Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television
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James M. Kendrick is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Copyright Law and Entertainment Law - Music. James M., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gary Gilbert, a leader in the music industry, concentrates his practice in the area of music transactions. His clients include renowned performers, including Jackson Browne, Death Cab for Cutie, Rick James Estate, B.B. King Estate, George Thorogood, Pat Benatar, Dixie Chicks, Wynonna Judd, Michael McDonald, Sara Evans, Peter Frampton, Jennifer Nettles, George Benson, k.d. lang, Lyle Lovett and several alumni from American Idol . He has been recognized as a “Top Music Lawyer” by Bi...
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Stanley H. Wakshlag earned his B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University in 1974 and his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1978. Stanley’s practice has concentrated on class action litigation, securities litigation, director and officer representation, complex business litigation, deceptive trade practices, Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement proceedings, professional malpractice matters, and litigation with the...
Jeffrey Hunt practices in the area of commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on First Amendment, media, and intellectual property law. Mr. Hunt has more than 20 years’ experience litigating complex commercial cases involving a wide variety of industries and legal issues, including copyright, trademark, and patent enforcement actions; injunctions; securities litigation; enforcement of non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure covenants for employers, foreign litigati...
Ron Nessim has been lead trial counsel in numerous civil and criminal trials and arbitrations. He has argued numerous appeals in both federal and state courts, including in the United States Supreme Court, and has been at the center of numerous precedent-setting, high-profile entertainment, commercial and white-collar criminal law cases. His clients value his attention to detail, ability to think strategically, tenacity and his trial skills. Prior to joining Bird Marella, he served as an Assi...
Julie M. Murray is a partner in the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, who specializes in representing clients in the television, documentary, digital, comedy, and branded content industries. She offers clients full service legal representation, handling all transactions from the development of a concept through delivery of the final cut, including the negotiation of network and financing agreements, distribution agreements, content licensing deals (domestic and interna...
Some of the most prominent companies in the entertainment business turn to Joel Weiner to handle disputes across a broad range of subject matter. With nearly 30 years of litigation experience and vast industry knowledge, he has been trusted by companies like NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Endemol Shine Group, Telemundo and Excel Sports Management with high-profile lawsuits involving series, films and other valuable entertainment properties. The entertainment industry is a magnet f...
Bradley I. Ruskin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Sports Law. Bradley I., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Bradley I. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Lisa E. Davis is a partner and Co-Chair of the firm's Entertainment Group . She serves on the firm's Policy Committee and is Co-Chair of the firm's Diversity Committee. She represents businesses and celebrities in the film, television, publishing, music, theatre, and sports industries. Ms. Davis has been ranked as a New York-area “Super Lawyer” since 2007 and was featured on the cover of Super Lawyers magazine in a piece on her career and advocacy for racial justice. She is recogn...
Sally C. James is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Sally C., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sally C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
John V. Berlinski is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television and Litigation - Intellectual Property. John V., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Steven B. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Steven B., who practices law in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Derek Crownover is a recognized leader in the music, entertainment, sports and media industries, counseling publishing companies, independent record labels, singers and songwriters who own their copyrights, and music publishing administration companies on licensing, liability matters and related litigation. He also counsels clients on recording agreements, employment agreements, LLC funding deals, real estate deals, asset purchase agreements and trusts and estates matters. In addition to his ...
Brad Miller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Brad, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brad is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joseph R. Taylor is a partner in our Media & Entertainment Litigation Group. Mr. Taylor represents individual and corporate clients from all over the world in litigation matters related to media, entertainment, intellectual property, sports, gaming, technology, hospitality, insurance and employment. He has tried and litigated to resolution hundreds of entertainment industry disputes over 30 years of practice. He often represents entertainment industry clients in matters against the six ma...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.