Music’s Legal Elite 2026: Meet the Attorneys Who Help the Stars Shine

Lisa Alter
Partner
Katie Baron
Partner

Alter, Kendrick & Baron

Alter and Baron negotiated and closed more than $1 billion in music transactions, including Iconic Artists Group’s acquisition of Rod Stewart’s publishing and music catalog and a partnership with RZA centered on the Wu-Tang Clan catalog. They also advised Reservoir Media and Influence Media Partners on catalog acquisitions, financing and other transactions involving Miles Davis, Mannie Fresh, Louis Prima, DJ Khaled, Future, Enrique Iglesias and Blake Shelton, as well as a separate music-backed securitization. The pair counseled KKR on debt financing provided to HarbourView Equity Partners and served as intellectual property counsel on Sony Music Entertainment’s acquisition of Ultra Records.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Baron: “Fostering the growth and development of our associates and watching them apply lessons learned working under us as they come into their own as attorneys capable of taking on increasingly complex matters.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Alter: “Stakeholders failing to act collectively to protect their interests and instead fighting for their respective piece of the pie. In contrast, when record labels, publishers, songwriters, and artists work collaboratively to bolster music copyright protection by advancing legislative initiatives such as the NO FAKES ACT, the industry as a whole is strengthened.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
Baron: “Stay true to your values in all aspects of your practice, don’t compromise yourself for profits, and be kind to both your colleagues and your adversaries.”

Jason Boyarski
Founding partner
David Fritz
Founding partner

Boyarski Fritz

Boyarski represented Blackpink star Jisoo in her solo deal with Warner Records and negotiated Fetty Wap’s new Atlantic/300 deal following the rapper’s streaming resurgence. Fritz recently renegotiated Lil Tecca’s publishing and record deals with Universal and Republic Records, respectively, handled the music clearances for Amazon’s “Melania” — including negotiations with the Rolling Stones and the estates of Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson —and negotiated a catalog sale for Marc Anthony to GoDigital.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?  
Boyarski: “We have brokered and negotiated more than a dozen catalog sales in the past year across many genres, and  have worked to help re-energize the careers of high-profile and new recording artists including Bebe Rexha, Fetty Wap (we helped to secure his very first direct recording agreement with Atlantic Records/300, terminating his prior production deal, and helping to release his first album post-jail release), Jisoo and Kylie Jenner. We have also negotiated new deals for some rising stars like “Camp Rock 3” star Hudson Stone (Disney Music/Hollywood) and Tiffany Stringer (Atlantic Records). Lastly, our client Cirkut won Producer of the Year at the Grammys!”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Boyarski: “The biggest threat is the saturation of quality music discovery due to massive volume making it far more difficult for large scale success — it has created a “lower to middle class” for recording artists who can make just enough money to get by but swim in a massive sea. AI certainly plays a role in this threat because of the volume it adds to the marketplace, but it is not purely derivative. While the financial health of the music business relies on broadscale streaming, the discovery of music has become so segregated, niche and saturated that fans can get lost without direction to collectively get behind one set of artists to give them enough support to build a a real fan base.”   

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
Boyarski: “We are honored to work with creative geniuses who create some of the world’s most valued art. We must always make sure the deal never gets in the way or overshadows the creation of art.”

Jonathan Sperling
Partner and chair of music industry group
Neema Sahni
Partner, co-chair of music industry group
Adrian J. Perry
Co-chair of music industry group
Phillip Hill
Of counsel

Covington & Burling

One of the more tight-lipped firms covered in this year’s list, Covington has been involved in several major catalog deals in the past year that it has shared with Variety on the condition of confidentiality. Its music industry group represents a wide range of clients, including catalog acquisition work for Shamrock Capital, Duetti and Influence Media Partners, as well as Sony Music, BMI, SESAC, Downtown, Runner Music, the Black Music Action Coalition, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Peloton and Avid Technology (makers of Pro Tools). It represented Sony Music Entertainment in a lawsuit against Napster seeking unpaid royalties and damages for copyright infringement, resulting in a judgment in Sony Music’s favor for more than $20 million.

David Dormon
General counsel
Claire Jacobs
Senior VP, legal affairs & regulatory compliance
Bea Koramblyum
Global head of business affairs & VP of business development
James Ball
VP, legal & business affairs

Downtown Music

Virgin Music Group’s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music placed Dormon, Jacobs, Koramblyum and Ball at the center of one of the year’s biggest music-business transactions. The team guided the multi-jurisdictional deal while continuing to oversee legal and business affairs across Downtown’s publishing, distribution and artist-services operations. At the time of the acquisition, Downtown served more than 4 million creators and 5,000 business clients across 145 countries. The team also negotiated a range of publishing, distribution and partner agreements, including deals with Budde Music, Notable Music and Josa Records in support of breakout Música Mexicana star Netón Vega.

Cynthia Katz
Partner
Heidy Vaquerano
Partner
Ken Abdo
Partner
Tim Mandelbaum
Partner

Fox Rothschild

Fox Rothschild has provided legal counsel for an array of musicians, including Wu-Tang Clan, Blink-182, Motley Crue, Jodeci, $uicideboy$, Jason Derulo and many more. But the firm’s work with global investment firm HarbourView Equity Partners has become an increasing priority over the past year as they’ve helped close hundreds of transactions worth billions of dollars. Among the deals were the acquisitions of catalogs and music publishing companies from Max Martin and Shellback, the Quincy Jones estate and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. Additionally, the firm secured more than $500 million in debt financing from over 75 catalogs from artists including James Fauntleroy, Christine McVie, Nelly, Kane Brown and Wiz Khalifa. It also advised Concord in its acquisition of Mothership Music Publishing’s assets.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Vaquerano/Katz: “We are extremely proud to have handled many of the most defining music business transactions of the past year, including the acquisition of Quincy Jones’ catalog for Harbourview Equity Partners and the sale of the $uicideboy$’ catalogs to Chord and HarbourView, among others. We strive to be on the cutting edge in our client representation.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Vaquerano/Katz: “The potential for generative AI to cause market devaluation by flooding streaming platforms with thousands of sound-alike tracks is a real threat that industry stakeholders are proactively trying to prevent right now. We are at a major turning point where legislation needs to meet the moment by protecting creators’ rights and contributions.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
Vaquerano/Katz: “As music attorneys, we work daily to structure our deals in ways that prioritize creator rights. We incentivize creative contributions to society while also consistently advocating for transparency and fairness when it comes to rights holders’ compensation.”

Donald S. Passman
Partner
Ethan Schiffres
Partner
J. Eugene (Gene) Salomon Jr.
Managing partner

Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman

The music team at Gang Tyre represents a formidable roster of superstars, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Billie Eilish, Elton John, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman, Neil Diamond, Cher, Anthony Ramos, Hailee Steinfeld and “Sinners” star Miles Caton. The firms also handled the deal for Quincy Jones’ catalog sale, Zac Brown’s Sphere residency, Green Day’s pre-game Super Bowl performance and an exceptionally busy year for Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Ludwig Göransson (“Sinners,” “The Odyssey” and “Star Wars” films). Passman, of course, occupies a unique position as author of the definitive guide “All You Need to Know About the Music Business,” and is working on its 12th edition.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Salomon: “I take pride in our clients’ accomplishments and enjoy having played some role behind the scenes in helping that happen.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Salomon: “There are a number of ongoing lawsuits regarding [AI] training on copyrighted material that could have significant negative impact on the music business if they go the wrong way.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
Salomon: “For the industry, I think music attorneys need to continue to advocate for artists’ rights.  When artists are well-represented, the industry thrives. As to the world, I think all lawyers, not just music attorneys, have an obligation to use our voices and positions of privilege to advocate for justice and the rule of law.”

Damien Granderson
Partner
Guy Blake
Partner
Elizabeth Moody
Partner
Colin Morrissey
Partner

Granderson Des Rochers

The Granderson Des Rochers team balances a roster of clients — A$AP Rocky, Raye, J Balvin, Wizkid and Rod Wave, among others — with companies and labels including Quality Control, SoundCloud and Issa Rae’s Raedio. The past year has seen Morrissey negotiating tour deals with Live Nation for Ne-Yo and Bryson Tiller. Granderson handled Rocky’s appointment as a Chanel ambassador in November and his headlining “Don’t Be Dumb” world tour, as well as Raye’s tour earlier this year. Notably, the firm has established a presence in the AI space as Moody brokered historic deals between Udio and Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Merlin, plus Roblox’s partnership with UMG.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Moody: “My proudest accomplishment of the year was negotiating mutually beneficial deals between Udio and the music industry, and helping Udio move closer to launching its AI-based fan platform later this year, by fostering favorable deals for artists and labels with the company. Udio now has deals with Universal, Warner, Merlin, and Believe, on the record label side, and on the publishing side with Universal Publishing, Warner Chappell Publishing, Kobalt, Peer and much of the rest of the independent publishing community through its deal with the National Music Publishers Association.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Moody: “The music industry still has a fear of artificial intelligence, and this fear is holding it back. AI is not going away. So instead of fighting it, we all need to be strategic and collaborative about how we handle it. AI can mean many different things. It can be a helpful compositional tool for artists, when used appropriately with proper protections for copyrightability. It can improve content discoverability to help fans and artists find each other. It can improve data matching and royalty flows. It can improve artist/fan experiences. And, of course, it can be used to permit users around the world to more easily create music. Rather than being scared by this emerging landscape, we should ensure that proper artist approvals and royalty structures are built into licensing deals and proper tracking and attribution mechanisms are adopted to ensure existing artists, songwriters and other rights holders are appropriately credited and compensated when their works are used in connection with these new technologies and use cases.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
Moody: “Music attorneys can ensure that they are working collaboratively across all the music industry players: artists, songwriters, live venues, labels, publishers and tech companies. Artist attorneys, in particular, can educate their clients about the new developments and opportunities in the space, so they can make educated decisions about their art.”

Bobby Rosenbloum
Chairman, global entertainment & media practice
Jeff Biederman
Shareholder, entertainment & media practice, Los Angeles
Steve Plinio
Shareholder, entertainment & media practice, Los Angeles
Jess Rosen
Shareholder, co-chair, Atlanta entertainment & media practice

Greenberg Traurig

Rosenbloum led negotiations on the Recording Academy’s $500 million-plus agreement with Disney and ABC, bringing the Grammys to Disney after more than five decades at CBS. He also advised clients including Spotify, Apple TV+, Meta, Snap, Twitch, OpenAI, Stability AI, AEG Presents and the Country Music Assn. Biederman oversaw the sale of a majority interest in the Miles Davis estate’s publishing and recorded-music rights, along with deals involving songwriter Josh Kear and N.W.A.’s DJ Yella. Plinio represented clients including Gamma, Wendy Melvoin, Josh Klinghoffer and Jeezy in more than $25 million worth of entertainment and music industry transactions. Rosen negotiated Kenny Chesney’s Sphere residency, Miranda Lambert’s catalog sale and publishing agreements, Kacey Musgraves’ new recording and publishing deals and Orville Peck’s agreement to star in “Cabaret” on Broadway.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Rosenbloum: “Closing new television/media rights agreements for the Country Music Association and the Recording Academy. Both deals emphasize the shift from linear television to streaming and set up both institutions for the future of media rights exploitation.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Rosenbloum: “The greatest threat is the industry not figuring out how to adapt to the new world of AI quickly enough. The industry has traditionally fought new technologies, and this is a futile endeavor. The best approach is to figure out how these new technologies can grow and enhance the business, even though it will definitely involve change and adaptation.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
Rosenbloum: “They must educate their clients to understand the broader ecosystem. All players in the space need to understand the complexities confronting the industry, and rather than getting entrenched in one viewpoint (and fighting for a larger slice of the pie), they need to realize that all players working together will more likely result in growing the pie with bigger shares for everyone.”

Lawrence Shire
Managing partner
Eric Sacks
Partner
Kenneth Meiselas
Partner

Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks

Over the past year, the firm has overseen and negotiated deals for clients spanning the Weeknd and Usher to Hilary Duff and Playboi Carti. In December, Meiselas, who heads the firm’s music department, negotiated the Weeknd’s unique catalog partnership with Lyric Capital, said to be in the $1 billion range, that allows the artist and his team to maintain creative control over the catalog and remaining shareholders and owners in the company. Elsewhere, the firm negotiated Usher and Chris Brown’s R&B stadium tour as well as Lady Gaga’s sold-out “Mayhem Ball” tour. Additional clients on the roster include Bruce Springsteen (Shire negotiated his deal for the “Deliver Me From Nowhere” biopic), Britney Spears, Madonna, U2, David Byrne, Billie Eilish, LeBron James, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sombr, Audrey Nuna, Live Nation and Sony Music.

David Jacobs
Founding partner

Jacobs Law Group

The Grubman veteran hung out his own shingle in November of 2024 and quickly established himself by closing a blockbuster, reportedly nine-figure label deal for country superstar Zach Bryan. The firm has grown quickly, now with 10 staffers and a roster that also includes Geese and its singer Cameron Winter, Pusha T and Clipse, Young Thug, Lil Nas X, Kali Uchis, Blood Orange and rising stars Ethel Cain, Adela and Jim Legxacy.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
“Building the kind of firm I wanted to exist in the music business: one that is relentlessly artist-first, taste driven, uncompromising in its integrity, fiercely effective in its advocacy, and genuinely committed to helping move culture forward. Our business can create enormous pressure to prioritize short-term wins over long-term careers. I’m proud that we’ve built a team that believes great artists deserve patience, conviction, and representation that is every bit as ambitious as the art itself.

“On a personal level, as a lifelong New Yorker who grew up obsessed with alternative music, I’m incredibly proud to play a small role in helping Geese and Cameron Winter emerge onto the global stage, one of the most exciting New York stories in a generation. Helping truly original artists that break through without compromising who they are is one of the most rewarding parts of this profession.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
“It’s easy to say A.I. which, sure, will remain an existential concern forever. But honestly I’m much more concerned with the continued commodification of the art itself and great albums, artists, and careers being reduced into an endless stream of fragmented content optimized as social media fodder for algorithms and short attention spans; it’s brutal. The music industry has always thrived when it invests in vision, originality, and cultural impact. We should be building ecosystems that reward artists for creating meaningful bodies of work, not forcing them to compete in an infinite content cycle. Most of the important music in history would never have survived today’s demand for constant engagement and click bait.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
“Maintain integrity, particularly when there are incentives not to, and have the courage to think long-term. Great art of any kind rarely develops on an industry’s preferred timeline.

“Music attorneys sit at the intersection of art and commerce, but our job isn’t simply to get transactions done — it’s to help artists build meaningful, sustainable careers and protect the things that make them one of a kind. We’re in the culture business, and if we consistently prioritize culture over commodification, the business tends to take care of itself.

“The greatest careers in music are not built through a single deal. They’re built through hundreds of decisions made with patience, discipline, conviction, and an unwavering belief in the artist.”

Dan Wall
Exec VP, corporate and regulatory affairs

Live Nation Entertainment

To put it mildly, Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary are hot-button subjects in the music world, and the company’s top legal officer could not have a more fitting surname. While Live Nation works extensively with lawmakers and regulators to address speculative ticketing and multiple other deceptive resale practices, including some of the most powerful bots technology has created, it also managed to get the Department of Justice to suddenly settle its antitrust case against the company, reportedly after a conversation with President Trump (although multiple states included in the suit continued it — and won). This past January, Wall fielded aggressive questioning before Congress and held the company line. Not coincidentally, he was previously a trial lawyer in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and was a member of the team in the landmark AT&T monopoly case.

John Frankenheimer
Chairman emeritus; chair, music industry practice
Derek Crownover
Vice chair, music industry practice
Debbie White
Vice chair, music industry
Monika Tashman
Partner

Loeb & Loeb

Loeb & Loeb remained at the center of the music-rights boom, advising on Sony Music Publishing’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of Hipgnosis-related assets from Recognition Music and Blackstone, the sale of a minority stake in Morgan Wallen’s master catalog to Chord Music Partners and a nine-figure transaction tied to Zach Bryan’s publishing catalog. In addition to catalog deals, White continued her longstanding representation of Hybe and BTS, while Crownover advised Big Loud Records and Dolly Parton on major business and branding initiatives. Tashman provided counsel for Debbie Harry, Blondie and Modern English, including the sale of “I Melt With You” to Round Hill. The practice also oversaw deals involving the Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash and Otis Redding estates.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Frankenheimer: “The continued growth of our music group across all offices and their ability to work together seamlessly, as evidenced by the various Sony Publishing acquisitions with Recognition/Blackstone at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Frankenheimer: “The greatest threat would be apathy and inaction regarding AI, but this is a different era, and I‘m very encouraged by the proactive approach our leadership is adapting — accept and embrace the positive possibilities of AI but do so in the context of a well-crafted and regulated framework.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
Frankenheimer: “Give back! Small gestures, mentorship and respect to all. When you have the opportunity, step up and get involved in progress that advances our communities and our profession.”

Jordan Bromley
Partner
Gary Gilbert
Partner
Sarah Moses
Partner
John Meller
Partner

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

Bromley helped lead the pro bono legal effort behind FireAid, negotiating nearly 100 agreements in less than two weeks to help bring the benefit concert to life, while remaining an active voice on creator rights and AI policy. Gilbert and Meller represented George Benson in an eight-figure catalog sale, advising HarbourView Equity Partners on acquisitions worth hundreds of millions of dollars and guiding Chord Music Partners through its $240 million sale process following KKR’s exit. Meller also negotiated nearly $500 million in catalog acquisitions. Moses remained active on the litigation front, representing rapper Lucki in a seven-figure contract dispute with Empire and serving on the team defending BMG in copyright litigation involving Eminem and Rihanna’s hit “The Monster.”

Doug Mark
Founding partner
Harry Roberts
Partner

Mark Music & Media Law

The firm’s namesake is a co-founder of the 5,000-title Mothership Music Publishing company and negotiated its sale to Concord in April; oversaw podcast, book and label deals for Benny Blanco; and handled Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winner Rihannon Giddens’ first Broadway deal. Roberts worked closely with two of the biggest rising stars in the industry, representing Laufey in connection with her massive international tour and Amy Allen in a stellar year in which she won the songwriter of the year Grammy for the second consecutive year. He also negotiated the Chainsmokers’ residency extension in Las Vegas.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Mark: “Continuing to mentor a group of fantastic young attorneys in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville.”

Roberts: “Taking my son, Holden, to his first concert — our client Mt. Joy at Forest Hills Stadium. I grew up going to shows with my dad, who is also a music lawyer, and those experiences shaped my love of the business. It was a special full circle moment, both personally and professionally.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Mark: “Short-form social media being the basis for artist discovery, which ignores long-term artist development and deep dives into artists.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
Mark: “Music lawyers on all sides should focus on limiting greed and telling the truth.”

Christine Lepera
Chair, music litigation practice

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp

Lepera has long been a major attorney in copyright and IP, but her successful defense of Katy Perry in the heated “Dark Horse” litigation — which the singer won on appeal in 2022 — was one of the most consequential music copyright cases of the past decade. She and the firm have built on that success: In the past year, she secured victories in two separate copyright lawsuits targeting Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” while also filing suit against Samsung over the alleged unauthorized use of the singer’s image, name and likeness. Lepera also represented FKA Twigs in a trademark dispute, J. Cole in a copyright ownership case and Eminem, Aftermath, Interscope and Universal Music Group in litigation surrounding Eminem and Rihanna’s hit “The Monster.”

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
“Following on our win for Dua Lipa on the ‘Levitating’ music copyright infringement claim against her and others, we continue to advocate for her – this time to redress an infringing use of her NIL rights against Samsung. And continuing the fight for music creators wrongly accused of infringement – including Marshall Mathers [Eminem].”

 What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
“With AI – the challenge philosophically and psychologically of maintaining and growing a financial business while keeping sane with so much uncertainty and unprecedented technical acceleration taking place.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place? 
“Doing the above with care and concern for humans!”

Eric Greenspan
Partner
Joshua Karp
Partner

Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light

Industry veteran Greenspan is the longtime attorney for Red Hot Chili Peppers, who, according to reports, sold their recorded-music catalog to Warner Music Group for a whopping $300 million-plus (which the firm did not confirm). He also has long represented Goldenvoice founder Paul Tollett, whose Coachella festival had its biggest year to date in 2026 (an unconfirmed $200 million-plus across both weekends). Karp worked alongside Greenspan on the Chili Peppers deal and also handled a variety of matters for John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, Big Sean and Common. Also, longtime clients Dead & Co. capped a 48-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere as well as an Imax simulcast of their 2025 Golden Gate Park performance celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary.

Danielle Aguirre
Exec VP & general counsel

National Music Publishers’ Assn.

The NMPA’s small (and predominantly female) staff has a long history of legal victories over companies infringing on compensation and credit for songwriters and music publishers, and with AI’s rapid rise, that work has increased exponentially. The NMPA’s mission includes defending creators’ rights in court, highlighting business and licensing opportunities and working to change policies at the U.S. Copyright Office and in Congress. Over the past year, Aguirre and her team have announced model licenses for indie publishers with AI music generators Udio and Klay and with Spotify for audio-visual rights, and a deal with Twitch for all music publishers.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
“One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is the work my team has done to negotiate the first industry-wide AI agreements for independent music publishers. While litigation plays an important role in ensuring that creators’ rights are respected, NMPA believes there is both a place and a necessity for building constructive relationships with responsible AI companies. It is critical that music publishers and songwriters have opportunities to benefit from new business models and NMPA’s goal is to ensure those opportunities are accessible to publishers of all sizes.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
“Streaming fraud is one of the most significant challenges facing the music industry today, and it deserves far greater attention. While fraudulent activity has long existed within the digital ecosystem, advances in AI have dramatically increased the scale and sophistication with which bad actors can manipulate platforms. The result is a growing problem that diverts billions of dollars from legitimate creators and rightsholders. I believe that addressing this issue will require collaboration across the industry, and it is time for all stakeholders to come together to develop meaningful, effective solutions.”

Amy Ortner
Chief business affairs officer & general counsel
Samantha Rhulen
Senior VP, business & legal affairs

Primary Wave Music

Primary Wave’s proposed $7 billion acquisition of Kobalt was among the year’s most closely watched music-business deals, with Ortner helping guide the transaction. Her purview extended to Primary Wave’s strategic alliance with Pops Music in Southeast Asia and the acquisition of Gilberto Gil’s publishing and music catalogs. Rhulen closed some of the largest deals in Primary Wave’s history, including partnerships with Pete Townshend and INXS, while helping lead the company’s first acquisitions in regional Mexican music. She also worked on a forthcoming Def Leppard documentary and the restoration of James Brown’s South Carolina home as a visitor attraction. They have also helped to develop projects tied to Whitney Houston, Bob Marley and the Doors while advancing the forthcoming “Purple Rain” musical, based on Prince’s catalog.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Ortner: “We are most proud of meeting our 20th year moment and building for Primary Wave’s bright future.  In our record-setting last year, we delivered over 300 transactions, executing transformative opportunities with and for our artist partners (to name a few, acquisitions, branding deals, documentary productions, museum exhibitions, song interpolations, and live stage musicals). With only more growth in sight (including 20+ catalogs in our pipeline), we proudly added three new talented attorneys to our ranks, well preparing us to manage the increasing scope and complexity of our work and role in the industry.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Rhulen: “AI-generated voice and image replication presents legitimate concerns, but we are optimistic that evolving safeguards and legislative efforts, including the NO FAKES Act, will provide meaningful protections.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
Rhulen: “Music undeniably makes the world a better place, and as lawyers at Primary Wave, we play a vital role in protecting artists’ and songwriters’ rights and preserving their creative legacies for generations to come.”

Steve Sessa
Partner & co-chair, entertainment & media group
Ed Shapiro
Partner, entertainment & media group
Josh Love
Partner, entertainment & media group
Eric Marder
Partner, entertainment & media group

Reed Smith

Nearly $20 billion in music transactions flowed through Reed Smith over the past year. Sessa, Shapiro, Love and Marder worked on Concord’s combination with BMG, Sony Music Publishing’s acquisition of Hipgnosis-related assets, Concord’s acquisitions of Stem and Broadway Licensing Global and the Weeknd’s reported $1 billion partnership with Lyric Capital. The team also handled significant catalog deals involving Jason Aldean and Joan Jett. Reed Smith also represented Concord, Chord Music Partners, Lyric Capital, Sony, Kobalt, Recognition Music Group, Shamrock Capital, Litmus, Pophouse and Ares on acquisitions, investments and strategic transactions across the sector. Beyond dealmaking, the team advised artists and entertainment companies including Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, John Summit, Anitta and Lil Uzi Vert, along with Roc Nation, Avex Music Group and the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Oswaldo Rossi
Founder, managing partner

Rossi Baldivia Klein Fine & Spector

One of the very top attorneys working in Latin music, Rossi has secured substantial brand deals and partnerships for his clients over the past year. In January, he forged a partnership for client Karol G with Reebok to become its global brand ambassador and negotiated with Goldenvoice to confirm her as the first Latina to headline the 2026 Coachella festival. In addition to representing top artists including Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma and Rawayana, Rossi facilitated Rimas Entertainment’s acquisition of a significant stake in Dale Play Records, which counts Bizarrap, Nicki Nicole and Duki as part of its roster. Beyond that, Rossi represented Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Rich Music and Chris Jedi/Gaby Music in their respective catalog sales deals.

Paul Rothenberg
Founding partner
Jeremy Mohr
Founding partner
Josh Binder
Founding partner

Rothenberg, Mohr & Binder

Lisa’s solo career expanded beyond music, with Rothenberg, Mohr & Binder advising the Blackpink star on projects ranging from a behind-the-scenes documentary to partnerships with Kith, NikeSKIMS and Shiseido. The firm also represented Doechii during a breakout year that included a major Samsung deal, oversaw Marshmello’s catalog sale and guided Gunna as he entered free agency. The firm also represented A$AP Ferg in a new Adidas partnership and No Doubt’s founding members in connection with their appearance at the Sphere. Behind the scenes, the partners provided counsel for Top Dawg Entertainment and its roster while helping to launch Crush Music’s publishing division.

Julie Swidler
Exec VP, business affairs & general counsel (global)
Stephanie Yu
Exec VP, U.S. lead of business & legal affairs
James Mullan
Exec VP, International business & legal affairs, international general counsel
Jeff Walker
Exec VP, head of business & legal affairs, global digital business

Sony Music Entertainment

This year’s Legal Elite recognition is part of a victory lap for Swidler, who stepped down from her role at the end of June. Her successor had not been announced at press time, but the legal team at the world’s second-largest music company has a formidable purview. Included in that are Sony’s Artists Forward initiative, intended to empower creators with data and insights as well as supporting their well-being; supporting U.S. legislation including the No Fakes Act; the Train Act, which would help enable copyright owners to determine if their works were used to train AI models; and the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act.

Jeff Harleston
General counsel & executive VP, business & legal affairs
Martha Braithwaite
Exec VP, business & legal affairs
Nicola Levy
Exec VP, digital business affairs
Alasdair McMullan
Exec VP, business & legal affairs, head of litigation

Universal Music Group

Running the legal affairs of the world’s largest music company is no joke, especially when UMG takes the lead on such business-critical issues as AI and the leveling off of streaming as a revenue source. Harleston, a nearly 35-year UMG veteran, oversees all business transactions, contracts and litigation for the company and leads the team, was a key player in the No Fakes bill and oversees deals and renewals with all streaming and AI platforms, including major agreements with Spotify, Udio and Nvidia in the past year. “Our team has continued to approach AI from the perspective of opportunity, while ensuring we have the correct guardrails and frameworks in place,” he says.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year? 
Harleston: “For the UMG Business & Legal Affairs Department, it would be our engagement on the issue of Artificial Intelligence. Our team has continued to approach AI from the perspective of opportunity, while ensuring we have the correct guardrails and frameworks in place. We engaged both in litigation with those companies that chose to be unethical in their use of sound recording and musical compositions. At the same time, we also negotiated agreements with ethically minded companies that offered the opportunity for our artists to participle in AI creation. These include industry-first agreements with the likes of Spotify, Udio and Nvidia.”

What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
Harleston: “Fear. We need the artists and songwriters to continue to explore, experiment and create. Our role is always to help facilitate that.”

What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
Harleston: “Approach every challenge from a perspective of opportunity – for the labels, publishers, recording artists songwriters and producers. How can we best enable them to pursue their craft in an environment that is fair, respectful and safe.”

Paul Robinson
Exec VP & general counsel
Trent Tappe
Senior VP, deputy general counsel & chief compliance officer
Brad Cohen
Senior VP, associate general counsel & head of litigation

Warner Music Group

Peter Rosenthal
Exec VP, global head of business & legal affairs

Warner Chappell Music

Warner Music has been on the front lines as generative AI continues to reshape the music business, and Robinson and the team have been responsible for negotiating landmark (if controversial) agreements with Suno and Udio, which resolved litigation while establishing new frameworks for licensing, compensation and the use of copyrighted music in AI-generated products. Beyond AI, the team oversaw efforts to protect Warner’s catalog through copyright infringement litigation against brands including Crumbl Cookies, DSW and PacSun, targeting the unauthorized commercial use of music in social-media marketing and influencer campaigns. In February, Robinson received the Recording Academy’s Entertainment Law Initiative Service Award, recognizing three decades at Warner and his contributions to music industry policy, copyright law and creator advocacy.

John Branca
Partner
David Lande
Partner
David Byrnes
Partner

Ziffren Brittenham

As co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate, Branca mined legacy gold with a producer credit on the biopic of the late superstar, “Michael,” which has earned more than $1 billion worldwide and surpassed the Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” as the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. Lande had a hand in setting up client Justin Bieber with a headlining performance at Coachella 2026, which netted the singer a reported $10 million, and negotiated Olivia Rodrigo’s partnership with American Express around the release of her chart-topping third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.” Additional negotiations included agreements for SZA’s co-headlining 2025 tour with Kendrick Lamar and Shakira’s high-grossing “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” world tour.

What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
Branca: “Producing ‘Michael’ and helping to bring Michael Jackson’s story to the world has been my proudest accomplishment this year. The film is now on track to cross a billion dollars at the global box office, which would make it the highest-grossing biopic in history. It’s especially gratifying to see younger audiences discovering Michael Jackson for the first time, as if he were a brand-new artist, driving streaming to unprecedented levels and returning him to the top of the charts around the world.”