Liz Garner is the Founder of Garner Group Music. She is a music publishing and copyright law expert with special expertise in catalog valuation and acquisition, as well as project management. She is well-known in the Atlanta scene for ensuring artists, producers, and co-writers register copyrights and splits in-studio, earning her the nickname “Studio Momma.”

Garner founded Garner Group Music in 1995, when her twin sister and business partner, Elise, introduced her to legendary producer and songwriter Dallas Austin. The business quickly took off, with Garner working alongside Austin and contributing to projects for TLC, Lenny Kravitz, Monica, Usher, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Akon, Outkast, P!nk, Blu Cantrell, Mýa, Tyrese, B2K, Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton, Jagged Edge, and more. With guidance from mentor Jheryl Busby, producer and former CEO of Motown Records, she achieved a major early-career win when she was contacted by John McClain to coordinate a project for Michael Jackson. In 2001, Garner joined Busby as a part of the urban marketing team for Dreamworks Records, under RedZone Entertainment artists Tamar Braxton and Sole.

In 2005, Garner transitioned her focus to music publishing and copyright law. Together with Jeanie Mason, one of the authors of The Copyright Act of 1976, she spearheaded landmark projects, including the termination of copyrights for the legendary Isaac Hayes. After years of meticulous effort, Garner helped the Hayes estate file its first termination in December 2014, ensuring the rights reverted to Hayes’ heirs. Garner continues her efforts in terminating rights for artists such as Mint Condition, Montell Jordan, Brian Morgan, Shep Crawford, Kawan Prather, and many others.

Garner remains deeply involved with the music catalogs of Dallas Austin and Isaac Hayes. She was instrumental in brokering a major deal between Austin and Reservoir Media, and she now serves as Vice President of Publishing for Dallas Austin Music and DAD Global Music Publishing, overseeing Austin’s extensive catalog. In addition, Garner continues to manage the Isaac Hayes Enterprises catalog alongside Isaac Hayes III and collaborates with Primary Wave on name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives. Garner also played an instrumental role in the 2024 lawsuit brought by Isaac Hayes Enterprises against Donald J. Trump for copyright infringement over his use of “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” which was written by Hayes and David Porter. The lawsuit reached a mutual resolution in early 2026.

In 2019, Garner expanded her focus to include catalog valuation and acquisitions. Her team has become a powerhouse in publishing acquisitions, new publishing deals, and NIL agreements for legacy catalogs. Some of the major deals they have closed include Dallas Austin, Isaac Hayes Jr., Tony Mercedes, Kevin McCall, Anthony Bell, DaBrat, and Michael and Robert Silverman, just to name a few.

Garner has spoken at the annual Music Biz conference and is a member of the Music Business Association, The Recording Academy, and A2IM. She also serves on the Board of Directors Advisory Counsel for the Georgia Tech College of Design and School of Music, where she runs the Instrumental Conversations series. The series brings top-level talent and professionals to Georgia Tech to provide real-world advice to students and professors, with previous guests including Dallas Austin, Isaac Hayes III, Kawan “KP” Prather, DL Warfield, Octavious Crouch, Wendy Day, Nikki Marshall, and Leslie Brathwaite. On tap for 2026 is Killer Mike, Big Boi, and the Dungeon Family.  Garner’s passions run far beyond the music industry as well, through her work with Hi-SEAS Adventure Therapy for veterans and Silence the Shame for suicide prevention. You may even know her from Garner Girls Specialty Foods, where she made award-winning pickles, cakes, and cupcakes with her sister. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.