By Isabelle Speerin
When newly minted lawyer Lawnlia “Lawnie” Grant joined CMRRA in the late 80s, she wasn’t just stepping into a new role – she was stepping into a transformative era in Canadian music publishing.
Canada had just abolished compulsory licensing and the statutory mechanical rate, ushering in a new era of direct, market-based negotiations between music publishers and record labels. It was a seismic shift – and one that would soon shape her work at CMRRA.
Fresh from being called to the bar and articling at a Toronto Bay Street law firm, Grant was disillusioned by the hustle of billable hours and seeking more meaningful work. “I always knew I wanted to work in-house in music or entertainment law,” she said. “So when I saw a posting that David Basskin, who led CMRRA at the time, was looking for support with legal research, I thought, ‘This is it!’”
That decision led to a five-year tenure as CMRRA’s Director of Licensing and Assistant General Counsel, right as the agency was navigating the implications of Canada’s new licensing landscape. Back then, CMRRA was a lean operation. “We were maybe 12 to 15 people,” Grant said. “We all fit into the boardroom, and everything was done manually – paper files, folders, and a mainframe computer with terminals on each desk. Nothing was digital, we didn’t even have desktop computers when I started.”
One of her first assignments was to analyze and research controlled composition clauses in record label contracts, which often capped the income of artist-songwriters. With the industry still adjusting to a newly deregulated licensing environment, her work was both timely and foundational. “It meant we had to negotiate directly with record labels, and that gave us the opportunity to push for better rates and protections for songwriters and publishers,” Grant explained.
She and Basskin worked closely to build a case against the widespread use of non-negotiable controlled composition clauses. “We combed through dozens of contracts and pushed for the inclusion of a royalty floor,” she said. Negotiations were intense and Grant soon found herself sitting next to Basskin across the table from high-powered legal teams from every major label. The result was CMRRA’s first Mechanical Licensing Agreement, a landmark deal that established higher royalty rates and introduced a floor to limit the impact of controlled composition clause provisions. “It was a huge win for Canadian songwriters and publishers,” she said. “And it set a precedent for future negotiations.”
Beyond legal reform, Grant was instrumental in helping modernize CMRRA’s internal operations, which was largely paper-based at the time. “We were transitioning from folders and filing cabinets to Apple Macintosh computers with tiny boxy screens and floppy disks. David used to go from desk to desk setting up the new computers and insisted we all used email instead of written memos,” she recalled. “A systems expert was brought in to connect everything to the mainframe, and we began the shift from manual to digital processes. It was the beginning of a much more efficient, tech-enabled way of working.”
Grant played a key role in reshaping CMRRA’s licensing department. “I was the one who suggested we dedicate a staff member to each label,” she said. The impact was immediate. “Publishers knew exactly who to call, and relationships with labels became far more collaborative. I also interviewed and hired our first bilingual licensing clerk, Caroline Rioux, who later succeeded David as President of CMRRA.”
CMRRA in the early 90s was full of surprises – even in its staffing. “Our copyright relations work was once handled by Canadian musician and journalist Paul Myers, who is the older brother of actor and comedian, Mike Myers,” she recalled. “If a publisher had a dispute over song ownership, they’d call Paul. He’d investigate, gather paperwork from both sides, and determine the official split for the Canadian territory.”
When asked about her lasting impressions of her time at CMRRA, Grant points to Basskin’s determination to raise CMRRA’s profile beyond Canada’s borders. “He was one of the first leaders to proactively travel to the U.S. to meet music publishers and articulate CMRRA’s value proposition, including what we did with the controlled composition clause,” she said. “They were quite impressed, in fact, so much so, they tried to duplicate it in the United States.”
What stayed with her most, however, was the transformation unfolding within the organization itself. “I believe a lot of the groundwork and infrastructure changes David introduced are the reason CMRRA is what it is today,” she said. “Being there during that period was incredibly meaningful. It’s one thing to join an established organization and contribute to its growth but it’s another to witness that growth happening in real time. It was like planting a tree and watching it grow day by day.”
After leaving CMRRA in 1994, Grant relocated to Los Angeles to continue her career in music law. She later transitioned to television and held roles in both Los Angeles and Hong Kong as Legal Counsel for entertainment news website The Blast, Production Attorney for Hollywood Today Live at BiteSize Networks, and Legal Consultant for streaming platform Roku. She was also Director of Business Affairs for NBC/NBCUniversal and Senior VP Business Affairs, Licensing for Star TV in Hong Kong.
Today, Grant is an independent consultant, advising television producers, ad agencies, film companies, and content creators throughout the Greater Los Angeles area.
Looking back, Grant says her time at CMRRA was foundational to her career. “It gave me the chance to do meaningful work, to fight for fairness, and to be part of something bigger than myself,” she says. “I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I’m proud to have played a small part in CMRRA’s story.”
As CMRRA celebrates its 50th anniversary, Grant sees a bright future for the agency. “The music industry is more complex than ever, and we need agencies like CMRRA to help navigate that complexity,” she says. “They’ve proven time and again that they can adapt, innovate, and advocate for creators.”
Her advice to the next generation of music lawyers? “Stay curious. Stay principled. And never underestimate the power of a well-written clause.”
