As music artists build their careers, developing their brands is an integral part of successful marketing. Attorney Rosezena Pierce, known for her experience in the complexities of intellectual property, has emerged as a trusted advisor for music celebrities seeking to protect their creative assets.
As head of the R.J. Pierce Law Group, P.C., Pierce works to secure and defend the intellectual property right rights of her clients. While music artists may have the spotlight, Pierce’s firm works with clients in many industries, earning her the moniker “The Biz Lawyer.” The firm’s practice area involves federal law, so Pierce and her colleagues represent entrepreneurs and entertainers across the world.
Pierce recently spoke on the “Securing the Bag” panel at Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit. Moderated by Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of the Slutty Vegan, the panel discussed finance and entrepreneurship for women trying to start businesses or excel in their careers. While Pierce keeps her clients’ cases confidential, she does comment on cases that are public, providing legal insights into what intellectual property is, how it’s challenged, and how to protect it.
“We have something called Trademark Tea,” said Pierce. “When Kim Kardashian is in the news related to a trademark or LeBron James is being sued for a trademark or we have Ceaser from Black Ink, who is fighting thinking he owns his trademark.
“As business owners, we need to make sure that we own what we are building,” she added. “A lot of times, people jump out and begin to build brands and businesses, but not owning them and not understanding how full ownership comes into play. It comes into play via trademark law.”
Incorporating a business is not sufficient, noted Pierce. To own a name exclusively involves trademark law.
As an attorney, Pierce works to educate people about the importance of ownership. When entertainers are negotiating contracts, they must understand what they are agreeing to. Some people may prefer not to be owners, which is fine as long as they understand the terms of the agreement.
Pierce said she wanted to be a lawyer from the age of 5, but her path was not traditional. When she started college, she was already a mother, and by the time she finished law school, she had three children. As an undergraduate, she needed to find schools that accommodated the very real obligations in her life, and she found that fit at smaller institutions.
“I knew by the time I was in undergrad that I wanted to be something as it related to business law,” Pierce said. “I actually majored in paralegal studies, so I was exposed to intellectual property. It was taught by a trademark attorney, who said, ‘You should go to law school and I will write you a letter of recommendation.’ I said, ‘That’s the plan.’”
Pierce is clear that while a music artist’s job is to focus on creating, they cannot overlook the input of skilled legal counsel. While the stereotype of lawyers may be that they’re expensive and unreachable, she said that is not necessarily the case. In fact, she has battled stereotypes herself. After struggling to fit in early in her legal career, she now likes to stand out. In doing so, she relishes sharing insights about intellectual property so that people understand what’s at stake.
“There are so many attorneys out here, particularly Black attorneys, that want to help, that want to make sure we see our creatives retain their rights and retain their ownership to what they are creating,” Pierce said. “That’s the reason why I started my law practice, and now we represent over 5,000 small-business owners and other entertainers to help them to secure what they’re actually building.”