Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law - Music
Katherine Kleindienst is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Katherine, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katherine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Caroline is a seasoned trial lawyer representing clients in the entertainment, arts, fashion, retail, and technology sectors, such as motion picture studios and production companies, major media companies, film libraries, actors, comedians, television personalities, musicians, artists, jewelry designers, retailers, manufacturers, architects, market research firms, and others, in disputes involving copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, design patents, defamation, licensing and other contract ...
Jeremy S. Goldman is a partner in the Litigation Group and Co-Chair of the Emerging Technology Group, focusing on intellectual property, entertainment, media, privacy, technology, and commercial law. Jeremy is an accomplished media and entertainment litigator, focusing on copyright, trademark, privacy, intermediary liability, right of publicity, First Amendment, and business disputes. Jeremy draws on his sophisticated understanding of law, technology and industry, along with creative problem-...
Robert E Freeman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Robert E, 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 Robert E is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Representing clients in a variety of commercial sectors, Sophia Yen counsels both lenders and borrowers in debt financing transactions. She also advises entertainment industry clients on debt and equity finance deals, as well as other transactional matters. As lender’s counsel, Sophia advises financial institutions in transactions that include single-lender and syndicated senior-secured, second-lien, mezzanine and unsecured acquisition and working capital loans; cross-border lending tra...
Joseph M. Leccese is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Joseph M., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2005. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
John T. Frankenheimer's practice is centered in the entertainment and media industries, with emphasis on both institutional and talent clients. This includes advising on the acquisition, sale and restructuring of companies, including financing, valuation, securitization and due diligence issues, as well as representing companies, artists and executives in all aspects of the music industry, including all forms of talent contracts, distribution, licensing, technology-related issues, publishing,...
Michael R. Williams is a partner and Chair of the firm’s Fashion Group and Co-Chair of the Celebrity Branding Group. Mr. Williams’ clients include major television and motion picture actors, leading fashion designers, top models, fashion show production companies, photographers and executives in the entertainment and fashion industries. Mr. Williams represents actors in the negotiation of deals to perform in film, television, theater and other media. He also works to assist client...
Mr. Braun is a partner in Hall Booth Smith's Nashville office, where he specializes in various areas of litigation and transactional work. Beginning in early 1995, Mr. Braun’s litigation practice with HBS has continued to grow in both Georgia and Tennessee. Early on in his career with HBS, Mr. Braun practiced extensively in the areas of general liability and medical malpractice litigation, areas in which he continues to practice today. As his practice has grown, he has developed experti...
Steven S. Sidman is a deeply experienced, highly regarded transactional attorney dealing in the business of pop culture. His practice focuses on the modern entertainment, food & beverage/hospitality, lifestyle/branding, and sports industries. For nearly 28 years, Steve has provided sophisticated, insightful, front-line legal advice and business affairs counsel to highly creative talent and high-profile individuals and corporate entities, along with their various entrepreneurial ventures. ...
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...
Irwin A. Kishner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Irwin A., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Irwin A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jared Welsh counsels entertainment and digital media companies, brand owners, and creative individuals on a broad range of entertainment and intellectual property matters. He focuses his practice on complex entertainment, media, technology, and intellectual property transactions, with an emphasis on digital media distribution and the licensing of music, videos, and other entertainment content. Jared also has deep experience in the protection, maintenance, exploitation, and enforcement of copy...
Monika Tashman is a Manatt Entertainment partner in the firm’s New York City office. With a broad-based practice spanning over 25 years in the music and entertainment industries, she advises and provides creative, pragmatic solutions for clients at the intersection of entertainment and innovation—from independent artists and record labels to new media entrepreneurs and emerging technology companies—aiming to strategically expand and transform their organizations, business mo...
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.
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.