Atlanta entertainment attorney John Rose is building more than deals
On any given day, John Rose is multitasking boarding flights, reviewing documents or otherwise working on behalf of his high-profile clients.
He’s an entertainment and sports attorney at Fox Rothschild, a full-service law firm with 30 offices nationwide, who became partner in April. At 33 years old, he’s one of the youngest in the firm’s 120-year history.
Rose is part of a lineage of Black entertainment attorneys in Atlanta who understand the intersection of culture, business and working closely with talent to ensure they’re protected and properly compensated.
He joined Fox Rothschild to start and lead its entertainment and sports law division with his mentor and fellow law firm partner, Leron Rogers, in 2020. They were recruited from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith law firm with clients including Rick Ross, Kanye West, Coco Jones, Simone Biles, Stevie Wonder, Carolina Panthers and Viola Davis.
‘I’m just here to help...’
Rose reviews and negotiates deals involving record labels, music publishing, touring, endorsements and litigation disputes. He also drafts employee agreements and advises clients on copyright protection.
“I’m just here to help navigate the journey that they’re on and take their magic to the next level,” Rose said.
As partner, Rose manages associates, recruits staff and is involved in the firm’s marketing efforts. He said his increased responsibilities align with his professional goals.
“I always told myself that I wanted to be the youngest partner at whatever firm I was at and achieve things that have not been done faster than my peers or those people that came before me. I wanted to do it in year three or four, which is impossible, so doing it in seven-and-a-half years was pretty good,” Rose said.
Rose has been Rogers’ sidekick since he became his law clerk in 2017. At the time, Rogers was representing rapper Rocko in a breach of contract suit against Future. He assigned three associates to assist him with the case.
Of the three, Rogers said Rose was the sole problem solver. “John was the only one who came back with the clearest pathway, put the extra effort in to give us a real upper hand, thought through the obstacles and was super valuable because we settled the case at a very substantial number,” Rogers said.
The pair went on to help Rick Ross win a copyright infringement appeal filed by 50 Cent in 2020. Rose said he and Rogers became inseparable. “I felt like I’d arrived and opened for Jay-Z,” Rose said.
Rose wants to introduce law as a career option for young people
As part of high-profile talents’ legal counsel in an age of social media, Rose said in addition to his work, he wants to raise the profile of attorneys to help young people explore law as a profession.
“You must find time to tell that story and show people you exist. That little girl only knows success to look like LeBron James or Kevin Hart, but the way we show up now allows attorneys to highlight themselves and show that this is a tangible career,” he said.
Rose knew he wanted to be a lawyer since childhood. A Jamaican descendent from Queens, New York, he attended Hampton University on a football scholarship. He was also president of Hampton’s prelaw institute.
Kyle Bailey, director of business operations for Cam Kirk Studios, a photography and creative studio on the Atlanta Beltline, was Rose’s classmate and roommate. He said Rose was focused, dependable and determined to become an attorney.
“He knew what he wanted to do and wasn’t shy about it. If he knows something is important to you or the business, he’s not going to make excuses. He’ll find ways to get it done,” Bailey said.
After Rose graduated in 2014, he moved to Atlanta where a childhood friend encouraged him to pursue a career in entertainment law but hadn’t gotten accepted into a law program.
He enrolled at John Marshall Law School days before classes started and quickly learned he had to prioritize his schoolwork while gaining access to Atlanta’s entertainment scene.
“I was going to the studio every night trying to be in the space. I quickly learned your relationship with the professors did not matter,” he said. “I had to get my grades together because that first semester, I almost failed out.”
Rose spent a semester improving his grades until he made the top of his class. After two years, he transferred to Emory Law School.
He landed externships with Atlanta Hawks, Fox Television and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. In 2017, Rose joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith as a summer associate. Under the Georgia Student Practice Act, he worked full-time at the law firm during his final year of law school. He earned his law degree in 2018.
In 2019, Rose co-founded Collective Gallery, a creative incubator for photographers and content creators modeled after record companies. Rose said he wanted to treat emerging visual artists like performers.
“We wanted to do something cutting edge, challenge the norms for how people looked at people behind the scenes, and give them advances to create art,” he said.
Rose hopes to explore acting or continue to grow with Fox Rothschild.
He said his success is a tribute to his grandmother, who died in December.
“I was able to do all of those things she saw as the American Dream. Although she wasn’t here to see me become partner, I now feel like I have someone that’s with me every single day during this next chapter of my life,” he said.