Bone McAllester Norton Recruits Suzanne Kessler, Hank Adam Locklin

Hank Adam Locklin

Bone McAllester Norton PLLC announced today the addition of two entertainment attorneys to its Nashville firm. Suzanne Kessler, who previously served as an entertainment and transactional intellectual property attorney and consultant, and Hank Adam Locklin, the former Senior Adviser for Music and Entertainment Industries for the State of Tennessee, have joined the firm, expanding its entertainment law practice to four attorneys. They bring with them a combined total of 40 years of experience.

“The addition of Suzanne and Hank Adam brings a wealth of expertise and experience, enabling us to serve clients across the entertainment and IP spectrums,” said Charles W. Bone, founder and chairman of Bone McAllester Norton. “Both have been deeply embedded in the entertainment and music industries for decades. We could not be more excited to have them onboard and look forward to providing high-caliber work to all of our entertainment and IP clients.”

Suzanne Kessler

Kessler advises both traditional and new media clients, including record labels, recording artists, artist managers, film and television production companies and independent producers. Kessler previously served as Executive Director of the Nashville Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMY organization); as Vice President of Business Development and Director of Legal Affairs at Universal Music Group; and as an attorney in private practice with an entertainment boutique law firm in Beverly Hills. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, she earned both a masters in communication (documentary film production) and a law degree from Stanford University. Kessler is a Class of 2005 Leadership Music graduate and currently serves as a board member for W.O. Smith Music School. She is also an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt Law School’s intellectual property program. She will practice in Bone McAllester Norton’s Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Law areas.

Locklin is an entertainment attorney who focuses his work on the creative and transactional ends of the music and entertainment industries. His executive experience relates to trade association management and administration, recording agreements, music production, artist/songwriter management, music publishing, sound recording licensing, touring and artist management. In his career, he has been responsible for overseeing and advising efforts to acquire A-level talent for state and government events, including the 2014 National Governor’s Association’s annual meeting; leading the recruitment of global entertainment companies to relocate or expand into Tennessee; and advising on numerous policy issues, including the Nashville television series.

Locklin graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law and is a Class of 2008 Leadership Music graduate. He is active in the local community, serving as a member of the Music City Music Council, charter board member of the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, board member for the Women’s Music Business Association and a Shriner with the Al Menah Shrine Temple. Locklin will practice in the firm’s Entertainment Law area.