Founding Attorney
Admissions
California
Education
Juris Doctor, magna cum laude
Whittier Law School
Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Studies
University of Redlands
Volunteer Work
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County
My Story
Candidly, I went to law school because I didn’t know what else to do after college and my best friend said he’d go with me. While in law school, I worked at several law firms, including at a medical malpractice law firm and a bankruptcy/real estate law firm. I soon realized that I had made a big mistake. Thinking the fun in my life was going to be over once I graduated and passed the bar exam, I decided I needed to do something that I had always wanted to do but never did – while I still had a life… That something was be in a band and play shows. So, in my last semester of law school, I formed a band with some buddies, recorded a couple of songs, and convinced my best friend to book us some shows. It was a fulfilling endeavor to say the least, and it was what finally led me to the realization that I could work in the music business and not be miserable for the rest of my life!
I ended up finding a job at a reputable independent music publishing company right out of law school, where I eventually became General Counsel / VP of Business Affairs and had the opportunity to help manage the catalogs of some of the most successful songwriters of all-time, including some of my musical heroes. In 2016, I hung up my shingle here at Shack Legal, P.C. and have had the good fortune of acting as outside General Counsel for various music companies and serving as the “go-to” counsel for some pretty amazing music creators. Needless to say, I’m grateful that I found something to do as an attorney that excites me.
P.S. Although the band didn’t work out, I still find time to play guitar, and I even recorded a couple of my songs with some professional musicians as a pandemic project. If you’ve read this far, I guess I owe it to you to share a link to those tunes. Don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job…