James Kuzmich

Back to Attorneys

James Kuzmich

(480) 422-4991

jkuzmich@thompsonburton.com

Download vCard

Practice Areas

Corporate and Securities

Intellectual Property Law

Entertainment Law

State Admissions

Tennessee

Arizona

Biography

Before joining Thompson Burton, PLLC, Jim served as of counsel at Safford Motley, PLC. Prior to Safford Motley, PLC, Jim was a co-founding member of Guidant Law PLC in Tempe, Arizona. At the beginning of his legal career, Jim honed his diverse skill sets at Portland-based Davis Dixon Kirby LLP, where he served as founding and managing partner, as well as Davis Wright Tremaine in Portland, Oregon. Jim maintains offices in Gilbert, Arizona and Nashville, Tennessee.

Favored for his tenacious approach to complex legal issues, Jim Kuzmich focuses his practice on entertainment law, corporate law, intellectual property, and all types of business transactions. He has additional experience in commercial real estate transactions and employment contracts.

Jim provides legal counsel to small and mid-sized businesses, advising on both the challenges and growth opportunities that owners experience throughout numerous transitional phases. Notably, Jim is a valued advisor during the acquisition or sale of a company as well as navigating business partnerships. He has assisted startup companies faced with a myriad of legal issues, including entity formation and structure, commercial leasing, intellectual property protection, and general operational matters.

Highly regarded as a top entertainment attorney, Jim has experience representing musicians, YouTube influencers, producers, songwriters, entertainers, and professional athletes. He brings extensive knowledge of trademark, copyright, endorsement and licensing law, presenting practical solutions to some of the most common legal issues that musical artists and other creatives face in business. He previously served as in-house counsel and vice president to an amid-sized baseball agency specializing in athletic representation. During his tenure, Jim assisted with negotiating player contract salaries, endorsements contracts and preparing salary arbitration cases.

Jim also offers unique insight into the veterinary industry, having assisted many veterinarians with both the acquisition and sale of veterinary practices as well as the ongoing legal matters of operating a veterinary practice.

Originally hails from Chicago, Illinois, Jim spent his teenage years in Arizona’s“Valley of the Sun.” An avid music fan and audiophile, Jim can almost always be found with music playing in the background. He and his wife, Beth, love to travel and take road trips when time allows.

Jim is admitted in Arizona, Oregon (inactive status) and Tennessee.

Education

University of Oklahoma School of Law, J.D. with Honors, 2000
Northern Arizona University, B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Management, 1991

‍

Experience

Memberships

Academy of Country Music
Country Music Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
Arizona Veterinary Medical Association
Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association

Representative Matters

Advise small and medium businesses regarding all aspects of legal related issues including entity formation, asset purchase and sales, and general employment matters
Serve as outside general counsel to numerous small to medium size businesses
Advise and consult with franchisees on all areas of business operations
Intellectual property, including trademark and copyright prosecution and licensing
Analyze pending trademark status including filing of applications, response to denials, and implementation of registered marks
Advise and negotiate endorsement contracts for entertainment clients
Advise and consult on talent contracts in the areas of reality television
Advise and represent numerous musicians, songwriters and producers with respect to all aspects of theircareers, including corporate structure and ancillary business opportunities
Advise independent record companies with respect to all corporate matters
Real estate transactions, including commercial leasing and purchase transactions
Advise, draft and negotiate commercial leases for national retail and hospitality tenants
Advise, negotiate and draft communication tower site leases
Real property title review and analysis
Review extant operational contracts for food and beverage services including negotiation of concession operator agreements, enforcement of lease and license obligations, and monitoring of food and beverage licensing
Abstract existing lease and license agreements with concession vendors and luxury suite holders, making recommendations for possible revisions
Representation of professional baseball players

‍

James Kuzmich

TESTIMONIALS

Jim and I have been working together for 20 years. We have traveled on many journeys together. I've always had great experiences, good conversations and finely tuned contracts from Jim Kuzmich. Not only is he my attorney, but he has also become a close friend. I believe it is important to be able to have someone who will stand by you for your beliefs in business and protect you from the 'wolves of concrete.' Jim is different than other attorneys, as he is concerned with my issues and not just focused on the clock.

Miljenko Matijevic

Mili from the band Steelheart

Being in the music business for 25 years, we gave up in our hope of finding an honest and fair attorney. All that has changed now: his name is Jim Kuzmich. He has an uncanny way of explaining complicated legal contracts in plain English; so that the artist is fully aware of their rights. Jim has become an everyday part of our business. As with most artists that have been around for a long time, we came to Jim with plenty of past problems. After one year with Jim, I can honestly say we have zero legal problems from the past or the present. My only complaint is that we didn’t find him 25 years ago.

Jerry Dixon

Jerry Dixon from the band Warrant