Read about Stacey's professional accomplishments and interests.
Are you looking for a speaker on the topics of entertainment and film? Learn more.
A sampling of Stacey's industry events and engagements. Learn more.
Stacey graduated with honors from Michigan State University where she received a degree in Business Administration. She received her J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. At the University of Connecticut School of Law, Stacey was the Editor-in-Chief and Information Technology Editor for the Connecticut Journal of International Law. She was the recipient of the Honorable James M. Higgins Award and the Joseph Glick Prize for Excellence in International Law.
Stacey practiced for over a decade at one of the country’s top law firms before opening her own firm. Stacey has been named Top 40 Under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal, a Rising Star by Alabama SuperLawyers in Entertainment Law (2011-2015), a Mid-South Rising Star by SuperLaywers (2016-2020) Mid-South Super Lawyer by SuperLawyers (2021, 2022), “Best of the Bar” in Entertainment Law by the Birmingham Business Journal, a Top Female Attorney by B-Metro Magazine (2015-2022), and named by Birmingham Magazine as one of “Birmingham’s Top Attorney’s in Entertainment Law (2009, 2012-13, 2015-22). Stacey was the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (Birmingham, Alabama) in 2012.
In 2009, the Alabama State Bar appointed Stacey to be Chair of a Task Force to study the creation of an Entertainment and Sports Law section. In 2010, the Intellectual Property Section expanded to become the Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section. Stacey chaired the Section in 2012 and 2013 and served as the Editor of the Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section Newsletter during that time.
In addition to practicing law, Stacey is an award winning screenwriter, director and producer. She made her directorial debut in 2019 with her dramedy short CHERRY and her short documentary PIE IN THE PUSS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIEING IN FILM. Collectively, the films screened at over 30 festivals, including DC Shorts, Edmonton International Film Festival, BendFilm and Cucalorus Festival. Her debut film, THE SIBLING CODE (wrote/produced), screened at nearly a dozen festivals, including Nantucket Film Festival. The comedy stars Amy Okuda (ATYPCIAL), Jonathan Lisecki (GAYBY) and Amy Hill (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and was directed by former Sundance Film Festival programmer, Roberta Marie Munroe Davis’ most recent production, A HAND TO HOLD, an animated short based on a poem written by Davis, premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival and continues to screen on the festival circuit, with screenings at Nantucket Film Festival, Lagos Festival of Animation (Nigeria), Evolution! Mallorca Film Festival (Spain) and Tallgrass Film Festival.
Davis’ most recent script, the political drama, THE PARTY, is in development. Her screwball comedy BURYING THE LEAD won Best Feature Screenplay at the 2017 Broad Humor Film Festival, and she has placed in the following competitions: Nicholl Fellowship; Page (Top 25 in Comedy) and Austin Film Festival. She has participated in Squaw Valley’s Screenwriting Conference, the Stowe Story Labs’ Narrative Lab as well as its Writer’s Retreat program.
In various producer roles, her films include JOCKEY (Sundance 2021); SWAN SONG (SXSW 2021); SWORD OF TRUST (SXSW, dir. Lynn Shelton; starring Marc Maron), LITTLE SISTER (SXSW, written/directed by Zach Clark, starring Addison Timlin, Ally Sheedy and Peter Hedges, and named by “The New Yorker” as the best film of 2016); 1985 (SXSW, written/directed by Yen Tan, starring Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis), THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY (starring Robyn Lively and Shanola Hampton) and SOCIAL ANIMALS (starring Noel Wells, Samira Wiley and Josh Radnor).
Stacey lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband and two sons.
Stacey has served as a Board Member/Officer for the Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema (The Sidewalk Film Festival) for over ten years and is the immediate past-President of the organization. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Stowe Story Labs. Stacey is a former board member of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and Birmingham Festival Theatre.
To invite Stacey to speak at an upcoming event, please contact her at sdavis@staceydavislaw.com.
The Whole Truth: Entertainment Lawyers Tell All - Film Fatales - September 2022
Moderator, along with panelists Erika Easter (eMinutes), Erika Canchola (Ramo Law) and Nina Ameri (Ameri Law)
Sponsored by Film Fatales
Funding Your Film in Alabama - SideTalks - August 2022
Moderator, along with panelists Caroline von Kühn (Director - Industry & Catalyst - Sundance Institute), Kristy Garcia Breneman (Executive Director - Southern Documentary Fund), Chuck Holmes (Executive Director - Alabama Humanities Alliance) and Amy Jenkins (Visual Arts Program Manager - Alabama State Council on the Arts)
Sponsored by 24th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
Creative Sustainability Panel - SideTalks – August 2021
Panelist, along with Jen West and Eric Napier
Sponsored by 23rd Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
Lunch & Learn - Legal Advice for Indie Filmmakers - May 2021
Panelist, along with Erika Canchola (Ramo Law)
Sponsored by Seed&Spark
Producers Working with Lawyers - April 2021
Panelist, along with Alexa Whiteside, Kathryn M. Moseley, Lisha Yakub and Tiffany Boyle
Platform: Clubhouse
2020 Southern Women in Film & TV Summit - Elevating and Protecting Your Content - October 17, 2020
Panelist
Sponsored by Nashville Women in Film & Television
Juror - Narrative and documentary shorts, Lake County Film Festival - November 2020
Women in Film Week - HALF THE PICTURE post-film panel - March 2020
Moderator, along with panelists Kira Fonteneau, Michele Forman, Somica Spratley and Virginia Newcomb
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema
Juror - Narrative and documentary features, Fairhope Film Festival - November 2019
Documentaries and Mockumentaries - November 2019
Panelist, along with Lauren Musgrove, Tamika Moore, Pandora Heathcoe, Stephen Savage and Paige Klone
Sponsored by Fairhope Film Festival
IndieWomen Producing IndieFilm w/ Christine Vachon - October 2019
Panelist, along with Aimee Lynn Barneburg (Clementine), Alex Creswick (The Blackout) and Catherine Rierson (Mossville: When Great Trees Fall)
Moderated by Christine Vachon (Carol)
Sponsored by BendFilm
WeTalk Season 2 Episode 7: There's a New Boycott in Town - August 2019
Panelist, along with Melodie Sisk (producer, actress and director) and Molly Coffee (director and Creative Director of Film Impact Georgia)
Moderated by Ondi Timoner
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival
Juror, Sidewrite Screenwriting Competition, Sidewalk Film Festival - August 2018
Sidewalk Salon - International Film Sales – July 2018
Moderator, with panelist Colby Leopard
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema
Juror, Narrative features, Azalea Film Festival - November 2016
Film Fatales: Women in Film – October 8, 2016
Panelist, along with Allison Otto (producer/director, Property), Dawn Jones Redstone (writer/director, Sista in the Brotherhood), Lila Yanow (producer, Cotton Mouth). Moderated by Maggie Renzie
Sponsored by BendFilm Festival
Workshop: Business and Entertainment Law – April 9, 2016
Panelist
Sponsored by 2016 Sports & Entertainment Industry Symposium
Entertainment Law: The Basics – March 9, 2016
Guest Lecturer
Sponsored by University of Alabama School of Law
Q & A with Stacey – March 9, 2016
Guest Speaker
Sponsored by University of Alabama School of Law, Entertainment and Sports Law Society
Ask An Entertainment Lawyer – January 20, 2016
Presenter
Sponsored by New Mavericks, Atlanta Film Society @ Java Vino
Sidewalk Salon - Crowdfunding – October 2015
Panelist
Sponsored by Alabama Moving Image Association
Just Do It - SideTalks – August 2015
Panelist
Sponsored by 17th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
Copyright or Wrong: Fair Use in a Digital World – November 14, 2014
Panelist
Sponsored by American Advertising Federation – Birmingham
Documentary Filmmaking and the Law – SideTalks - August 23, 2014
Panelist
Sponsored by 16th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
“Ten Tips for Employers Operating in Cyberspace” – September 2013
Panelist, Labor & Employment Breakfast Briefing
Sponsored by Baker Donelson
Summary: Use of social media in hiring, employee’s right to privacy, terms and conditions/privacy policies, posting and linking to third- party content.
“Indie Filmmaking and the Law” – SideTalks - August 2013
Panelist
Sponsored by 15th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
Summary: Tips every independent filmmaker should know when producing their first feature.
“Elvis Has Left the Building But His Right of Publicity Has Not” – July 2013
Moderator, Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting
Sponsored by Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the ASB
Summary: Right of publicity under Alabama law, including statutory protections, common law rights, post-mortem rights, infringement and defenses.
“Film Adaptations” – Sidewalk Salon - April 2013
Moderator
Sponsored by Alabama Moving Image Association
Summary: Writer John Marc Green, along with Birmingham entertainment attorney and writer, Stacey Davis, discussed adapting existing material (books, plays, songs) into screenplays and films.
Alabama Entertainment Lawyer Overview – October 2012
Guest Speaker
Sponsored by Entertainment and Sports Law Society (Cumberland School of Law)
Summary: With an active group of listeners, discussed the myriad of legal issues facing an entertainment lawyer on any given day, include copyright infringement, contract negotiation, collaborating with accountants on film finance and state tax incentive issues.
“What to Do When the Majors Don’t Come Knocking” – August 2012
Panel Moderator, 4th Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the IPE&S Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: Learn what to do (and what not to do) when raising funds through crowd funding, investment, state tax incentives and other common fundraising vehicles.
4th Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE – August 2012
Organizer and Welcome Introductions
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the IPE&S Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: An inside look at the entertainment and intellectual property law issues facing the film and music industries in Alabama.
Entertainment Law in Louisiana Seminar – April 2012
Guest Speaker
Sponsored by New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC)and Loyola University College of Law Sports and Entertainment Law Society
“Lights, Camera, (Legal) Action” – April 2012
Panelist, New Orleans, Louisiana
Sponsored Baker Donelson
Summary: Key legal issues relating to developing, producing and distributing a motion picture.
3rd Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE – April 2011
Organizer and Welcome Introductions
Sponsored Sidewalk Film Festival, the IPE&S Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: An inside look at the entertainment and intellectual property law issues facing the film and music industries in Alabama.
“Intellectual Property Overview” – July 2011
Panelist, Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting
Sponsor: Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the ASB
Summary: Overview of copyright law, trademark law, trade secrets and patents.
“From Page to Screen” – September 2010
Panel Moderator, 2nd Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the IPE&S Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: Tips on negotiating literary publishing agreements, film option and purchase agreements and life story rights agreements.
2nd Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE – September 2010
Organizer and Welcome Introductions
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the Intellectual Property Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: An inside look at the entertainment and intellectual property law issues facing the film and music industries in Alabama.
“Rights in the Digital Age” – SideTalks - September 2010
Panelist
Sponsored by 12th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival
“Protecting Your Ideas” – Sidewalk Salon - December 2009
Panelist
Sponsored by Alabama Moving Image Association
Summary: Protect your screenplay idea, registering your treatment or script, copyright infringement, fair use, parody.
“Film 101: An Introduction to Film Development and Production” – September 2009
Speaker, 1st Annual Film and Music in Alabama CLE
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: Introductory overview or the legal issues arising in the development, production and distribution of film.
1st Annual Film and Music CLE in Alabama – September 2009
Organizer and Welcome Introductions
Sponsored by Sidewalk Film Festival, the Intellectual Property, Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the ASB and Baker Donelson
Summary: An inside look at the entertainment and intellectual property law issues facing the film and music industries in Alabama.
“Lights, Camera, (Legal) Action: Key Legal Issues Relating to Developing, Producing and Distributing a Motion Picture” – 2008
Guest Lecturer, Cumberland School of Law
Summary: Provided an overview of the issues and challenges facing entertainment lawyers working in all facets of the film industry.