Traci Bransford
Equity Partner – Stinson LLP
Description of field of expertise
Traci is the co-chair of the Entertainment and Media Law Group at Stinson and serves as general counsel, entertainment, media and sports attorney to her clients. Traci also serves as outside general counsel in various industries including, healthcare, retail, and education clients. She provides legal counsel to leading communications and media clients by utilizing her multijurisdictional experience to serve the legal and business interests of recognized names in the music, television, film and sports industries—including recording artists, independent record companies, music publishers, actors, authors, songwriters, producers, managers and production companies.
Traci serves as general counsel to collegiate, professional and retired athletes in their individual business and philanthropic pursuits. Traci also works with collegiate athletes to assist with understanding the laws surrounding the new name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation. She combines her deep understanding of client needs with a strong commitment to the tenets of diversity, equity and inclusion, offering comprehensive solutions to key legal challenges to benefit the firm and its clients.
Traci received her J.D from New York University School of Law and earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College. Traci is an active member of several charitable and professional organizations and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field? (150-word count)
Connect with seasoned attorneys who have been practicing in the industry and ask them about their journey into this field of law. Attend legal conferences specific to sports and entertainment and be willing to volunteer your time to be in the room to network and soak up the knowledge. Ask a lawyer to be a mentor and request a shadowing opportunity so that you can see first-hand how they spend their day. Be patient and play the long game on entertainment and sports related law as it appears to be a popular field for young lawyers but perfection of your craft is most important. Don’t get caught up or impressed with the celebrity aspect of sports and entertainment law so that you lose focus on your job as their legal counsel. Always be the consummate professional and that reputation will go a long way in this field.