Faculty Profile: Christian Horsnell

Christian A. Horsnell is a founding member of Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley PLC and its predecessor firm and has been providing services to the entertainment and intellectual property industries for thirty-five years. Chris began his nascent legal career when he was hired by Mike Milom as a summer associate and law clerk with the Nashville firm of Barksdale, Whalley, Gilbert and Frank in 1977 and has proudly practiced with Mike, the senior partner and founder of Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC, continuously since his graduation in 1979. Chris concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate, business, entertainment, copyright and intellectual property. In addition to issues presented daily by a general practice in the entertainment industry, his practice has provided him with extensive experience in the selection, formation, organization and governance of business and non-profit entities; the purchase and sale of intellectual property assets; the analysis and management of complex copyright issues; brand protection and management; and the termination of transfers of copyright. Chris is the author of "Works for Hire in Sound Recordings Under the Copyright Act of 1976" 2 Journal of Copyright, Entertainment and Sports Law, 61 (1983), which won first prize in ASCAP's Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition at Vanderbilt University Law School. He has authored or co-authored a number of featured articles on copyright and the music business in the Nashville Bar Journal and Music Row Magazine. Chris has taught Copyright Law and Intellectual Property Law in the Mike Curb School of Entertainment and Music Business of Belmont University and the Law of the Entertainment Industries at Vanderbilt Law School. He was a co-creator and organizer of the Mastercardr Priceless Edge music business program in 2002 and also served as a lecturer in and dean of the program in 2002 and 2003. He is a graduate of Leadership Music and past president of the W. O. Smith Nashville Community Music School and The Rochelle Center. Chris received his B.S. degree in 1971 from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, his M.Ed. degree in 1975 from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) and his J.D. degree in 1979 from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and an Associate Justice of the Moot Court Board. Chris was selected by his peers for inclusion in 2017 Best Lawyers in Americar as "Lawyer of the Year" in the practice area of Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Again in 2018, Chris is among the Top Listed in Copyright Law, Entertainment Law-Motion Pictures & Television, Entertainment Law-Music, Litigation-Intellectual Property, and Trademark Law. Chris is also the proud recipient of a Creative Writing Award for his article "Madam Register, Please Don't Help Us Anymore" in Music Row Magazine. Chambers USA 2017 recognizes Chris as a ranked attorney in the practice are of Media & Entertainment. Chris is a voting member of the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM).