Phaedra Parks isn’t your typical powerhouse entertainment attorney. Not only has she made an indelible impact on the careers of her clients, which include everyone from Jermaine Dupri to Bobby Brown, but she consistently breaks the mold for how lawyers are expected to think, look and act. “My practice is very different from most entertainment lawyers because I provide services beyond the four corners of the law” says Parks, who currently serves as a producer on BET’s hit series, "Tiny & Toya."
“We want to help our clients maintain a standard of living. We invest in their overall well being.”
In the 10 years that she’s been practicing law, Parks’ has maintained close relationships with her clients through her boutique law firm, The Parks Group, which focuses on litigation and contract negotiation. In fact, it is the genuine concern she has for her clients' careers — and more importantly their lives — that keeps her motivated.
“Many of my clients have become like family,” says Parks, who says she was lead to practice entertainment law through the encouragement and support of her good friends, the late Island Def Jam executive Shakir Stewart, and top Atlanta radio personality Ryan Cameron.
That said, Parks goes beyond her job duties. She is known for helping her clients develop and maintain responsible financial habits — even going as far as taking them to the bank and helping them establish checking and savings accounts. As a woman in a male dominated industry, Parks' diligence and dedication has helped her navigate her way to the top earning her numerous awards which include Super Lawyer, Attorney of the Year and Georgia's Rising Star, to name a few.
“Being a black woman you have to work twice as hard,” Parks says. “But, when you work hard and with integrity, everything else works itself out. I have never compromised and I will never compromise.”
Parks has some key points for artists to find success in a fickle industry.
1. Pay your taxes. What the industry does is give artists unbelievably large lump sums of money and then let them fend for themselves without giving them any fiscal advice.
2. Choose an attorney carefully. Attorneys are like shoes, some of them are too tight and some look good, but don't wear well. You want to get the perfect fit, someone who understands your vision and most all believes in you.
3. Read your contract and close the deal before you begin working.
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