Partner and co-founder of HighTower Solicitors and Advocates, Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, has spoken of how he enjoyed listening to music while growing up as a young teenager in the good old days.
Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, who is fondly referred to as Akinyemilaw, is a former songwriter, recording artist, composer, performer, and one-time lead vocalist of the 100 Degrees boy band.
However, he left music to embrace a new career path, music law, an uncharted territory in the Nigerian music industry.
Akinyemi Ayinoluwa has music as the second blood flowing in his veins. He studied law at the University of Lagos and after he was called to the bar, he picked useful working experience as an associate at Wemimo Ogunde & Co and Awokoya & Co, which thoroughly prepared him for the journey ahead He backed the popular stage to carve another strategic stage in the business of music.
Akinyemi Ayinoluwa’s passion for the craft inspired him to become a partner and co-founder of HighTower Solicitors and Advocates, specialising in music law, creating a new front in the value chain, and representing recording artists, songwriters, record producers, record labels, music investors, and talent managers. Now he is often touted as the awyer who breathes, drinks and eats music.
“Before delving into music law, I was an entertainer, a songwriter, a performing artist, and also the lead singer of a disco group back then. So this is what stood as a background foundation for my career in the music industry,” Akinyemi Ayinoluwa recalled in a recent interview.
Speaking further, Akinyemilaw said, “I co-founded a legal chamber that has been running for some years, where we represent some of the finest and top music celebrities, producers, recording artists, and songwriters in the industry.”
Going back memory lane, Akinyemi Ayinoluwa said, “Growing up, some of the things I enjoyed were listening to music. I had an aunt by the name of Aunty Jumoke who used to come around and we would do music and record some songs, and when we listened to ourselves, that used to be a lot of fun. Some of my other wonderful moments were winning prizes in school and in some competitions such as music and dancing, all that used to be a lot of fun for me.”
As far as Akinyemi Ayinoluwa is concerned, he remains a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian music business as one of the principal actors in the industry. As a frontline music lawyer in the country and one of the few there is, his law firm has represented some of the best minds behind hit tracks after hit tracks in the sector.
“I have worked and represented a lot of artists, comprising Masterkraft, Blaq Jersey, I.D. Cabasa, Tuzi, and many others,” he disclosed.
Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, who is also a business manager, has written numerous articles in the fields of music law, estate planning, and commercial transactions and often gets invited to deliver speeches and courses about these subjects.
He prides himself on helping his clients understand the value of their intellectual property rights and to be mindful of the exploitation that is endemic in the music sector.
Powered by zeal, driven by passion, and eagerness to share his wealth of experience, Akinyemi Ayinoluwa has designed educational resources for record producers and beatmakers.
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