Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law - Music
Daniel E. Lust is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Daniel E., 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 Daniel E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jason Karlov is the Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group Chair at Barnes & Thornburg. He represents a variety of clients in the music, entertainment, live events, advertising and technology industries. Client highlights include individuals, such as Bob Dylan, as well as institutions that work and invest in entertainment and technology, including such well-known brands as, Feld Entertainment, UrbanOne, Twitch, Beachbody and throughout the Olympic Movement since 1998, He also acts...
Michael is a precedent‑setting trial and appellate lawyer who defends technology and media companies in industry‑defining copyright and digital media disputes, helping clients manage existential risk, reshape liability standards, and protect innovative distribution models. Michael Elkin, three-time Am Law Litigation Daily “Litigator of the Week” winner, represents technology, media, publishers, and entertainment companies in complex intellectual property disputes arising from the ...
Jay L. Cooper focuses his practice on music industry, motion picture, television, multimedia and intellectual property issues. He represents individuals and companies on intellectual property matters including recording and publishing agreements for individual artists and composers; actor, director, producer and writer agreements in film and television; executive employment agreements; complex acquisitions and sales of entertainment catalogs; production agreements on behalf of music, televisi...
Mr. Kinsella is a nationally known trial lawyer specializing in the areas of entertainment and intellectual property litigation. During his career, he has successfully tried numerous cases in state and federal courts, and in private arbitrations and administrative proceedings, involving a wide array of disputes, from copyright and trademark infringement matters to antitrust and securities litigation. Mr. Kinsella has represented large domestic and international corporations, major motion pict...
Jess L. Rosen focuses his practice on talent representation, including all facets of transactional entertainment matters in the music, film, television and new media industries. He represents, advises and counsels numerous songwriters, producers, recording artists, actors, writers and executives in all aspects of their entertainment careers. As a professional musician, Jess has a unique perspective and understanding of both the creative and business issues faced by talent today.
Greg Akselrud is a founder and Partner of the firm and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He Chairs the firm’s Internet, Digital Media and Entertainment Practice group. Greg advises clients across a wide range of industries, including companies in the entertainment, digital media, Internet, technology, software, mobile, venture capital and consumer electronics industries. Greg Akselrud has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, teaching Busine...
Jake Levy is the founder of Levy Law. Jake’s practice encompasses a broad range of transactions in the entertainment and media industries, with an emphasis on television, motion picture, podcast, book publishing, celebrity branding/endorsement and music matters. He represents both individuals and companies, including award-winning documentary and narrative filmmakers, directors, series creators, producers, literary authors, talent and broadcast journalists, as well as leading production...
Amelia K. Brankov advises companies and individuals on litigation and transactional matters, with a particular focus on arts and culture. In her art law practice, Ms. Brankov advises galleries, collectors, artist studios, artist estates and foundations, curators, art advisors, appraisers, conservators, publishers, and startups. She assists clients in all legal aspects of transactions involving artwork including purchase agreements, consignment agreements, commission agreements, and loan agree...
Suann C. MacIsaac is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. Suann C., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Suann C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
With over two decades of experience in private practice and in-house, Po Yi provides cross-purpose, multidisciplinary legal counseling on transactional and regulatory matters in advertising, entertainment and digital media. She works with clients in strategically assessing competitive and regulatory compliance challenges; negotiating business alliances, including sponsorships, tie-in arrangements with sports and entertainment properties, co-promotion deals, agency agreements, and talent endor...
Julia R. Haye’s entertainment practice includes successful resolution, at trial and in arbitration, of complex business disputes involving profit participation, motion picture production and distribution, rights ownership, copyright and trademark infringement, idea submission, and other entertainment-related conflicts and contractual disputes. Her counsel and interests encompass every genre of entertainment and media, including studio and independent motion pictures, television, music, ...
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...
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.
Paul Kelly is a principal in the Boston office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He has extensive experience in white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, NCAA enforcement investigations and infractions cases, and complex civil litigation. Paul chairs both the Collegiate and Professional Sports industry group and the White Collar and Government Enforcement resource group at the firm White Collar and Investigative Experience Paul is a trial attorney with substantial experience in both state a...
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.