Michelle Esther Gilzenrat Davis

Michelle Davis, principal at Davis Entertainment Law, is an intellectual property and corporate attorney with over 10 years of experience in the music industry. She is passionate about serving as an advocate for artists and specializes in helping musicians navigate complex distribution streams and copyright law to maximize revenue and discovery. She received her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law where she served as the senior articles editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law, president of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and was nominated to join the prestigious Atlanta IP Inn of Court as a pupil.  Prior to launching her own firm, Michelle clerked with the office of the general counsel for NPR in D.C. and entertainment attorney Michael Crain in Athens, GA. She also spent a semester working for the Future of Music Coalition, an artist advocacy group in D.C., where she provided in-depth music policy analysis as their legal extern. Michelle started her career in the industry as a music publicist and freelance journalist. From 2008-2012 she served as the music editor for alt-weekly Flagpole Magazine in Athens, GA. Her music writing has also appeared in Uncut, Oxford American and Performer Magazine. Her essay, Introducing the RightsCoin: Using Block Chains to Track Copyright Ownership, was a finalist in the 2015 Grammy Foundation’s Entertainment Law Initiative writing competition. Michelle currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Athens Area Arts Council and is a member of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. In her free time she enjoys playing guitar and continuing to publish freelance music pieces.

Education and Professional Affiliations:

• University of Georgia, School of Law 2015, J.D.
• University of Georgia, A.B.J. in Public Relations
• Member of Georgia Bar (IP and Entertainment sections) and American Bar Association
• Member of National Assn. or Record Industry Professionals
• Board of Directors for Athens Area Arts Council
• Board of Directors for AthFest Educates