Melinda Morris Zanoni
Top rated Entertainment & Sports attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina
Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group
Practice Areas: Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property, Media & Advertising; view more
Licensed in North Carolina since: 1996
Education: University of Illinois College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025 Call today:
888-472-1931
Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group
1300 Baxter St.Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28204 Visit website
Details
Melinda Morris Zanoni is a sports, entertainment, and media lawyer who splits her time between Charlotte and Los Angeles. Melinda is the Managing Member of Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group, a HUB-certified law firm.
Melinda represents some of the most well-known sports teams, team owners, entertainment companies, celebrity estates, sports leagues & media companies. She has participated in $21B of transactions and successfully negotiates cutting-edge and complex network agreements, NIL, avatar production, endorsement, licensing, publishing, recording, NFT, intellectual property, sponsorship, and digital media deals as well as serving as legal counsel for television shows and films.
Melinda is a distinguished and respected attorney in the sports & entertainment industry. She regularly speaks on entertainment and sports law matters. She was recently featured in the national "Sports Business Journal" and Women With Know-How magazine as well as on major TV media outlets. She was awarded as an SBJ Game Changer (2023) and is a Thought Leader.
Active in her legal community, Melinda belongs to the NC Bar Association and is a member of the Sports & Entertainment Law Council, Sports Lawyers Association, and ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports. She also belongs to the Illinois State Bar Association and served on the Regional Partnership Film Board. She is a member of Women Executives and volunteers her time to B.R.A.K.E.S., a nonprofit founded by an NHRA driver.
After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with B.S. degrees in Economics and Business, Melinda earned her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, graduating cum laude. Prior to founding Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group, she practiced with Nelson Mullins and before that, she was an attorney with Thompson Coburn in Chicago.
When not practicing law, Melinda enjoys exotic cars, exercise, and world travel.
Practice areas
Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property, Media and AdvertisingFocus areas
Communications and Media Law, Copyrights, Entertainment, Sports & Leisure Law, Trademarks
- 80% Entertainment & Sports
- 10% Intellectual Property
- 10% Media and Advertising
First Admitted: 1994, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://apollogrouplaw.com/melinda-morris-zanoni-esq/
- Sports Lawyers Association Member
- Sports Business Journal Thought Leaders: Member of the invitation-only, most exclusive executives in sports business
- ABA Member of Forum on Entertainment & Sports
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Women Executives. WE is a group of accomplished women representative of leaders in the business and professional community. Membership in WE is by invitation only through a sponsored application process, 2021
- Mecklenburg County Bar Sports & Entertainment Law Presenter, 2020
- North Carolina Bar Association Sports & Entertainment Section Council Member
- Multiple successful settlements related to Sports & Entertainment law clients in publishing, touring, MCN, and digital media multi-million dollar claims.
- TV Commentator in various media on Entertainment & Sports related legal matters (TWC News 14 etc.)., Commentator / TV Guest
- Music legal expert on COURT TV re Ed Sheeran legal battle with respect to Marvin Gaye music , COURT TV interview, 2023
- Video blast speaking as expert on "Coronavirus and Entertainment Law", Expert Series for NCBA, Entertainment, Media, Sports, 2021
- Estates of Hollywood Legends Ava Gardner and Grammy Award winner with 100M records sold Juan Gabriel; American Cornhole League; Charlotte Checkers Hockey; Motorsports; Musician Renee Rapp; Media personalities; Novant Health/ Michael Jordan commercial; Film &TV /Actors ("Mall Cop", "Magic Mike XXL", "Fargo"); NBA clients; Meteorologist Jim Cantore, Coca-Cola and Amazon sponsorships; Athlete Podcasts; MLS; Publishers; Avatar Production Companies; Team Owners; Sports Leagues
- Select Representative Transactions Ava Gardner Estate Whiskey launch; Charlotte Checkers; American Cornhole League, Panthers QB NFL for Bose, TopGolf, Panini, and NoBull endorsements; Chris Forsberg Racing; Renee Rapp Mean Girls on Broadway; Juan Gabriel Estate 100M records sold; ESPN 30 for 30; SONY, Spotify, and Virgin music licenses; NASCAR; Kathy Ireland skincare endorsement; Michael Jordan's commercial for Novant Health; Film & TV including Televisa and Plan B; Coca-Cola sponsorship deals; NC, SC, and TN Lottery Ticket licensing and endorsement deals; celebrity collabs for Barbie, Target, P&G, Guess, Dolce & Gabbana, Neutrogena, Tommy Hilfiger; Amazon; Actors/Comedians (Mall Cop; Fargo); Celebrity Wife Swap (ABC); NFL Panthers’ appearances; NBA analyst; Hank the Cow Dog (54 book series); Lottery tickets; MLS; ESPN League broadcast deal; NBA Sleepy Floyd Film; Netflix documentary; Cowboys QB sponsorships; Selena avatar production.
- HUB Certified Law Firm (100% minority law firm and woman-owned)
- Dress For Success
- WINGS scholarship program helping women become leaders
- Love Progress Park sponsor and volunteer - leadership training for young female athletes
- B.R.A.K.E.S. sponsor; Urban Ministry Center; Charlotte Dog Rescue; Goodwill; AMVETS; mentor interns from various local schools of higher education; CMPD fundraisers
- Charlotte Regional Partnership, Film Board
- Sports & Entertainment Super Lawyer , Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
- Game Changers is awarded to women who are giants in the sports industry. Launched in 2013, Game Changers examines the multiple ways women intersect with sports as athletes, executives, and consumers., Game Changer award, Sports Business Journal, 2023
- Magazine Cover and Feature Article, Women With Know How
- Most Stylish Recipient and Feature, Carolina Style Magazine, 2015
- Article featuring Melinda Morris Zanoni and Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group, Feature Article, Sports Business Journal, 2020
- University of Illinois, with Honors, B.S., Economics and Business
- Presentation and materials for sports team on copyrights, infringement, music licensing; stadium use; film and TV clip licensing; broadcast rights; fair use; social media content; and IP rights in music. , Intellectual Property Lunch & Learn for Sports Teams, Sports, 2023
- Invited by NCBA to led webcast on Music and Copyright Law , Music and Copyright Law (NCBA), 2023
- Presented and submitted written materials for distribution as an expert on "Coronavirus and Entertainment Law" for NCBA in 2021. Featured expert., NCBA Expert Series -Entertainment, Sports, Media, Entertainment, 2021
- Various entertainment and sports law-related conferences and seminars including North American Law Summit; Name Image Likeness presentation to D1 Universities and coaches; Covid impact on sports & entertainment , Speaker, NALS; NCBA
- KW Sports + Entertainment Expert Series invite as featured NIL speaker , Lead speaker, NIL Expert Series, KW Sports + Entertainment, 2023
- Adjunct Entertainment Law Professor at CSL every week for 3 years, Adjunct Professor Entertainment Law, CSL
- Participation and achievement in multiple Bar, Business, Mentoring, Civic, Community, and Charitable endeavours.
- Advertising
- Entertainment
- Intellectual Property
- Media
- Sports
Office location for Melinda Morris Zanoni
1300 Baxter St.
Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: 888-472-1931
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025
