The Living Legends Foundation proudly honored Louise C. West, CEO of West Entertainment Services, with the Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award at its prestigious 2025 Living Legends Foundation Awards Gala, held Friday, October 3rd, in Atlanta, Georgia. West was recognized for her extraordinary contributions to the music and entertainment industry as a legal advocate and change maker. Her legal expertise and pioneering spirit have helped the careers of some of the most successful artists, producers, and executives in contemporary music.
As a music industry attorney and executive, West has represented an impressive roster of clients, including Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Glenn Jones, Al B. Sure!, Carl Thomas, Roc-A-Fella Records, Damon Dash, Hip Hop Since 1978 (Kanye West’s production company), Trey Songz, Stephen “Static” Garrett, Noah “40” Shebib, Anthony Hamilton, Gary Taylor, DJ Clark Kent, Mark Green, and AllHipHop.com. Her sharp negotiating skills and strategic insight have been instrumental in shaping business models and contractual practices across the entertainment landscape.
West has been a driving force for change, equity, and inclusion in entertainment law. In 1980, she co-founded the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA)—an organization dedicated to mentorship, networking, and professional advancement among Black attorneys and executives. Through BESLA, West helped cultivate a dynamic community of legal and entertainment professionals while leading initiatives that secured pay parity for Black music executives, transforming industry compensation standards and promoting fairness throughout the business. Her leadership and advocacy have earned her an induction into the BESLA Hall of Fame (1998) and the BESLA ICON Award (2017)—honors that reflect her enduring impact on generations of legal and entertainment professionals.
A graduate of Fisk University and American University Law School, West began her legal career as a copyright examiner at the U.S. Copyright Office and the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. She later joined the law firm Patterson, Michaels, Dinkins & Jones as an associate before founding West Entertainment Services, a boutique music and new media law firm based in New York City. In the academia world, she worked as a lecturer for the Practicing Law Institute and taught “Legal Protection of Music, Art, and Literature” at Howard University.
Today, she continues her service as a member of the BESLA Advisory Board and a trustee of the R&B Foundation, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to preserving and advancing Black music heritage. Receiving the Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award solidifies West’s place among the entertainment industry’s most respected pioneers. Her recognition by the Living Legends Foundation celebrates a career defined by excellence, advocacy, and transformative leadership.
