commercial Real Estate

  • Residential Real Estate

  • Landlord-Tenant

Family & Divorce Law

  • Prenuptial Agreements

  • Postnuptial Agreements

  • Uncontested Divorces

  • Annulments

  • Separation Agreements

Legal Practice Areas & Services

Music Artists & Bands

Songwriters, Music Composers, Lyricists

Record Producers

Actors & Actresses

Filmmakers, Motion Picture, & TV Directors & Producers

Stand-Up Comics & Comedians

Authors & Writers

Pro Wrestlers & "Sports Entertainers"
Reality TV Stars

Celebrity Chefs & Restaurateurs

Animators, Cartoonists & Graphic Novelists

Music, Film, Television, & Live Entertainment

Current Professional NFL, NHL, NBA, & MLB Athletes

Current NCAA College Athletes

Former Pro & Collegiate Athletes

Sports Broadcasters, Hosts, Reporters, Podcasters, & Analysts

Current & Former Professional Wrestlers / "Sports Entertainers"

Sports & Athletics

Authors & Writers

Animators, Cartoonists, & Graphic Novelists

Reality TV Stars, Television Personalities, & Hosts

Journalists & Reporters, News Personalities & Anchors

Sports Reporters, Sports Broadcasters, Play-by-Play Announcers, Color Commentators & Sideline Reporters

Television Meteorologists

Podcasters & Podcast Hosts

Literary, Media, News, & Digital Content

Chefs & Restaurateurs

Brewers & Distillers

Celebrity Chefs & Restaurateurs

Food & Beverage

Fashion or Fitness Models

Fashion Designers

Fashion

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