[Winther Hughes] I own a boutique law firm, where my team and I provide in-house counsel and support counsel to existing in-house legal departments in emerging businesses with a footprint in media. 

[NAPW] Tell us a little bit about your career journey:

[Winther Hughes]  I started my career when I was an undergraduate and resident advisor at the University of Washington, where I began putting on concerts with many local Seattle bands who ended up selling millions of records.  At the same time, I was a PR intern at a local firm that organized all of the Seattle press junkets for Disney, Paramount and Warner Brothers.  My first job out of undergrad was as a marketing assistant for KING, the local NBC affiliate, and in my spare time I began promoting concerts outside the university setting.  I ended up running the largest mid-size venue in Seattle called RKCNDY and worked in the management company that represented Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam during the height of the Seattle grunge scene.

I was recruited to teach an Artist Management and Concert Production course at the Art Institute of Seattle and one of my featured guest speakers suggested that I go to law school – so I did.  I was able to utilize all of my real-world experience in the entertainment industry to craft a legal career right when the intersection of traditional media and technology began in the mid-90s. I was recruited out of law school to work in-house at RealNetworks, the company that invented streaming media.  While there I was responsible for creating some of the very first digital media licensing models, and my ability to bridge the “gap” between traditional entertainment and new technology proved very useful. 

After 8 years at RealNetworks, which is like working 7 years for every 1 year that passed, I decided to take a break and help my husband open an Irish pub on the beach in Seattle (he is from Northern Ireland).  My sabbatical was short-lived, and former executives from RealNetworks began recruiting me for projects and I started my own law firm, which is now known as Hughes Media Law Group.

[NAPW] When did you know this is what you wanted to do? Did you have an ‘ah ha’ moment?

[Winther Hughes]  I knew that I wanted to always work with innovators and entrepreneurs – at whatever level – for inspiration and camaraderie. I have the best of all worlds because I get to work with so many cool clients, and I look forward to meeting and working with many more to come.

[NAPW]  What are some of your greatest accomplishments and/or accolades?

[Winther Hughes]  I was recruited to teach Entertainment Law at my alma mater, Seattle University School of Law.  I was named one of the top 100 women in technology in Seattle and was the only lawyer on the list.  I’m always honored when I’m invited to participate in educational seminars for businesses and attorneys.  The greatest accomplishment for me, however, is when a client finds that the services I provide are valuable and above and beyond what most lawyers are willing to offer.

[NAPW]  Do you have a mantra?

[Winther Hughes] Live each day with integrity, stand behind your decisions however difficult they are to make, and always be able to look at yourself in the mirror.

[NAPW]  What inspires you on a day-to-day basis?

[Winther Hughes]  The little things, a phone call, a successful negotiation, a text from my husband – I appreciate my friends, family, and colleagues so much and have built an amazing network of people who have so much integrity. 

[NAPW]  What is on your iPod?

[Winther Hughes] Alice in Chains, The Beatles, The Cult, Dead can Dance, cast of Glee, Mazzy Star, Mark Lanegan, U2, Van Halen.  But, I haven’t had the chance to update it since I got a new iPhone.

[NAPW]  Tell us a funny story about you.

[Winther Hughes] Gosh, there are too many – I can’t pick!