Atlanta litigator James L. Walker, Jr. has something to sing about. The boutique entertainment law firm operator took on President Donald Trump as a defendant—and achieved a favorable outcome in a copyright infringement dispute.
Now the Walker & Associates founder is revealing how the strategy he deployed to reach a settlement on behalf of the estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. is likely to benefit other artists in the future.
"We feel it's our mission and our ministry to protect Black artists at any cost, even if the defendant is the President," Walker told the Daily Report Wednesday.
'You Obviously Get Sued'
In August 2024, Walker represented the Hayes estate in suing Trump and his 2024 presidential campaign for the unauthorized use of "Hold On, I'm Coming" at rallies and in videos without permission. As plaintiff counsel, Walker initially sought $3 million in damages for more than 130 instances of alleged copyright infringement.
The following month, U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr. of the Northern District of Georgia partially granted the Hayes estate's preliminary injunction request.
Judge Thomas Thrash Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
In his nine-page order, Thrash concluded the plaintiffs had demonstrated valid copyright ownership and that Trump's uses of the song had likely been unlicensed. While Thrash rejected any presumption of irreparable harm, the federal judge concluded Trump's continued use of the song risked brand harm that monetary damages could not remedy.
But rather than require the removal of past event videos featuring Hayes' song, Thrash barred Trump and his campaign from future unlicensed use of it.
READ: Complaint | Injunction
More than a year later, Walker reached a resolution in the matter with Trump's legal team on Feb. 23. Albeit unable to disclose the terms of the confidential settlement, Walker told the Daily Report he achieved the outcome by approaching the headline-making dispute the same way he would any other.
"I didn't even think about who it was," Walker said. "I thought more about what it was—and what it was, was somebody stealing a legendary, iconic man's music."
Retained by Isaac Hayes III, Walker said he first sent Trump's legal team a cease and desist letter. When the letter's 10-day window expired, Walker said plaintiff counsel opted to proceed in filing their federal complaint after confirming Trump and his campaign lacked a license to use Hayes' song.
"If you don't pay to use it and you abuse it, you obviously get sued," Walker said. "It wasn't anything difficult. They used the music at 133 rallies."
L-R: Matthew Sarelson of Dhillon Law Group, Zachary Allen Stoner of Dhillon Law Group, Baxter D. Drennon and William Bradley Carver of Hall Booth Smith. Courtesy photos
Over the next 18 months, Walker entertained negotiations with Trump's legal team made up of collaborating attorneys with Contarino Roth, Dhillon Law Group and Hall Booth Smith, per court records.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Daily Report requests for comment about the settlement remained unanswered by defense counsel William Bradley Carver and Baxter D. Drennon of Hall Booth Smith in Atlanta and Little Rock, respectively. Neither Jacob William Roth of Contarino Roth in Boca Raton, Florida, nor Dhillon Law Group litigators Matthew Sarelson and Zachary Allen Stoner in West Palm Beach, Florida, had replied either.
Without detailing specifics, Walker described the negotiation process as being "traditional" in the sense of lawyers huddling in hopes of reaching a resolution.
"We were trying, from the get go, to get it resolved without a full trial," Walker said. "We sat down and talked it out."
Walker would not disclose the resolution amount, but deemed it "a very substantial settlement" that left both parties "very, very pleased."
'Singing A New Tune'
In the months leading up to the settlement, Walker noted he faced online intimidation as some Trump supporters challenged the legal action. However, Walker said he remained confident leading the plaintiff case.
"MAGA nation ripped me apart for months on Twitter," Walker said. "Howard Law School trained us to be fearless, so I wasn't even thinking about the repercussions or the fallout."
Plaintiff Isaac Hayes III, left, and attorney James L. Walker, Jr., right, of Walker & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. Courtesy photo
Walker said he'd been prepared to battle on behalf of his clients for as long as needed. With more than 30 years of legal experience to his name, Walker noted he'd litigated entertainment and copyright matters for periods lasting weeks to years. He recalled reaching a multi-million dollar settlement with Sony in 2005 following eight years of litigation.
Having reached a resolution for the Hayes estate in only 18 months, Walker applauded the outcome as victory all around. For his clients, the settlement amounted to creative control and protection from "the risk of association with the Defendants," based on the plaintiff complaint. In an Instagram post, in part extending gratitude to Walker, plaintiff Hayes III acknowledged the gravity of the resolution.
"We are proud that this matter has helped further a broader conversation surrounding intellectual property rights and the obligation to honor creators and their estates," Hayes III's post read. "Protecting ownership is not only about the past, it is about preserving dignity, value, and accountability for future generations."
For Walker, the resolution marked another career milestone. Out of "dozens and dozens" of entertainment law cases, Walker deemed the Hayes v. Trump settlement among his top 10 most notable. Walker based the ranking, in part, on "who the defendant is" and the case's amplification amid a heavily politicized climate intensified by social media.
But the wins didn't stop there. Walker pointed out that the settlement also held implications for other artists.
"Now everyone's singing a new tune," Walker said. "No matter who you are and where you are, as a defendant, we can reach you, we can sue you, and we can hold you accountable. ... It sends a message to the artist and the copyright holder—which would be the songwriter, in many cases—that I can be protected too, even if I'm a little guy."
Feb 25
Deal Summary
