Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law - Music

Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, a boutique entertainment and business litigation firm in Santa Monica. She began her career as a Los Angeles County Public Defender, handling hundreds of serious criminal cases from inception to trial. She was the Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm and the head of its national Criminal Defense Section. With more than sixty trials to her credit, Ms. Holley is the rare trial attorney who pra...

Jeff Biederman has practiced in most every aspect of the entertainment and media landscape including music, film, television, branding, fashion, advertising, video games and apps, as well as representing executives in these fields in their various employment agreements. Jeff’s clients include recording artists, producers, composers, managers, and executives in the music industry, as well as studios, publishing companies, production companies, actors, athletes, writers, models, designers...

David Greenspan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. David, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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.

Vincent H. Chieffo is an entertainment and media litigator with significant trial and appellate experience. His practice also includes entertainment transactional work. His litigation experience encompasses disputes throughout the entertainment business, including those involving copyright and trademark infringement, right of publicity, defamation, the rights of estates and heirs in copyrights and other entertainment assets, idea submission, royalties and participations, and distribution and ...

Time and again, major recording artists, their key advisors and core industry companies trust Zia Modabber, the managing partner of the Los Angeles offices, to handle legal issues they face in the creation and protection of their assets. With decades of experience in the music and entertainment industry, he has an ability to not only address his clients' pressing legal issues, but also their long-term artistic and business interests. Zia is a sought-after litigator of intellectual property, F...

Susan Williams is a partner in the Entertainment and Media practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Century City office. She is chair of the firm’s Entertainment and Media Finance group. Highly regarded as one of the entertainment industry’s top dealmakers, Ms. Williams is frequently sought to represent clients on some of their most significant finance and restructuring transactions. Ms. Williams represents financial institutions, senior, mezzanine, and equity fu...

C. Katherine Baron is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Copyright Law and Entertainment Law - Music. C. Katherine, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which C. Katherine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William T. Ramsey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Entertainment Law - Music. William T., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew V. Wilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Music and Trademark Law. Matthew V., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A leader in the music industry for over 40 years, Lee Phillips has earned a reputation for intelligence, creativity and integrity in representing major musicians, recording artists, composers, record companies and publishing companies. Lee focuses primarily on contract negotiations within the music industry and acts as the general legal advisor to a multitude of artists and companies in this field. His clients have included and include a variety of internationally renowned performers and cele...

Lawrence Kanusher is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Music. Lawrence, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lawrence is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ken Deutsch is Global Co-Chair of the Entertainment and Media practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Century City office. He represents a broad array of operating entities in the entertainment and media industries, including film and television studios, streaming platforms, and independent media companies, advising on their most significant corporate transactions as well as on a variety of film, television, and other commercial ventures. Mr. Deutsch also routinely represen...

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...

Edward M. Nahhat is a Troy, Michigan attorney with more than 30 years of legal experience representing individuals, families, and businesses in complex disputes and advisory matters. At Kemp Klein , he focuses on litigation and appellate matters involving trusts and estates, while also drawing on a broad background that includes criminal law, personal injury, real estate matters, and entertainment-related issues. His practice emphasizes careful preparation, practical problem solving, and clea...