Meet Kennington Groff | Intellectual Property and Entertainment Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kennington Groff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kennington, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Johns Creek, GA. I grew up always playing outside and constantly playing sports every season with my friends. My parents were very involved in all of my after-school activities and I have had a very close relationship with them and my best friends who I met when I was young. My parents did not allow us to watch tv during the week, so my sister and I always got creative and found ways to entertain ourselves. My parents are both in sales and always encouraged my sister and I to get a job when we were young. When I was 11, one of my best friends and I started a gift-wrapping business during the holidays. We named it the Jolly Elves. We created flyers and went around the neighborhood handing them out to everyone. This business lasted for several years until I got my license and got a job in customer service. I had to learn to balance school, sports and working, but having learned that at such a young age that has made my ability to juggle pressure and a constantly moving and ever-changing environment with a sense of ease and confidence. Having worked so many different jobs growing up, including gift wrapping, nannying, customer service, teaching people how to wake board, on movie sets, coaching basketball and as a personal assistant to an owner of a design firm all before my legal career started, I learned the value of a strong work ethic and mastered various skills that I still use today as an attorney. All of the jobs from a young age and the support system I had always cheering me on, encouraging me to do better and never settle have influenced the person I am today and how I make decisions in my career and personal life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The firm I work for is Lilenfeld PC. We are a boutique intellectual property and entertainment firm based in Atlanta, but helping Clients throughout the United States and internationally. I think the biggest thing that sets us apart is our hands-on approach with each and every Client, followed by our unmatched expertise. Since we are a small firm, we are able to provide that one on one interaction, support and guidance. Many Client’s even have our cell numbers if they ever need to reach out to us. The thing I am most proud of and excited about is that I love what I do. I found a career path that I truly enjoy. I get so excited to share my experiences and help Clients in the best way that I can whether they are facing a dispute, need assistance protecting their businesses and ideas or need general guidance. Nothing in life worth fighting for and pursuing is ever easy. Everything worth going for takes a lot of drive, pivoting, and willingness to adapt and grow. I’m always open to trying new things, taking a leap of faith and being open minded about the opportunities that come my way. With each door that has opened, I have learned a new skill and been fueled even more to keep pushing, keep bettering myself and keep growing in the work I do and where I want to go. Every experience has helped me keeping moving in a forward path and not look back.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a big supporter of Atlanta and everything it has to offer, this one is an easy one for me. First and foremost, I am taking them to Taqueria del Sol. We will likely be eating here more than once on their visit and they will probably laugh at the fact that the cashier does not have to ask my name. Assuming they arrive on a Friday night, we are doing the Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour on Saturday morning. I tell everyone they have to do this tour on Saturday mornings because it is the best way to see all the different areas of Atlanta and learn about its rich history. Following this tour, we are going to go walk on the beltline to visit Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market. The great thing about these two places is there incredible food halls, so while I will be getting Botiwalla, my friend has plenty of options to choose from. Then, we will make our way to New Realm Brewery to sit on their top deck, have a drink and enjoy the view and each other’s company. We will finish the weekend on Sunday having breakfast at the Highland Bakery, where I will be recommending they indulge in the fried chicken benedict. Following this, we will ride scooters around the city and I’ll take them to Centennial Olympic Park to show them the brick with my name on it that my parents purchased when the Olympics came to Atlanta. While I could go on for hours describing the food and places to visit in Atlanta, I will keep the rest of my answer short and just list some of my favorites that will be high on the list. Some of my other favorite places to eat are Superica, Ok Café, Buttermilk Kitchen, Little Bangkok, Canoe and Chops. One of my favorite drinks in Atlanta is the Capitol Grille’s In Fashion which is their take on an Old Fashioned and I also love Urban Tree Cidery over on the Westside. Other activities include exploring Oakland Cemetery and walking around Piedmont Park. And if there is time, we will make our way to Lake Oconee to enjoy a day on the water. Lastly, before they head out, we will go to Peachtree Road Farmers Market at The Cathedral of St. Phillip on Saturday morning. I like supporting local businesses in Georgia and it’s a great place to pick up breakfast and several things to cook for the week. I’ll get to send them off with some local snacks that they can take home while the reminiscence.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have had a lot of great mentors and encouragers along the way. Obviously since day one my parents have been my biggest supporters. I am very Type A and always analyzing things and making plans to try to make sure I make the right call with several back-up plans in place just in case. While they are always there to listen and provide advice, they are also great at telling me to “make a decision and move on.” Also, my mom gives a phenomenal pep talk to boost anyone’s confidence, including several of my friends. While my parents have been my lifelong cheerleaders, I have also had several other people in my life who have been great mentors and friends. First, my group of best friends have been a tremendous support system, shoulder to lean on and pump up squad. We lived together through all the awkward stages, relationships, college days, new jobs, weddings and now kids. They have encouraged me every step of the way and even came to visit me in California when I was in law school. Next, I also have a great mentor and friend in my boss, David Lilenfeld. I feel like it is hard in life, especially in the work force, for a lot of people to find a mentor and someone willing to invest their time and energy into helping someone else develop their career. He has always encouraged me to build a practice that I love, provide great advice and let me know he has my back every step of the way.

Email: kg@lilenfeld.com
Website: https://lilenfeldpc.com/about-us/the-team/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenningtongroff/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenningtongroff/
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