QUICK LINKS: Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Photo

Friday, October 18, 2019
The Loft at Center Stage
$30,650 in total fundraising

Winner: The Tear Ones of King & Spalding rocking for the Georgia Justice Project
Judges’ Choice Award: 120 East

The Inaugural Law Rocks Atlanta was a epic night, with six incredible bands battling it out for their favorite local nonprofits. Law Rocks wouldn't exist without the support of all the bands and firms - major thanks to every participating band! Thanks also to the team at The Loft, the emcee and Rock Panel of Judges, and our nonprofit guests. None of this would be possible without our sponsors, making the show possible - thank you to King & Spalding; Eversheds Sutherland; Contour Engineering; Quirk & Quirk, LLC; United Consulting; and Secretariat. Thanks for everything, Atlanta! See you in 2020!

Featured

120 East

Featuring legal talent from Axiom Law
Rocking for Little Kids Rock - Cobb County School District

120 East was formed about 2010 when 2 friends John Drummond and Dennis Doherty met at John’s house to jam and play some music. After several jams, John, who played drums, and Dennis, who played guitar, decided that they were going to try to put together a band of musicians in their hometown, Marietta, GA. The band would consist of friends and acquaintances in the area with similar musical interests. In the interim, John had joined Dennis in an attorney band, Class Action, which Dennis had formed with attorneys from his then law firm, Smith, Gambrell & Russell. Class Action played at LawJam (the precursor to Law Rocks) Battle of the Band events and law firm events over the years but disbanded several years ago. Meanwhile, John and Dennis had moved forward with their Marietta band concept and had added Bill Brannen, a guitarist and vocalist. They chose the name 120 East (because of a local highway and a lack of imagination?) and brought together 7 other musicians to form 120 East. Given their love of Chicago and other brass rock and R&B bands they added a brass section, i.e. a sax, trombone and trumpet, to include those styles of music in their set lists. 120 East now plays at approximately 15 to 20+ weddings, reunions, birthdays, club parties, food truck and other municipal and private events a year and loves every minute of it. 120 East has also played at LawJam Battle of the Band events at the Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA and Justice Jam events at the Strand in Marietta, GA.

As one might expect with musicians and rock bands, there have been numerous personnel changes over the years. We calculated that we have had 60+ musicians come through 120 East. John moved to Florida and formed a band named the Baybridge Band which plays the same style of music as 120 East. In fact, Dennis and Bill have played/subbed in with the Baybridge Band several times in Florida. Currently, 120 East still has two of its inaugural members, Bill Brannen and Dennis Doherty, and the remaining line-up is as follows: Kayla Taylor (lead vocals and harmonies); Brandon Guest (lead vocals and harmonies); Tom Georges (keyboards and sound); Ross Olhausen (bass and sound); Mark Vaughn (drums); Herbie Dorfzaun (sax/flute); John McKevitt (trombones); Stephanie Tuck, our latest addition, (trumpets) and last but not least Bill Brannen (rhythm guitar/percussion/harmonica/lead vocals and harmonies) and Dennis Doherty (lead and rhythm guitars/lead vocals and harmonies). 120 East is always ready to entertain and is very honored to have been picked to participate in this wonderful inaugural charity event for Law Rocks.

Along for the Ride

Featuring legal talent from Hitch Law LLC, Quirk & Quirk LLC
Rocking for Smasherson, Inc.

Atlanta band Along for the Ride brings a fiery set of jam-oriented Americana to the stage. AFTR is fronted by lead singers Patrick Webb and Scott Hitch, and features lead guitarist AC Johnson, and the always-chooglin’ rhythm section Brendan Parnell (bass) and Craig Savage (drums).

On any random night of the week, AFTR will conjure an ever-evolving web of choice jams channeling the Dead, ‘Panic, and ABB. After they’re good ‘n loose, they’ll fire off some rounds of Grade-A Straight-Ahead All-American Rocknroll through an old rusty shotgun handed down from their renegade country forefathers.

Along for the Ride has been rollin’ down the road for more than ten good solid years now, regularly gigging throughout the metro Atlanta area and into the beyond.

Eleventh Circuit Seven

Featuring legal talent from Eversheds Sutherland
Rocking for Communities in Schools of Georgia

Random Baldwin

Featuring legal talent from Drew, Eckl & Farnham; Perry & Walters; The Rhine Law Firm
Rocking for Atlanta Community Food Bank

Five-piece rock band.

Too Many Peachtree Streets

Featuring legal talent from Copeland Stair Kingma & Lovell, LLP
Rocking for Bronco's Benevolent Foundation

Too Many Peachtree Streets is a band full of a fusion of influences, fronted by Copeland Stair Kingma & Lovell partner Mark Lefkow. The band performs originals mixed in with carefully selected covers around Roswell and Marietta a few times a month. They released an album on all major platforms of original music in 2018, an album which they called number 72 (since there are 71 Peachtree Streets in Atlanta). They are presently recording an EP of some more original tunes. The band combines their lawyer with a drummer from Ivory Coast, a rock/funk bassist, and a jam guitar soloist. The other band members appearing are guitarist Casey Higgins, bassist and harmonist Christian Caden, and drummer Yakou N’Guessan. The band prides itself on standing by a basic song structure, but leaving sufficient jam space so they are not repeating the same version of the same song every time they play it.

The Tear Ones

Featuring legal talent from King & Spalding LLP
Rocking for Georgia Justice Project

Featured

2019

Host - Julie Smith

Julie Smith is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter, event host, and voice over artist.

She has hosted talk shows in Louisville, KY on The CW Network and here in Atlanta, GA with CBS46. She has hosted numerous celebrity red carpets including at the Kentucky Derby which draws crowds of over 150,000 each year. Julie has interviewed celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Robin Meade, Megyn Kelly, Ice T and Coco, Josh Groban, Nick and Vanessa Lachey, and more.

Rock Judge - John Seay

John Seay is the founder and principal of The Seay Firm, an entertainment law firm in Atlanta. John has over a decade of experience as a musician, tour manager, and music writer. John spent four years as Of Counsel in the entertainment practice group in the Nashville office of Loeb & Loeb. Before founding The Seay Firm, John worked for Turner Broadcasting. He is a Chair of the State Bar of Georgia Entertainment & Sports Law Section and is a member of the Recording Academy. From 2016 through 2019, John was recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star in Entertainment & Sports Law, a designation only awarded to 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia. In 2016 and 2018, Georgia Trend Magazine named him a Legal Elite in Entertainment Law. John is on the Board of Directors of #weloveatl and serves as a volunteer attorney at Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served as Executive Articles Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and President of The Sports & Entertainment Law Society.
Twitter and Instagram: @TheSeayFirmLLC

Rock Judge - Vince Phillips

Vincent Phillips is a native of Atlanta and regarded as one of Atlanta’s most accomplished and sought-after music executives in today's entertainment and television industry. As, a business strategist, consultant, visionary, and an attorney, Vince has represented some of America’s prolific culture icons and game changers. As a founder and owner of BME Recordings with co-owner and flagship artist, Lil Jon, Vince is equipped to negotiate multi- million dollar deals in the U.S., and around the world.

After his success with BME Recordings, Vince clientele spawned in music, film, and television. His current roster boasts today’s influencers, trendsetter, and statement makers.

Phillips is currently releasing new recording artists and branching into film/television Representing scripted and reality TV stars, production companies.

Phillips currently resides in Atlanta, GA where he lives with his two children. He graduated from Georgia State University and John Marshall School of Law. He’s a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, the Georgia State Bar Association and BESLA (Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Associations).

Twitter @vincephillips

Instagram @vincephillipsesq

Rock Judge - Uwonda Carter Scott

Uwonda Carter Scott is a transactional attorney that advises clients on both business and entertainment matters and focuses on securing and negotiating recording and other music-related agreements, television and film agreements, contracts for licensing, sponsorship and endorsement opportunities and book publishing. Uwonda’s roster currently includes several recording artists, Grammy-award winning music producers and songwriters, television personalities, television production companies, comedians, authors, fashion companies and entertainment industry executives.

Uwonda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University in 1993 and subsequently earned a Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law in 1997 and she is a member of both the State Bar of Georgia and the State Bar of New York.

In 2017 Uwonda was awarded BESLA’s Entertainment Lawyer of the Year Award and in 2011 she was honored by ASCAP for its “Women Behind the Music” series and has been featured in several periodicals including Rolling Out Magazine, Billboard Magazine, The Atlanta Tribune and Playback Magazine. She was a founding member and former vice president of the Black Women in Entertainment Law Foundation; a member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Association; NARAS (The Recording Academy) and the Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia, where she served as the Entertainment Vice-Chair for six years. Uwonda is also a frequent speaker at many conferences and seminars, across the country and abroad, discussing topics related to business development and entertainment and media industries at various schools, charitable, entertainment and professional organizations.

Rock Judge - Heather Beverly

Heather M. Beverly, a native from Minneapolis, Minnesota, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1993. After college, she went on to law school at Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago, Illinois where she earned her J.D. in just 2 ½ years in 1995. Heather began her legal career as an Associate with Donald Hubert & Associates where she practiced in the areas of high profile, complex civil and criminal litigation and ethics work. Heather established her boutique entertainment law practice in Chicago, Illinois in 1998.

In 2018, the Law Office of Heather Beverly, PC celebrated its 20th year of service. With an ever-growing and impressive roster of clients and significant dealmaking, its principal, Heather is recognized for being a powerbroker who consistently provides quality, aggressive representation of her clients. Heather’s goal for her practice is to exceed the expectations of her clients by providing them the highest level of service.

Heather represents a variety of clientele including entertainment companies, entertainment executives, entrepreneurs, comedians, television personalities, television production companies, screenplay writers and Gold, Platinum and award-winning artists, producers and entertainers.

Her clients include some of the industries top pop and urban songwriters and producers such as Maejor, Monsters and Strangerz, D.A. Doman, Xplicit, Frecklesthewriter, etc. who have created hit songs for artists such as: Zedd (#1 song “The Middle”), Justin Beiber, Meghan Trainor, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Maroon 5, Tyga (#1 hit “Taste”), Kodak Black (“ZeZe”), Jason Derulo, Pitbull, 5 Seconds of Summer, Nelly, Rita Ora, Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rhianna, Flo Rida, Ne-Yo, Selena Gomez, Trey Songz, Demi Lavato, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Nikki Minaj, Kid Ink, R. Kelly, Ciara, Akon, Janet Jackson, Tank, 5th Harmony, Diddy and more!

Heather served on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy (Grammys) for eight years, frequently speaks on entertainment industry related panels, podcasts and television shows and has been featured in various publications and is an inaugural board member of the Black Women in Entertainment Law foundation.

Along with husband Anthony Beverly (drummer/producer), Heather formed Brantera Music Group, Inc. in 2009. Honoring Anthony’s legendary father, their debut project, an “All-Star Tribute to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly” features A-List artists performing Maze’s hits such as Mary J. Blige, Musiq Soulchild, Kem, Ledisi and Raheem DeVaughn.

Heather, along with her dynamic colleague and friend Tabetha Plummer, Esq. are finalizing their first book in a series which will educate readers on the key things they need to know about the business of the music industry.

IG/FB/TWITTER: @HBEVERLYLAW

Website: www.hbeverlylaw.com

You can view all the photos by Em Pearson Photography here.

QUICK LINKS: Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Photo

Inaugural Law Rocks Atlanta (2019)

THE BANDS

THE NONPROFITS

ROCK PANEL OF JUDGES

PHOTOS

You can view all the photos by Em Pearson Photography here.

Support the 2020 Law Rocks World Tour! Donate now!

THE BANDS

THE NONPROFITS

ROCK PANEL OF JUDGES

PHOTOS

You can view all the photos by Em Pearson Photography here.

Support the 2020 Law Rocks World Tour! Donate now!﻿

Support the 2020 Law Rocks World Tour! Donate now!