Law Offices of Troy Sutton
No Longer Accepting New Clients
Thank you all for a wonderful opportunity to help.
I am a transactional attorney providing legal services to individuals, families, small businesses, HOAs, corporations, and non-profit organizations. I enjoy helping clients anticipate and avoid legal problems in their contracts. I am experienced at finding practical solutions to complex legal issues in the most cost-effective manner.
My clients value my honesty, reliability, and integrity in providing them with clear, timely communication, and high-quality advice. I answer my clients legal and business questions with solid information so they can make well informed decisions.
Matters are handled on an hourly basis and all fees are reasonable.
Music Attorney
My practice specializes in the section of entertainment law focused the specific group of legal concepts, rules, statutes, regulations, case law, practices, and customs that control the rights and responsibilities of those involved in the creation, production, distribution, performance, licensing, and marketing of music.
Music law has evolved over the years in two main areas:
- Transactions: laws related to the contracts entered into in the music industry such as recording contracts, performance contracts, copyrights, licensing of songs, etc.
- Litigation: enforcement actions to enforce the rights established by the various contracts in the music business as well as rights of privacy and publicity, etc.
My focus is on music transactions, helping bands and individuals understand the nature of contracts they are entering and negotiating the best possible deals. I continue to draw on over twenty years practical experience as a working musician to help provide my clients with the best counsel possible.
Music contracts can be complex and it's important to have a music attorney on your side who understand the unique issues involved and can explain them to you in plain English. Musicians face a wide variety of contracts in the music industry on a daily basis. Some are formalized in writing, such as recording contracts, performance contracts, management deals, and music licensing agreements. However, many agreements that musicians enter are not formalized and can become the source of expensive lawsuits. Agreements such as band partnership agreements should be put into writing but often are not.
When musicians form a band, they are basically forming a partnership. A written partnership agreement can help avoid some of the very expensive disputes that typically come up once a band starts making money, such as:
- Who owns the name of the band?
- Who owns the songs?
- Who owns the equipment such as the P.A. system?
- Who pays for rehearsal space?
- How are other band expenses shared between the band members?
- How is money earned shared between the band members?
- Under what conditions may a member be fired?
- Who has the final say on general band issues?
If you have any questions about any contracts that you are considering please contact my office for a free initial consultation.
Contracts Lawyer - Facilitating Profitable Business Transactions
Although, many contracts are simple and straight forward, the more important agreements tend to be more complicated. No contract can anticipate every possibility; and those documents that try are unwieldy, unreasonably expensive, and rarely successful. I have extensive experience with unique cases that do not have a simple solution.
Drawing on a broad background of practical experience and legal training, I provide sound, objective advice in identifying potential problems, opportunities, and suggested strategies for moving forward.
I have experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and producing for final execution a wide range of transactional documents, including:
- music recording, publishing, licensing, and performance contracts;
- commercial real estate sales, leasing, and financing agreements;
- strategic partnerships;
- consulting services and non-disclosure agreements​;
- IP and technology licensing agreements;
- sourcing and supply agreements;
- real estate development agreements and construction contracts;
- shareholder transactions and corporate buyouts.
Real Estate
For both buyers and sellers, I have reviewed, revised, and produced for execution final documents related to all phases of complex real estate transactions both commercial and residential, including complex title correction issues, multipart loan transactions, and a variety of purchase and sale agreements, leases and subleases.
Labor & Employment Law
I counsel clients with respect to developing policies and practices to prevent employment discrimination and harassment, and ensure compliance with workers' compensation laws and OSHA related preventive practices.
I review, revise, and produce for final execution standard form contracts with language to comply with government regulations such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Davis Bacon Act, Walsh-Healey Act, Service Contract Act and other federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations.
Litigation
Cases rarely end happy when a dispute ends up in court. Litigation can be exorbitantly expensive and the emotional price is equally damaging. I am not a litigator. However, I do have courtroom experience at the trial level in both small neighbor disputes and large multi-million dollar complex, multi-party cases. I have also successfully settled a variety of disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes like mediation and arbitration.
I prefer to work diligently with clients early in the formation of business relationships to eliminate contractual misunderstandings before they happen. When disputes do arise, I help my clients with a realistic overview of both sides of the dispute, an estimate of the cost of moving forward, and the likely outcome.