Starting Jan. 1, the new firm will be called Shackelford, Melton & McKinley. It will also have an office in Austin, Texas. The Nashville office will have five lawyers — but not everyone from the old firm is sticking around. Partner Orville Almon will start his own practice, which he hopes will address digital challenges in the music industry.

The deal will merge 45 lawyers with expertise in entertainment law who will represent financial institutions, recording artists, real estate owners and developers, automobile dealerships, and record labels.

From a news release:

The agreement creates the nation's only law firm with offices in Nashville, Dallas and Austin ...

"We're very excited to be working with the top entertainment lawyers in the city," said John C. Shackelford. "From contracts to global licensing deals to helping navigate the intersection of music and technology, we provide a level of service you just don't find at many law firms."

Jim Zumwalt and Craig Hayes and the lawyers at their firm represent some of the country's leading entertainers, including Faith Hill, Creed, Aaron Neville, Lifehouse, Tanya Tucker and The Bar-Kays. The firm is most known for launching recording careers by advancing deals for such artists as Toby Keith, Paramore, Alter Bridge, Skillet, Shinedown, Saliva, Cage the Elephant, Brian McKnight, Take 6, The Neville Brothers, Jason & The Scorchers, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Jackyl, The Georgia Satellites, Jars of Clay, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Vertical Horizon, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Sonny Landreth. The firm also is known for having represented high-profile estates, including Otis Redding, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Kurt Cobain, Rich Mullins and Ben Keith.

Zumwalt Firm Embraces New Model
Music Row | by David M. Ross | Dec 17, 2010
musicrow.com

The newly combined firm brings together over 45 lawyers with experience in business technology, media and entertainment law. Together they represent artists, songwriters, music publishers and record companies plus provide expertise in the film, television and book publishing industries. As part of the agreement Zumwalt partner Orville Almon will amicably depart to create his own firm, to be announced later.

“We’ve been thinking about creating a new model for a long time, and met with several different firms over the past few years,” said an excited Jim Zumwalt. “This was the first arrangement that really made sense. We’re focused on entertainment and technology and the Dallas, Austin corridor has a strong technology focus, too. Of course we remain committed to Nashville. John Shackelford and his team bring significant capabilities to our firm,” Zumwalt adds. “By combining our global entertainment expertise from Nashville with the business and technology capabilities in Dallas and Austin, I believe we’ve put together a group of legal talent that’s second to none.”

Zumwalt tells MusicRow, the Nashville office is planning to add about four attorneys plus support staff during 2011.

Jim Zumwalt and Craig Hayes and the lawyers at their firm represent some of the country’s leading entertainers, including Faith Hill, Creed, Aaron Neville, Lifehouse, Tanya Tucker and The Bar-Kays. The firm is most known for launching recording careers by advancing deals for such artists as Toby Keith, Paramore, Alter Bridge, Skillet, Shinedown, Saliva, Cage the Elephant, Brian McKnight, Take 6, The Neville Brothers, Jason & The Scorchers, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Jackyl, The Georgia Satellites, Jars of Clay, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Vertical Horizon, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Sonny Landreth. The firm also is known for having represented high-profile estates, including Otis Redding, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Kurt Cobain, Rich Mullins and Ben Keith.