Biography
Loren S. Wells is a lecturer in the Music Business program at Columbia College and a practicing music lawyer with a focus on representation of talent. Through his legal practice, Loren has represented clients with nearly 50 million album and singles sales combined, including Grammy-winning and multi-platinum legacy acts, contemporary Gold and Platinum-certified artists and songwriters, numerous Billboard-charting and critically-acclaimed up-and-comers, and one Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer. He regularly handles matters with the nation's leading independent and major music companies.
As a teacher of the next generation of music industry professionals, Loren cherishes giving his students opportunities for real-world interactivity with "the biz" and hands-on in-class experiences, providing them access to the most up-to-date deals, practices, standards, and prominent working professionals.
Loren is the author of the chapter Independent Record Labels and Record Deals in the newest (5th) edition of The Musician's Legal and Business Guide, a leading music industry resource for over 35 years, published worldwide by Routledge. Loren is also the founder of the world's largest database of music industry lawsuits, The Discography: The Legal Encyclopedia of Popular Music, developed in conjunction with Washington University Law School's Center for Empirical Research in the Law, which chronicles court opinions rendered in the United States between 1833 to 2011.
Loren began his legal practice with a large national law firm, founded his own music and entertainment law practice, and currently practices with the entertainment law boutique, WELLS KAPPEL. Loren earned his J.D. cum laude from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he was Articles Editor on the flagship Law Review, and his B.A. with High Distinction from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Degrees
B.A., Religious Studies University of Illinois-Champaign 2003
J.D., Law Washington University 2010