Chris Taylor
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Time Magazine dubbed Chris Taylor as one of Canada's "movers and shakers who are building the entertainment industry" and Billboard Magazine repeatedly cites him as one of the country's most influential entertainment lawyers.
Chris formed the law firm of Taylor Mitsopulos Klein Oballa in March 2006. Prior to that, he spent nine years as an associate at the entertainment law firm, Sanderson Taylor.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and Political Science at the University of Windsor prior to earning his law degree at Osgoode Hall, York University in 1990. Upon graduation he pursued a full time musical career from 1990 to 1996 whereupon he returned to law to complete the bar admission course and was called to the Ontario Bar in February, 1997, after which time he joined Sanderson & Associates (renamed Sanderson Taylor in 1999).
Chris' expertise includes drafting, negotiating and advising clients concerning contracts in the entertainment and new media field. He has counseled clients including film and TV production companies, TV talent, actors/actresses, recording artists, artist managers, music publishers, independent record companies and producer/songwriters.
He has developed an extensive list of industry contacts in Canada, the United States and, internationally and has developed extensive expertise in solicitation, re-negotiating contracts and brokering agreements for his clients.
Most recently he was involved in the $18M purchase of Death Row Records on behalf of his client, WIDEawake. He also provides counsel to the country’s largest independent music publisher, ole.
Additional clients include television production companies Tricon and Lenz Entertainment, recording artist, Nelly Furtado, Sum 41, Drake, Tom Cochrane, Justin Nozuka, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, Gogol Bordello, City and Colour, Lights, Sam Roberts, and numerous independent record and publishing companies. He has also been retained by various industry associations.
Chris has written numerous articles on legal and business aspects of the entertainment industry, guest lectures at Trebas Institute for the Recording Arts and is a contributing author to the country's leading music law textbook, "Musicians And The Law In Canada". He is counsel to Artists Against Racism (AAR), Songwriter's Association of Canada (SAC), the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC) and The Polaris Prize. He is on the board of directors for the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and was the co-chair of 2009 Canadian Music Week.
He has participated as a panelist at many conferences including panels for South by Southwest, American Bar Association, Canadian Music Week, New York State Bar Association, Midem and The Law Society Entertainment Law Symposium.
He is currently a member of:
• Law Society of Upper Canada
• Canadian Bar Association
• SOCAN
• Urban Music Assoc. of Canada
• Canadian Academy of Recordings Arts & Sciences (CARAS)
• National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS)
From 1990-1995 he performed in the Juno-nominated group, ONE (1994 Reggae Band of the Year as selected by the Canadian Reggae Music Awards). Signed to Virgin Records in 1994 - ONE performed widely throughout North America earning a reputation as one of the country's finest live bands.
Chris is the founder of Last Gang Entertainment, an independent recording, publishing and artist management company working with artists such a Metric, Death From Above 1979, The New Pornographers, MSTRKRFT and Crystal Castles. Recently, Billboard Magazine cited him as one of the Top 10 Indie Label Visionaries. The label has sold over 1,000,000 albums worldwide since its inception in 2004.
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