Carron Mitchell on Connecting Passion With Profession and Her Quest to Transform Careers as an Entertainment Lawyer

Your favorite artist just finished a full day of recording. After listening to the same instrumental on replay for hours, writing and rewriting endless stanzas of song lyrics, and carving-out addictive melodies that promise to hypnotize listeners, it may seem as though the work is finally finished. But for those operating behind the scenes, the real fun is actually about to start. This liminal space is where entertainment lawyer, Carron Mitchell, truly thrives. As a Veteran law practitioner who specializes in everything from recording contracts to licensing agreements to artist negotiations, Carron has made a career for herself dealing with the legal needs of entertainment professionals. Recently recognized as one of Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers of 2024, she’s a catalyst at Nixon Peabody who is helping bring her clients to the next level of their career. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Carron to discuss her journey from creative to lawyer, what separates Nixon Peabody from other law firms, and what every artist out there should understand when it comes to entertainment law.?

How would you describe your job to a kid??

If I had to describe my job to a kid, it would be that I legally protect their favorite artists, their creativity, and their brand. So, handling negotiations for their favorite recording artist when they’re releasing an album that features different producers and artists. If they’re touring, I’m handling the legal aspects that go into the artist hitting the stage and performing. I handle all of these negotiations. My job entails all legal aspects of protecting an entertainer and their brand.?

What is your favorite thing about your profession?

My favorite thing about my profession is watching artists grow from A to Z. I've had the opportunity to work with some creators early on in their careers – from the point when they were putting music up on SoundCloud and uploading music videos on YouTube to the point where they're nominated for Grammys and winning awards. It’s amazing to see someone pursue their dream and want to be a professional in the entertainment industry. Knowing that I play a part in helping that happen –?that’s probably the most rewarding thing about my job.?

Of all the avenues of law that are out there, you chose to pursue entertainment law as your focus area. What was it about this space that specifically attracted you towards it??

I actually started off as a creative myself, and that's what led me into entertainment law. I went to undergrad, and was originally pre-med. I’m a first generation American, and medicine was the path. But, I was always interested in the arts. I played piano when I was younger. I formed a group with my friends, wrote songs, rapped, and always had a creative side. I didn’t really think about the business side of the industry until I was in college. I had started exploring different career paths, and I did an internship with Sony Music Publishing. During that internship, I sat in on a lot of meetings, and just got to be a fly on the wall with my boss to understand what he did on a daily basis.?

Coming from a more creative background, my idea was that if I wasn’t going to be a creative myself, that I’d be an A&R or an artist manager. In that internship with Sony, I learned about what a lawyer does. I met with a few lawyers, and ultimately decided that what I wanted to do was to protect creators and still pursue a creative career. That’s what led me down the path of entertainment law. I went to law school 100% knowing that I wanted to practice in the entertainment industry. If I wasn’t a lawyer practicing in the industry, then I would work in it in some business capacity.?

Nixon Peabody is a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. The woman-led entertainment group represents a sprawling array of clients ranging from emerging social media influencers to superstar talent and estates. What do you believe are some of the biggest factors in the group’s success??

One of the factors is that, up until recently, we were actually entirely made up of first-generation American women. That was a driving factor for all of us. When you come from an immigrant background and you think about entertainment, it’s not necessarily the first choice for a career. But when you mix that with law, it definitely enabled us to build a career that made our families proud while still driving us all. We found something that both interests us and drives us.?

In addition to that, we also bring together many different perspectives in terms of how we approach client representation. I come from a creative background, and I’m able to relate to talent in many ways –?from being in the recording studio to getting up on stage. Some of my other colleagues are able to relate from an influencer standpoint, and so on. We bring a unique perspective when mixing our passions with law.?

What inspired you to join Nixon Peabody’s firm as an attorney?

I had the opportunity to work at a variety of different firm sizes. What I found was that when working at a boutique level, the main focus was transactional entertainment representation. But as my clients began to grow in their careers, they started to expand beyond just being an entertainer. They were going into business and so many other things that required a different type of attorney to guide them. Previously, I had to refer to external attorneys for my clients. At Nixon Peabody, we don’t have to. We can still operate like a boutique, but can leverage our big law resources to fully service our clients beyond just their entertainment transactions. From the start of an artist’s career to when they’re a global superstar, they start building businesses and are in need of corporate attorneys and trademark attorneys and patent attorneys. Once they start expanding, their needs expand into additional practice areas too. Being at Nixon Peabody has empowered me to empower my clients and help them build bigger brands.?

What’s something that every entertainer – across all creative playgrounds – should understand about entertainment law??

Every entertainer needs to understand that it is a very specialized practice. A common issue is that entertainers will have someone review a contract for them who is not in the entertainment law practice –?whether it be a family friend who went to law school or someone they know who is a lawyer, but who doesn’t practice entertainment law. If an attorney doesn’t understand the nuances of the industry, that can impact them a lot. That’s one of the biggest issues I’ve seen, especially when dealing with intellectual property. For entertainers who are pursuing creative careers, make sure you have someone on your side who understands the industry and the law.?

How do you preserve a sense of fun and creativity in a field that is typically viewed as serious and daunting??

I don’t view it as serious and daunting. I honestly view what I do as fun and creative. Of course there is a lot of reading, negotiations, and work that goes into it, but for me, the sense of fun and creativity comes from the fact that it’s my passion. For instance, I’m the type of attorney that listens to my client’s music. I don’t understand how you can practice in the business and not be a fan of what’s happening on the creative side. I also find it fun to learn about new laws and think of ways to challenge the industry, record labels, publishing companies, and just the overall way of thinking. These mental challenges can be fun and creative. For me, it’s all fun. At the end of the day, it’s a blessing to work in this industry and to work in music and entertainment and sports.??

If you could choose one superhero power to help you in your legal work, what power would you choose??

So, I read a lot. We read a lot in this profession. Though I do read pretty quickly – and a lot of lawyers can –?it would be amazing to just glance at something and be able to legally analyze it. That would be the best superpower to help me fly through things. That’s what I would choose –?the ability to read something in one take.?

One of your focus areas as a law practitioner is music business development. What advice would you give to the artists of the world who are at the beginning of establishing a new business venture?

I’d tell them that they need to start looking at themselves as a brand. It starts with their talent, and eventually they’re going to build a business off of that talent. First, you have to focus on the development of your talent. At the end of the day, it’s difficult to build a brand around something if the art isn’t captivating and speaking to the people. Start with your talent. As you continue to develop your art, whether you’re a recording artist, songwriter, producer, etc., think about how you’re going to build a brand around it. For recording artists, there are several stable verticals to start with. First, the recording side of their career, but also publishing, merchandising, endorsements, name, image, and likeness, touring, product, licensing, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Just start with the talent –?develop it and figure out how to build a business around it.?

You were recently recognized by Billboard as a “2024 Top Music Lawyer”. How did it feel to earn such an accolade, and how do you hope to evolve over the next year??

Being recognized by my peers is such an honor. It’s been a journey to get to this point. The fact that I’m being recognized in Billboard amongst the top music lawyers in the industry is an honor. It’s a piece of recognition that shows me that I’m on the right path, my clients appreciate me, and my peers appreciate me as well. That feels amazing. In the next year, I hope to continue to build – as an attorney and as a leader within our firm and practice group. I just want to continue building our group and show that we are an amazing entertainment practice.?

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Throughout the story of your career, what’s been the most magical moment that you’ve experienced so far??

I started as an attorney, and during a transition from New York to California, I didn’t know if I wanted to practice law anymore. I thought I’d go? into management or possibly down the A&R route at a point. I slowly got pulled back into law, and, long story short, ended up building my own law practice. That was probably the most magical moment that I’ve experienced because it showed me that I was able to provide for myself. Having this skill set and being able to build a law practice and have some amazing clients who trust me with their careers was so rewarding. It’s an experience that drove me and shaped who I am today – knowing that I had to go out there and hustle on my own, provide for myself, and build a practice. That’s my most magical moment, and is what ultimately led me to join Nixon Peabody.?

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What’s one album that you’d take with you anywhere you go??

Yeah, that is a hard question. There's just too much good music out there. Right now, I'll say Frank Ocean, Channel Orange.

What does the phrase “big ass kid” mean to you??

It means living unafraid of judgment in everything you do. When I think of being a kid, I think of being unafraid and finding joy in every moment, whether it be in your career, friendships, or relationships. It means taking that childlike instinct into your everyday life. That’s what being a big ass kid means to me.?