JOEL A.

CHERRY
1027 Maplehurst Lane jcc63dda@westpost.net
Nashville, TN 37204 (615) 390-3246
Offering 30 Years of Combined Legal and Business Expertise
Accomplished attorney and executive with demonstrated success advancing business
goals while aligning practices with legal requirements for private and publicly
traded companies. Known as a strong leader who thrives under pressure.
* Accelerated results by designing legal strategies that resolved corporate gove
rnance, litigation, regulatory, intellectual property, licensing, employment, an
d other legal issues.
* Structured profitable deals and secured favorable terms for complex multimilli
on-dollar contracts, including sales, joint venture, licensing, and other agreem
ents.
* Maximized value of intellectual property portfolios by leveraging expertise ha
ndling copyrights, trademarks, and patents, as well as through careful oversight
of and enforcement regarding intellectual property assets.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Business Operations | Legal Affairs | Corporate Governance | Joint V
entures
Global & Domestic Transactions | Sustainability Programs | Contracts
| Negotiations
Advocacy | Litigation | Outside Counsel Management | Employee & Labo
r Relations
Intellectual Property | Risk Management | Legal Budgets | Team Manag
ement
EXPERIENCE & HIGHLIGHTS
General Counsel - Senior Vice President - Corporate Secretary
Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood, TN | 2005-2010
Nation's #1 leisure farming and ranching retailer; $3.5 billion public company w
ith 15,000 employees in 1,000+ locations.
Leadership role overseeing all aspects of legal operations for this iconic organ
ization. Created and effectuated legal strategies, policies, and procedures for
all divisions, including Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Global Sourcing, Inf
ormation Technologies, Logistics, and Human Resources. Identified and resolved i
ssues raised in complex transactions, compliance, licensing, regulatory, corpora
te governance, contract negotiations, disputes, intellectual property, and relat
ed issues across multiple legal disciplines. Counseled executive management on a
ligning corporate goals with legal requirements and on business issues.
* Credited with improving revenues by turning around company's outdated transact
ion-handling processes; changed processes proved more efficient, facilitated 1,2
00+ vendor relationships valued at $2+ billion, and reduced third-party disputes
dramatically.
* Increased value of company's brands by millions of dollars by leading branding
initiative and through careful oversight and enforcement of intellectual proper
ty assets.
* Driving force behind successful sustainability initiative that generated almos
t immediate results; defined and deployed action plan carried out across all div
isions.
* Spearheaded critical aspects of global sourcing initiative that became $350 mi
llion revenue stream; managed unique issues presented by international and impor
t-export laws.
* Protected company from potentially catastrophic penalties and liabilities by f
ormulating business policies and procedures in compliance with state and federal
regulations, including corporate governance and reporting practices.
General Counsel | Gibson Musical Instruments | Nashville, TN | 2003-
2005
Legendary manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments; 2,000+ employees
worldwide.
Proactively led all aspects of legal strategies for all divisions of company's o
perations around the world, overseeing 70+ employees. Closed high-stakes deals,
resolved issues raised by litigation and other disputes, and directed outside co
unsel. Advised CEO on joint ventures, corporate governance, and other areas cruc
ial to company's business operations. Led International Relations Division, and
its ten global offices, to new levels of success.
* Bolstered revenues by over $10 million by negotiating with China's Minister of
Culture to secure a majority ownership interest in China's second-largest piano
manufacturer; overcame long-standing cultural differences during year-long nego
tiation to close deal.
* Tripled European stringed instrument business by securing hard-fought joint ve
nture with Europe's venerable, premier stringed instrument organization (incepti
on of which dates back to the 17th century).
Attorney | Private Practice | Nashville, TN | 1994-2003
Respected practitioner and consultant in entertainment and intellectual property
law.
Strengthened legal strategies related to transactions for a range of entertainme
nt industry legends, including musicians, film studios, video game producers, an
d others.
* Closed deals for LucasFilm, International Gaming Technologies, Reba McEntire,
Gloria Estefan, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, and many others.
Senior Vice President, Business Affairs | EMI Records | New York, NY |
1992-1994
International recording company counting the Beatles and the Beach Boys among it
s artists.
Delivered legal solutions to transactional issues, ensuring favorable terms for
record deals and allowing company to exploit artists' works globally. Introduced
innovative contract tracking system and international matrix agreement that ens
ured consistent global treatment of similar terms in different contracts, and pr
ovided a uniform methodology of communication among all divisions worldwide.
Earlier Experience
Excelled in roles of increasing responsibility, including Founding Partner with
Katz & Cherry, P.C. Earned recognition as one of the premier entertainment and m
edia law firms in the nation. Clients included FarmAid, Inc., The Jacksons, Jimm
y Buffet, and scores of other industry stars.
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor
University of Georgia School of Law
Bachelor of Arts
Pennsylvania State University
MEMBERSHIPS
Tennessee State Bar
Georgia State Bar
American Bar Association
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Entertainment Law Initiative
Founding Member & Executive Board Member