Bernie Lawrence-Watkins is a seasoned transactional attorney at the law firm of B. Lawrence Watkins & Associates, PC, concentrating in the areas of Music, TV & Film, Technology, Licensing, Copyright, Trademark, and Business Transactions.
Her clients include Grammy® Award winning music producers, artists and songwriters, some of who have sold over 10 million units in sales. She also represents major label record executives, Deejays, independent record labels, managers, music and film/television production companies, screenplay writers, and clothing designers. Ms. Lawrence-Watkins has over twenty years of experience in drafting and negotiating complex agreements ranging from licensing, employment, corporate transactions, to product endorsement and influencer deals in connection with entertainment and corporate brands like McDonalds, Burger King, Wing Stop, Sprite, Just Eats, Cîroc and Apple Music. Ms. Lawrence-Watkins’ sharp negotiating skills have earned her clients over millions of dollars in revenue. She periodically appears as a guest lecturer and panelist at colleges, law schools and conferences nationally and internationally.
In 2007 Ms. Lawrence-Watkins co-founded Gather For Good, an annual networking and fundraising event seeking to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations. From 2009 to 2013, she served as a volunteer lecturer for Literacy Action, a United Way Organization, and taught grooming and interviewing techniques to adults seeking to re-enter the workforce. In 2012, she became a STEM community partner/volunteer to TAG-Ed. Through the years 2015 through 2023, her firm partnered with the Atlanta John Marshall Law School, Georgia State University College of Law, and Emory University to provide externship opportunities to law students seeking to learn the practice of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgia State University College of Law.