Matthew V. Wilson

Partner

Direct: 404.873.8551
Fax: 404.873.8552
Atlanta
171 17th Street NW
Suite 2100
Atlanta, Georgia 30363

Biography

Matt is a partner in the Corporate & Finance and Intellectual Property practices, co-chair of the Entertainment & Sports industry team, and member of the Life Sciences industry team. He advises his clients on legal matters related to entertainment, sports, technology, new media, and advertising. He is a trusted ally and strategic counselor on business, transactional, and personal matters related to the very visible career paths of his clients.

A self-described “music nerd,” Matt is an amateur musician, hopeless fan, and dedicated professional. He has two decades of experience drafting, analyzing, and negotiating complex agreements for recording artists, songwriters, publishers, producers, business teams, labels, distributors, and concert promoters. Deeply familiar with copyright, licensing, compensation strategies, brand and identity protection, and commercialization transactions, Matt’s artist clients entrust him with important decisions in connection with their careers. He has extensive experience with all aspects of the festival, live event, and production industries and has assisted clients with the development, production, commercialization, and sale of live “happenings” on domestic and international stages.

Matt’s film and television experience includes the representation of creative and business-focused clients within the motion picture, television, and media industries. He counsels film production companies in connection with business and legal matters related to film projects from start to finish, including financing arrangements; talent negotiations and contractual engagements; work-for-hire, option, and chain of title counseling production requirements; IP protection and licensing; content clearance; advertising and promotions; and various ancillary activities. In addition, Matt has a profound understanding of Georgia’s constantly evolving film tax credit landscape.

Matt also counsels clients from the visual arts world, including museums, galleries, fine artists, muralists, photographers, and celebrity tattoo artists. His experience in the visual arts arena involves advising clients on matters ranging from contract negotiations and intellectual property protection, to merchandising and commissioning arrangements, to complex sales, sponsorship, and licensing transactions. Within the literary publishing and new media space, he represents award-winning authors, brand influencers, tastemakers, and content creators on matters such as trademark and intellectual property protection, fair use, licensing, sponsorship, advertising and promotional campaigns, sweepstakes, skill contests, and other games.

Matt’s expansive practice also includes the representation of clients in connection with technology, gaming, e-commerce, and life sciences matters. His general corporate and commercial practice involves a cross-section of e-commerce and intellectual property matters, content clearance and licensing, traditional and electronic advertising, website development, hosting and service agreements, electronic terms-of-use, and legal and regulatory compliance concerning such matters, including trade and industry self-regulation guidelines.

Outside of AGG, Matt is a founding partner of the GT Entertainment Group, an artist management and development company, and Good Times Productions, a music and entertainment promotions company. Matt is also a founding board member of Backline, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides mental health and wellness resources for music industry professionals and their families.

Experience

  • Represents a Georgia-based independent record company and assists with the negotiation of various artist deals, music recording and publishing agreements, and synchronization and licensing deals.
  • Assists an national event production company with the drafting and negotiation of staging, audio, lighting, and personnel agreements in connection with the production of music, arts, food/wine, and other cultural events.
  • Represents a world-renowned visual artist in connection with the sale and licensing of artist’s artwork, murals, and designs, including the negotiation of live performance and work-for-hire engagements and the licensing of original designs and images for international and national retail campaigns and events.
  • Represents a local commercial real estate property owner in connection with the negotiation of film and TV location agreements.
  • Represents a nationally recognized tattoo artist with the licensing of original designs used in connection with the development of an international fashion line.
  • Represented an Atlanta-based tech firm with the acquisition of over $3 million in film tax credits.
  • Represented Nashville-based artist management agency in connection with the sale of the agency to a national agency.
  • Assisted Grammy Award-winning artist with the branding of a national chain of retail merchandise stores.
  • Represent a Canadian-based playwright in connection with the drafting and negotiation of a royalty-pool agreement among the playwright and third-party writers.
  • Lead counsel for a merger-transaction that involved the sale of a Georgia-based architecture and design firm to a California-based firm.
  • Represented a national audio and lighting production company with the closing of a $2 million financing transaction.
  • Assisted Golden Globe Award-winning artist with the incorporation and organization of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

    Credentials

    • University of San Diego School of Law, Juris Doctor,
      cum laude
    • Emory University, Bachelor of Arts,
      magna cum laude
    • State of Georgia 2004
      • American Bar Association, Sports and Entertainment Forum, Music and Personal Appearances Committee, Vice Chair
      • Surf ATL, Advisory Board Member
      • Backline, Inc., Board Member
      • Georgia Music Foundation, Legal Advisor
      • National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Associate Member
      • Technical College System of Georgia (“TCSG”) Sound Economy Task Force, Member

    Recognition

    • 200 Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries, Georgia Entertainment, 2024
    • Best Lawyers in America®, Trademark Law, 2024
    • WTR 1000, World Trademark Review, 2023-24

    News & Insights