MICHAEL ASHBURNE  4/25/25- BESLA Founder

Mr. Ashburne has specialized in the representation and guidance of talent in the entertainment industry for over five decades. His experience has included working with renowned artists such as Richard Pryor, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Dead Kennedys, Brenda Russell, ecology activist Julia Butterfly Hill, Walter Hawkins, Destiny’s Child producer Dwayne Wiggins, Taj Mahal, and Ice Cube. Stellar producers Dan the Automator, Narda Michael Walden and Dwayne Wiggins have also consulted with Mr. Ashburne.

 Mr. Ashburne has written numerous articles including the genre-defining book: Sampling in the Record Industry. He is also an experienced educator, having taught entertainment courses at institutions such as Golden Gate University Law School, Laney Community College, and San Francisco State University.  In addition to being an expert witness in high-profile entertainment litigation cases, Mr. Ashburne is has been a guest speaker for organizations such as the American Bar Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, and California Lawyers for the Arts. Mr Ashburne teaches Legal Aspects of the Music Industry, Music Publishing, and Digital Distribution of Music at the Music and Recording Industry program at San Francisco State.

With the dramatic growth of independent music and film producers, Mr. Ashburne’s practice continues to evolve. Currently Mr. Ashburne represents a diverse group of clients that have included:  Producers and En Vogue founders Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster; film star Danny Glover; and hip-hop artists Souls of Mischief and Del the Funky Homosapien and Deltron3030; and veteran film producer Bob Zagone.

 Born in Philadelphia, and a long-time resident of California, Michael is an alumnus of Howard University Law School and U.C. Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. He is also one of the founders and Hall of Fame member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association.