Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Biederman
Hi Jeff, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a frustrated writer who went to law school. I grew up here in L.A. and (after much internal debate) decided I would go to law school and write the Great American Novel at night. I started practicing in New York City, litigating in the areas of products liability and trademarks. Three years in, I moved to Atlanta and started focusing on employment litigation. Honestly, neither of these areas were super-satisfying to the soul. After my father survived 19 hours of brain cancer surgery, I flew home to Atlanta and decided to hang out a shingle and see if I could build an entertainment practice. I gave myself a year, and if that didn’t work, I was going to teach English Lit. And that was my opportunity knocks moment: the Atlanta market was hot, and I started getting baby bands signed. My practice took off from there. Once my wife, Anna, became pregnant with our eldest son, Will, we left for Nashville, figuring building a practice would be easier in one of the three main music towns. We stayed in Nashville for 6 years (Will and Alex were born there) and when I got an offer to come back to L.A., we were all ready for a change. I have been in L.A. since ’05 and have loved the breadth of projects I’ve been involved in here – music, film, TV, fashion and branding, theater, and books. I work with a bunch of terrific lawyers, and am lucky to work for some of the most talented folks in the world. I have the best life partner possible and two sons who are everything I could ask for. As all Angelenos will appreciate – I am blessed with a short commute. And this year, I finally made a serious start on that novel. I expect a first draft to be completed by year’s end.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I honestly don’t know anybody whose life is 100% smooth. Mine has not been, but it’s certainly been easier than most. I was lucky enough to grow up in a stable and loving home – my parents put my sister and me first. They invested the time and effort to teach/raise us and point us toward a good life. I always felt that I got a good balance between pushing and support, and they impressed upon me the importance of education in this country. When you have a good foundation like that, it is kind of hard to fail.
One challenge was that it took a minute to figure out what I really wanted to do. Nothing in the law “spoke” to me before entertainment. I really like working for individuals and small entities and helping them chase their dreams. I love being close to the creative process.
My biggest challenge has been losing loved ones: My folks are both gone now. My brother-from-another-mother died very young of a rare and virulent cancer. I have a couple of close friends battling cancer now. As the old saying goes, if you have your health, you have everything. I grieve those losses and worry for the friends who are ill. I try to make every day count.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
GT is global law firm with media and entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, London, Milan, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are a soup–to-nuts entertainment shop here at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. We have people worldwide, at all stages of their careers, working in every form of entertainment I can think of. If you create some form of content, my team and I can help you protect it, help you build a team to service your career, set up your company to monetize that content, help you promote and monetize your “brand”, and find you potential partners in your business endeavors. We help build and protect careers.
Contact Info:
Fam in Inishmore
