Richard Rose ESQ

Music

Adjunct Faculty

Biography

Richard Rose is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney with more than 20
years of legal and business experience in the entertainment industry. He represents a
flavorful range of clients from all corners of the globe that include recording artists,
songwriters, producers, entertainment executives, record labels, music publishers,
authors, speakers, hall-of-fame athletes, government agencies, non-profits, NGOs, tech
companies and start-ups. 
He has also developed a strong practice serving clients with the purchase and sale of
music catalogs. Richard has negotiated and closed over 100 notable deals for
evergreen classic songs, chart topping hits, hall of fame songwriters, historic artists,
acclaimed producers, and iconic film and TV shows.
Richard’s love for creativity and creators is rooted in his early years. Raised in the
birthplace of Delta Blues and Kermit the Frog, Richard always had a deep appreciation
for the sound and story of music. He has tried his own hand at organ, clarinet, bass and
even placed 2nd in a local talent show with his 80s rap group. For a few years he ran
sound for a rock-n-roll Bible study on an Amsterdam canal boat, and helped staff teams
in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as the Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain fell.
This was followed by a season of working in Nashville as a recording engineer for
Grammy, CMA, Dove and Stellar award-winning artists and producers, and on national
advertising campaigns.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Recording Industry from Middle Tennessee
State University, as well as a Doctor of Law from Franklin Pierce School of Law. He has
taught on the undergraduate, graduate and law school level, and is a published author.
He founded the Copyright Cafe® in 2002, a boutique Nashville law firm focused on the
entertainment, copyright, and trademark needs of clients.
His broad experience on both the creative and business side of the entertainment
industry allows him to bring a unique approach to his teaching, as he seeks to equip
students for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.