The Seay Firm is a boutique entertainment law and intellectual property law firm located at the Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta. We are artist advocates, dedicated to advising and protecting all manner of artists and arts-related businesses. Our founder, John Seay, is a musician, music journalist, and former tour manager. John is formerly Of Counsel in the entertainment practice group in the Nashville office of Loeb & Loeb, one of the largest and most comprehensive such practice groups in the world. Before founding The Seay Firm, John worked for Turner Broadcasting. He has spoken about entertainment law at SXSW, the Americana Festival, and the AJC Decatur Book Festival, and has published extensively in the field as well. John lives in Decatur with his wife and two daughters.
Recognition
- Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star in Entertainment Law (2016 – 2019)
- Awarded to 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia
- Legal Elite in Entertainment Law by Georgia Trend Magazine (2016)
- Awarded to 13 attorneys in Georgia
- AVVO-rated 10.0 “Superb” Top Attorney in Entertainment Law
Professional & Community Activities
- State Bar of Georgia Entertainment & Sports Law Section, Section Chair
- #weloveatl, Board of Directors
- Member: Recording Academy, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts
Education
- University of Georgia School of Law, J.D. (2010)
- Birmingham-Southern College, B.A. (2003)
Selected Publications
- Why Pandora Wants to Pay Less and What it Means for Licensing Reform, Copyright, St. B. Ga. Ent. & Sports L. Sec. Newsl.) (2013)
- You Look Complicated Today: Representing an Illegal Graffiti Artist in a Copyright Infringement Case, 20 J. Intell. Prop. L. (2012)
- Legislative Strategies for Enabling the Success of Online Music Purveyors, 17 UCLA Ent. L. Rev. 163 (2010)
- Hang ‘Em High: Will the Recording Industry Association of America’s New Plan to Posse Up With Internet Service Providers in the Fight Against Online Music Piracy Finally Tame the Wild Internet?, 16 J. Intell. Prop. L. 269 (2009)
Firm Manager Haley Carlson is a dedicated arts leader, advocate, and enthusiast, with a passion to advance opportunities for creatives in Metro Atlanta and beyond. She has worked at large and small arts institutions alike, such as Dia: Beacon, Southern Highland Craft Guild, BluBus Screen Printing, and the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. She received her master’s in Arts Leadership & Cultural Management from the LEAP Institute for the Arts at Colorado State University in 2017. Haley serves on the board of S.T.A.M.P. (Sustainable Touring for Artists, Musicians, and Performers) and is the co-founder of the Dream Warriors Foundation.
The Seay Firm is located at the Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster Street NW, LMR-17, Atlanta, GA 30318, but our mailing address is 541 10th Street NW, Suite 303, Atlanta, GA 30318. Call (404) 913-4232 or contact us to schedule an appointment.