Lauren Kilgore is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Nashville office and a member of the Intellectual Property practice group. She has over a decade of experience as an entertainment attorney in both transactional and dispute resolution and general business litigation matters. Ms. Kilgore represents Grammy-award winning clients, and handles a wide variety of transactional entertainment matters on behalf of artists, songwriters, managers, content creators, entertainment companies, and corporate entities. She routinely drafts, reviews, and negotiates entertainment-related agreements including license agreements, distribution agreements, publishing and recording agreements, artist development agreements, catalog sale agreements, international distribution agreements, live performance agreements, and management agreements, among others. She also handles matters related to the protection of intellectual property and online media issues and crisis management for both individuals and entertainment companies. She has served as an expert witness on matters related to the music business, and has successfully tried jury and non-jury cases in state and federal court. Ms. Kilgore excels at handling a variety of complex litigation matters and sophisticated entertainment and business issues, regularly representing both individuals and corporations.

Ms. Kilgore has been named by Billboard as one of the country’s “Top Music Lawyers” for the last five years, and has been recognized numerous times as “In Charge” in the entertainment business by MusicRow Magazine.

Lauren is a member of the Recording Academy, the Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association, NSAI, and the Copyright Society of the South, and is a regular guest speaker for conferences throughout the United States on matters pertaining to the music industry and intellectual property.

Awards and Honors

  • America’s Leading Lawyers for Media & Entertainment – Chambers 2024 USA Guide
  • Named to Top Music Lawyers of 2020 – 2024 by Billboard Magazine
  • “In Charge” – Music Row Magazine, Legal, 2018 – 2024
  • “Top 40 Under 40” – Nashville Business Journal, 2018
  • “Best of the Bar” – Media Law – Nashville Business Journal, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024
  • “Enterprise Award” – Nashville Bar Association – Young Lawyers Division, 2014
  • “Rising Star” Award – Super Lawyers, 2015
  • The Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers 2025 – Copyright Law, Trademark Law, and Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers 2025 for Copyright Law and Litigation – Intellectual Property in Nashville

Ms. Kilgore earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. She earned her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College.

 

  • SOURCE – Member (2017-Present)
  • Country Music Association, Member (2015 – Present)
  • Academy of Country Music, Member (2019 – Present)
  • Recording Academy (2020 – Present)
  • Country Music Hall of Fame – Member (2022 – Present)
  • Copyright Society of the South – Member (2022 – Present)
  • National Songwriters Association International – Member (2022 – Present)
  • Nashville Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division – Board Member (2013-2016)
  • Nashville Bar Association, Entertainment & Sports Law Section – Member (2011-Present)
  • Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum – Inaugural Class Member (2014-2015)
  • Arts Immersion Fundraiser for Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts – Chairwoman (2012-2014) (partnership with the Arts & Business Council)
  • Harry Phillips American Inns of Court – Student Member (2010-2011), Associate Member (2012-2014);
    • Barrister Member (2017 – present)
  • Tennessee Bar Association – Member (2011-Present)