MUSIC ALUMNA TAY L O R N A M E D O N E O F
Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers for 2021 Stephanie Taylor (B.M.E. 1999; J.D. 2002) was honored recently as one of Billboard magazine’s Top Music Lawyers for 2021. The leading music attorneys chosen for this list are nominated by their firms and peers and chosen by Billboard magazine editors (see the article at go.unl.edu/izct). With more than 20 years of experience in the entertainment business, including as a professional violin and fiddle player, Taylor has special-
Stephanie Taylor
ized her law practice as an entertainment and music industry attorney in Nashville. Her firm, Taylor Guttmann, PLLC, is a full-service law firm focusing on entertainment, media, business and intellectual property matters. She is happy to be part of a more diverse recognition of the industry’s lawyers. “The Billboard list used to be ranked,” Taylor said. “I would scroll through the list to see when the first woman would show up. So they’ve really shifted to focus on diversity and knowing that diverse attorneys also serve the diverse music industry. It was really nice just to be acknowledged as fitting a different space and serving a different purpose in the industry.” It’s been a busy year for music industry lawyers, tested by negotiations and new
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business models from livestreaming and other challenges of the pandemic, in addition to other social justice issues. Taylor’s clients were no exception.
“I’ve had some clients really shift focus and learn how to thrive in spite of everything. [...] I think that’s the other thing that made me a person of interest is that I’ve helped my artist clients and my venue clients figure out how to
HIXSON-LIED COLLEGE of FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS | FALL 2021
move forward creatively in spite of an industry that was fundamentally shut down.” Taylor said the pandemic has made her appreciate the experience of live music even more. “Is there any feeling as good as being at a live show when there’s magic?” she asked. “You can’t recreate that. You can watch streaming music or live music on television any day, and you never get that feeling—just the goosebumps moment when something really amazing happens. And I guess that’s why I’m in this business for those moments of magic. I really do miss it.” ■
