Kendall Minter

Music Industry: Music Management

Music Industry Law

Kendall A. Minter, a native of New York and graduate and Senior Class President of Flushing High School began his professional path at Cornell University where he participated in the six year combined arts/law program, graduating with a B.A., majoring in Political Science in 1974, and with a J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1976.

Upon his graduation from Cornell Law School, he joined Fairchild Industries as Associate General Counsel and Corporate Representative for Broadcasting. His responsibilities at Fairchild also included general “in House” corporate legal matters such as employment and consulting agreements, trademarks, real estate and labor matters. In 1978, Kendall returned to New York City and joined the 56 – lawyer firm Burns, Jackson, Miller, Summit & Jacoby as an associate. In 1980, Kendall embarked upon his sole practice career and established the Law Firm of Kendall A. Minter, which eventually opened affiliated offices in Los Angeles and London.

In 1984, Kendall joined the law firm of Barnes, Wood, Williams and Rafalsky as counsel, where he remained until establishing Minter & Gay in 1987. Minter & Gay was a boutique law firm which specialized in entertainment, sports and labor law. Based in the Wall Street district, the firm grew to nine attorneys with an internationally diverse clientele. In September 1992, Kendall merged his practice into the firm of Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Balon as counsel. In early 1995, Kendall relocated to Atlanta and joined the firm of Sales Goodloe & Golden, as counsel, where he established and developed an entertainment department. Kendall has also been Of Counsel to the New York City entertainment law firm Rudolph & Beer.

In 2004, Kendall established Minter & Associates, L.L.C. in Atlanta, Georgia and subsequently established an Of Counsel affiliation with regional law firm Gibson & Behman, P.C. Minter & Associates, L.L.C. is a boutique law firm which represents a diverse international clientele in the areas of entertainment, corporate, intellectual property, sports and new media matters.

Kendall is a co-founder and inaugural Executive Director of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association and currently serves on its Advisory Board. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Rhythm & Blues Foundation and is the Chairman Emeritus of the organization and is a member of the Board of the Living Legends Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of Sound Exchange, Inc.

Kendall has also served extended terms as a director of the American Youth Hostels and the 100 Black Men. He was an adjunct professor at Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, currently teaches Copyright and Music Publishing at Georgia State University and is a frequent lecturer for the Practicing Law Institute and numerous other organizations as well as being a frequent contributor and columnist for several music trade publications.

Kendall is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in Entertainment, Who’s Who in The East and Who’s Who amongst Black Americans and he has been inducted into the Knights of Malta, O.S.J. A sampling of Mr. Minter’s varied clients, past and present, includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shabba Ranks, Lena Horne, Roy Ayers, Musiq Soulchild, Jermaine Dupri, Najee, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Third World, Bunny Wailer, The Government of Jamaica, The Backstreet Boys, Ying Yang Twins, Donell Jones, Jagged Edge, Cassandra Wilson, Teddy Riley, Freddie Jackson, former WBO Heavyweight Champion Ray Mercer, Cameo, Silk, The Fat Boys, Peter Tosh, Ashanti, Onyx, Nat Robinson and First Priority Music, Milk Dee, M C Lyte, Heavy D & The Boyz, Mad Cobra, Mtume, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Juanita Bynum, Arrow Records (Dr. Creflo Dollar), Pastor Dewey Smith and Greater Traveler’s Rest Baptist Church, Montell Jordan and Victory World Church and numerous others.