James E. Elam is the Managing Partner for our Philadelphia office. Mr. Elam began his professional career in 1997 as an attorney at the prestigious Dilworth Paxson law firm in Philadelphia. After working for a year as an associate in the litigation department, he moved into the corporate transactional group.

Utilizing the strong client base that he had developed in relatively short order, he immediately began the formation of a media law group within the firm. Initially focusing on music-related clients, James developed a strong presence in the blossoming Philadelphia music scene representing talents such as Jill Scott, Freeway, Kindred, and Jaguar Wright. Thereafter, he began representing clients in the film, television, and theater industries, as well as professional athletes and authors, such luminaries as Lil Wayne, Seether, Thursday and John Legend. In servicing his clients, James has negotiated numerous agreements regarding recording artists, music publishing, music production, licensing, distribution, merchandising and investment, while also serving as general counsel to a number of companies.

A seasoned corporate attorney, Mr. Elam also serves as general counsel to businesses in general corporate matters, as well as handling diligence activitie s for real estate transactions.

An adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University (Sports and Entertainment Law) and Drexel University (Music Publishing), James has served as a keynote speaker at numerous conferences, panel discussions and community events. Understanding that many young people desire careers in the entertainment industry, James feels an ardent desire to educate others on the pitfalls of seeking celebrity and the extensive knowledge required of performing artists to be financially and professionally successful under the intense scrutiny of the media.

Eternal Crescent Media
In 2007, Eternal Crescent Media, a Los Angeles based media production company, was formed. As I spend a lot of time on the west coast, I decided to provide a means of contacting me there. Please feel free to call 310.439.8608 to reach me if you are unsuccessful at the number for the firm.