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Jonathan Faber, J.D. ’99, says he was on a path toward law school when he was an undergraduate student. During that time, he also was on a path toward becoming a rock star.

Faber (in the photo at left with his arm around his then-girlfriend now wife, Meg) said he would attend classes at Wittenberg University, located in Springfield, Ohio, and commute to Cincinnati where his band, Surrender Dorothy, at the time was close to landing a record deal with a major label. Faber’s music was guitar-oriented rock, but grunge rock was on the rise, and it was tough for someone with a disciplined, technique-driven style on the guitar to break through.

That break didn’t come through, but he got close. After completing his undergraduate studies, Faber said he spent time in Los Angeles working for a joint venture between Time Warner and Atlantic Records. During this time, he was given the chance to create a soundtrack to an audiobook release for a bestselling author, did some studio work for Time Warner Atlantic, and was able to join the Recording Academy as a voting member for the Grammy Awards.

Throughout his time in California, Faber said “the impression I had was that lawyers were running things, and I wanted to improve my odds. I felt that rather than relying on luck or trends, I would invest in my education and control what I could control, so I committed to law school. Looking back, it is clear that my musical background merged with my professional career in various ways.”

With a vague idea of finding a way into the entertainment industry, Faber enrolled in law school at IU McKinney where he gravitated toward intellectual property courses. Today, Faber is the founder and managing partner of Luminary Group, which is the exclusive representative of rightowners including Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, Jesse Owens, John Wooden, Satchel Paige, Johnny Unitas, and others. He also is of counsel with McNeely Law LLP. Faber’s work (as then-president of CMG) provided him the opportunity to play guitar with the legendary Chuck Berry at Berry’s home (in the photo at left). Faber is especially proud, he said, of the work his firm has done on behalf of Indiana native and cycling phenomenon Major Taylor. Taylor’s likeness is depicted in a mural on the east side of the Barnes & Thornburg building in downtown Indianapolis. When Taylor was named a posthumous recipient of the Jesse Owens Award at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Taylor’s great-granddaughter, Karen Brown Donovan, mentioned Faber and the work his firm did on her great-grandfather’s behalf. “Being recognized in her acceptance speech was especially meaningful,” Faber said.

“From the outset of working with celebrities or their families, I enjoyed handling live negotiations, understanding the priorities of a given client, identifying optimal outcomes, and trying to get as close to those as possible,” Faber said. “I quickly came to the realization that in many instances, those on the other side of the proverbial table did not necessarily have any better information or capability, regardless of age or area code.”

Faber’s expertise made him a natural choice when an objective, accurate assessment of the value of certain rights pertaining to Prince was needed after Prince died. He completed this work in 2022. It’s work Faber had done before, serving as an expert witness in cases involving personalities like Uma Thurman, Drake, Nikki Sixx, Shaun White, the Ramones, 50 Cent, and Zooey Deschanel, and companies like Target, Kohl’s, Lancôme, Oakley, Citizens Watch, Vans, the RealReal, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For the Prince matter, Faber was tasked with analyzing and valuing commercial activity and intellectual property associated with Prince’s name, image, and likeness. 

“I had to study anything which would impact the value of certain rights from an estate perspective at the time that he died,” Faber said of Prince. “The valuation was not affected by the absence of a will, though those responsible for determining eligibility and legal entitlement to his estate no doubt had a lot to sort through.”

Faber is a familiar face around Inlow Hall and IU McKinney students have the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business in this area of the law. He teaches The Right of Publicity as an adjunct professor at the law school and will commemorate his twentieth consecutive year of teaching that class in 2024.

“I enjoy the variations this area brings, how it touches on various nuances of the law, business, and technology, and the opportunities it has afforded me,” Faber said. “The Right of Publicity has been the ultimate all-access pass!”