He teams up with lawyer and musician Lauren Holyoak
Former Media Arts Lawyers partner Marcus Walkom has debuted independent music and entertainment law boutique Walkom Entertainment Lawyers in Brisbane.
Walkom teams up with lawyer Lauren Holyoak, a performing musician and self-managed artist who was his colleague at Media Arts Lawyers. Walkom Entertainment Lawyers is working with artists, record labels, distributors, publishers, promoters, festivals, managers, industry bodies, and emerging, digitally native creators across Australasia and global markets.
It will focus on core artist representation and rights negotiations while also handling commercial and corporate matters, emerging AI frameworks, IP monetisation and rights protection, and strategic industry matters.
“Music careers are commercial businesses, and every stage of an artist’s journey hinges on strategic dealmaking—whether that’s with a label, distributor, publisher, manager, promoter, or brand”, Walkom said in a media release. “We’re building a genuinely global, highly connected practice that sits right at the heart of the music industry—close to the artists, the rightsholders, and the executives doing the deals across key territories, while offering the commercial agility needed for everything from a debut release deal through to major catalogue acquisitions”.
While the firm is based in Brisbane, it has connections in the US, UK, Europe and APAC. Its client base includes Wolfmother, The Amity Affliction, The Teskey Brothers, The Grogans, Drax Project, Young Franco, Electric Fields, Hollow Coves, Daine, Cenobia, Day We Ran, Playlunch, King Stingray, Gazal, The Chats, The Pierce Brothers, GLADES, Tigerlily, Trophy Eyes, Sons Of The East, South Summit, Jack Botts, IJS Productions, Good Manners Music, Untitled Group, Mammal Sounds, Yama Nui Records and Dan Gorringe.
Walkom helped BMG acquire the publishing and recorded music royalties and neighbouring rights of Wolfmother vocalist, guitarist, co-founder and songwriter Andrew Stockdale. The deal was announced earlier this month.
In addition to over 15 years of working in music and entertainment law, Walkom founded management company and record label We Are Golden, which counts Beckah Amani as a client. He also sits on the board of the Association of Artist Managers and the Gold Coast Music Alliance.
Walkom is the latest ex-Media Arts Lawyers partner to establish his own practice. Last month, Rob Glass and Julian Hewitt opened Hewitt Glass, which focuses on music, entertainment, and M&A and corporate advisory. Media Arts Lawyers founder David Vodicka launched David Vodicka Music & Entertainment Lawyers at the end of June, while Yasmin Naghavi set up Artis Causa in Melbourne last year.
Walkom had established Media Arts Lawyers’ Brisbane office.
