Meet Kennington Groff of The Law Office of Kennington Groff

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kennington Groff.

Kennington, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ever since I was in the seventh grade, I always wanted to go to school in California. I was born and raised in Georgia, but we had family friends who lived in California that we would visit often. The second I saw Pepperdine on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), my heart was set on attending there. When it came time for college, I got into UGA and ultimately went there, but still desired to go to California for law school.

Towards the end of my junior year at UGA I started reading about all the film sets in Georgia. I began looking for internships in the entertainment industry in Georgia and submitting myself to extras casting companies. When I walked on my first set, I found myself fascinated with how the whole production process worked behind the scenes. I was captivated, and still am, seeing everything that goes into making a production and I feel like my behind the scenes work on the sets helps me do my job better today.

Throughout the rest of my time in Georgia before law school, I kept submitting myself to different productions and getting calls to play an extra which ultimately turned into doubling for stunt people and a stand-in position. Some of my favorite sets I worked on were The Walking Dead, Insurgent, and Anchorman 2.

When I started law school, I was determined to work in the entertainment industry still, but in a different capacity. I started grabbing coffee or lunch with people who would come to speak on panels at Pepperdine and ask them all about their careers in the entertainment industry and how they made it. One of my coffees turned into my first internship at Lionsgate. After Lionsgate, I moved on to work with NBCUniversal in the Cable Entertainment Legal Affairs department. Here I worked on television shows for USA, Syfy, Bravo and Oxygen.

In between my second and third year of law school, I split my time working with the same department at NBCUniversal in LA and NYC. When I returned for my final year of law school from NYC, I still continued working with NBCUniversal and picked up another internship with HBO in their Business Affairs department. When it came time to decide where I wanted to take the Bar, I ultimately decided on coming back to Georgia. Georgia’s entertainment industry is growing at a rapid pace, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get back in it while it is still growing and to be close to family.

While I was waiting on my Bar results, I worked as a basketball player on the film The Hate U Give. This allowed me to get back on a set in Georgia and make a good friend, Forrest Tuff, who at the time was the basketball trainer for the main actors for that production. After passing the Bar, I started my own firm and began working with veteran entertainment attorney Beth B. Moore. In January, I also picked up a position as a Producer for The Weather Channel on season 4 of their show titled Weather Gone Viral.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! Almost everything I have ever applied for, I received a waitlist letter or a flat-out rejection. However, the rejection has never stopped me because I have always gone after what I wanted in life. Anytime I have been rejected from something that I really wanted, I have written a letter and tried to introduce myself in-person to the person who signed the rejection or waitlist letter. These “beg letters” as my mother calls them, have gone a long way to help me achieve my goals and keep pursuing what I want in life.

In the entertainment industry or any business for that matter, it is very important to have a connection for a job you are seeking to obtain. I dislike the term “networking” because it sounds so cynical. I much prefer the term “making friends” when I attend networking events or listen to panels. Having a friend who calls you up to help them with their next project or to just grab a coffee and discuss the work each other has been up to is much more valuable to me than going on a hundred “speed dating” networking events and never fully making a connection.

As I’ve made connections along the years, the ride becomes smoother in some instances, but I never stop working or meeting with people who are my friends or who might become my friend down the line. It’s very important to me to never fully feel comfortable or complacent. The second things seem to be going smoothly is the time when I need to push myself farther to get uncomfortable again and make my next move.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Law Office of Kennington Groff – what should we know?
The Law Office of Kennington Groff is a purely transactional law firm working with people in the entertainment industry, small and online businesses, and people seeking protection for their intellectual property. Whether you are looking to have a contract drafted for your specific project, a contract reviewed that you have been offered, or an agreement negotiated, we cover a myriad of issues to ensure you get the proper legal advice to protect you and secure your rights.

The entertainment industry and legal field cover a lot of issues that people don’t even think about when they think about entertainment as a whole. Most people immediately think Jerry Maguire and agencies; however, there are so many other job positions when it comes to the business and legal side of entertainment. For example, entertainment law predominantly covers film and TV makers such as producers, writers, directors, actors or production companies; however, a variety of artists including, but not limited to, authors, photographers, social media stars, publishers, and celebrity chefs fall under this category as well.

The thing I am most proud of as a company is honestly just starting my own company. I used to talk to my roommate in law school about wanting to be my own boss at some point in my life. After I passed the bar, I figured why not start now. There has definitely been a learning curve, but I’m very grateful to have mentors both professionally and personally to guide me.

The thing that sets me apart from others is my entertainment experience in California and New York, and my drive to succeed. While I was in LA and NYC, I had the opportunity to work with top companies in the industry, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, and HBO, and learn from the best. I was very fortunate to have bosses who took the time to teach me what they do and gave me a wide range of business and legal issues to work on. On top of my work experiences, I also made a lot of friends that I keep in touch with who are pursuing their own entertainment careers. I know that as time goes on we will be calling each other not just to catch up, but to work together in our careers.

Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I don’t see Georgia’s entertainment industry slowing down one bit! On top of the state’s amazing tax incentives, Georgia has a lot of different terrains, plenty of land and buildings for production and production studios, a huge international airport, phenomenal restaurants (I’m a major foodie), and plenty of other things to attract Hollywood’s elite and people looking to get into the industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kenningtongroff.com/
• Phone: 404-444-3261
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenningtongroff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLawOfficeOfKenningtonGroff/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenningtongroff/

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