So what does a music lawyer do?
A normal working day varies enormously, but what we're doing is negotiating artists' contracts in recording, publishing, and associated activities. We spend a lot of time in meetings, negotiating contracts. We spend a lot of time on the telephone discussing them, drafting them and generally making sure that we get the result that we want for our clients.

How did you get the job?
I became a music lawyer really through a fairly traditional channel. I had a degree in law and then I qualified as a solicitor. Once I qualified I was looking for an area of law in which to practise. Largely by accident I came across a firm who had a small practice in the entertainment industry. I joined them as the entertainment business expanded. I subsequently set up this firm, Lee and Thompson, in 1983 together with the other founding partner, Andrew Thompson.

Do you have any advice for me as a parent on what I can do to help my child?
My advice would be that you have to make sure that your child wants to be a lawyer first. You can go from being a lawyer into other areas of the business but it's very difficult if you start off getting into the business without doing the groundwork to become a decent lawyer. Encourage them and direct them so that they do take the early academic side seriously enough to become well-qualified.

What did your parents think?
When I first became involved in music it was very different. The whole of the entertainment industry was a much smaller operation within this country and a slightly odd one. I think my parents were a little bit worried about the fact that I was going into this rather off-beat activity. Now, I'm glad to say, that as the entertainment industry has become almost more establishment and has grown, they're very pleased I'm in it and rather fascinated by what I do.

What sort of money can you expect starting off?
To become a lawyer you need to have a degree from some university and then you have to do one or two years' legal practice course. The problem for many people is that it's an expensive process and unless you have parents who are happy to finance you through that process you may end up having to take loans to see you through it - unless you can work your way. You may end up before you start with an outstanding loan of somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000. That sounds intimidating but I don't think it should be too discouraging. Once you get your training contract you will probably start with a salary of somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000. This is based on London figures because that is probably where you want to be if you want to be in the music business. Once you've finished your training programme you will become a qualified solicitor and at that stage, depending on what type of firm you're working with, you're probably going to attract a salary of somewhere around £35,000 and if you're going into the City for more training before you turn to the music side you could probably get £50,000 as a starting salary.

What skills you need to succeed?
In this business you need all the normal skills that qualified lawyers have. If you're dealing with artists and performers you need an empathy with what they're doing and an understanding that really this business is one of human relationships. You need patience, flexibility and also the capacity to explain what can be quite complex issues to people whose prime interest is not business but is actually performing and being creative.

What are the pros and cons of the job?
There are some advantages in doing this job. As you're a lawyer it's a little bit more stable than some of the other activities in the entertainment business. The down side is that it is quite a high-pressured job if you're doing it properly and successfully. The demands on you to get things done quickly and accurately are very great and you can end up working long hours. You can find that you go to meetings with clients that are terrific fun and you can negotiate and join in the meeting and they'll all go off somewhere else and you're sent back to your office to spend the night drafting the contract. The other side of that is that you meet some very interesting people. There are perks, very often you are able to see films before anybody else sees films, you deal with people who are of public interest and you can see the results of what you're doing either on the record or on the television and that can be quite satisfying.

You are mentioned on Roxy Music's classic track 'Virginia Plain' how did that feel?
At the very early stages of my career one of my clients who came to me as an unknown artist made a record, and I was mentioned in that record and it was a rather odd feeling because in those days lawyers weren't supposed to advertise. So my first feeling was that I was likely to get struck off as a lawyer and would never be able to practise again but the interesting thing is that over the years more and more people recognise my name in it and seem fairly happy with it so I'm rather proud of that.
 
"Make me a deal, and make it straight, all signed and sealed I'll take it to Robert E. Lee." Roxy Music, Virginia Plain