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Home > News & Events > CLA Today Archive > Winter 2006 : Star Counsel

Star Counsel

by Joel Hoekstra

If you long to be a celebrity in American theater, music or movies, most experts would probably recommend that you head to New York, Los Angeles or Nashville as soon as possible. But if you want to make a name for yourself in entertainment law, consider the advice of Kenneth Abdo, an entertainment lawyer with the Minneapolis-based firm Abdo, Abdo, Broady & Satorius.

"Talent tends to move toward the coasts, but it doesn't necessarily develop on the coasts. It often comes from the Midwest," he says. "So if you're interested in connecting with young artists before their careers take off and helping them take things to the next level, this is a great place to practice entertainment law."

That's the philosophy that has propelled Abdo's career. A Minneapolis native with a B.A. in political science from the U and a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, he has built his name in entertainment law by representing homegrown talents turned celebrities—folks like radio host Garrison Keillor and rocker Jonny Lang. Over the years, his firm's roster of locally groomed musical artists has included such proven crowd-pleasers as the bands Semisonic and the Replacements, and such up-and-coming solo performers as Shannon Curfman, Keri Noble, and Michele Branch. As the careers of such musicians have gotten off the ground, Abdo's practice has broadened: He now spends considerable time on both coasts, and his clients no longer come just from the Midwest.

"I travel a lot," Abdo says. "And I’m just as likely to be spending time in a bar listening to music at two in the morning as I am to be talking with corporate types in the board room at two in the afternoon."

Abdo clearly relishes both parts of his job. He has honed his skills in the specialized niche of entertainment law—a field that centers on transactional matters, often pertaining to recording, publishing, touring, merchandising and licensing. He's also chair of the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, and he has published numerous articles on the legal matters related to entertainment.

But rock is his first love. He started playing drums when he was nine, and still jams with his three teenage children. (He recently relinquished his position in the family band, "The Abdomen," handing his drumsticks and song-writing duties on to his teenage daughter.) His affinity for music, composition, and playing give him insight into the particular needs of his clients—a perspective that a run-of-the-mill attorney might not have, he says: "I look at their work and it's not a widget to me. It's art and property. It's something they've created and need to protect. It can finance and further their careers."

Despite his proximity to the spotlight, Abdo says he has no ambitions to appear onstage with any of his clients. He once jammed casually with Jonny Lang, he admits—an experience he describes as "humbling." He quickly adds: "It was an affirmation that I've chosen the right vocational path. I wasn't meant to be a professional musician. I was meant to be a lawyer."