Best Lawyers in New York, United States for Entertainment and Sports Law
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Jonathan Amoona is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law. Jonathan, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jonathan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Aydin Caginalp’s practice concentrates on business transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, private equity and general corporate and commercial matters, with an emphasis on international and cross border matters. He has been engaged in complex corporate transactions involving the separation of operating units as well as integration of business units into the acquiring enterprise. He has extensive experience in the issues arising within the technology, media and e-c...
John J. Rosenberg is a partner at Rosenberg, Giger & Perala PC in New York, New York, and brings nearly four decades of litigation experience to his practice. He earned a B.A. in Music, with a concentration in Ethnomusicology, from Brown University and graduated summa cum laude and first in his class from Boston University School of Law in 1979. After law school, Mr. Rosenberg served as a law clerk to the Honorable Levin H. Campbell of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circ...
Melissa Georges is a partner in our Entertainment Group and Chair of our Content Review & Clearance Group. For more than 30 years, she has helped award winning documentary, feature film and television producers, directors, actors, writers, animators, and comedians resolve complex legal issues to get their projects cleared and distributed. She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the 2025 edition for Entertainment Law. Ms. Georges assesses all forms of entertainment content for lega...
Mark A. Merriman is counsel to the Entertainment Group where he practices in all aspects of entertainment law - with an emphasis on theatre and book publishing. He is recognized in the 2023-2025 editions of Best Lawyers in America for Entertainment Law – Theatre. Mr. Merriman is listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers magazine, and has received praise in Chambers USA for his work in media and entertainment. Additionally, The Legal 500 list him as a “Key Lawyer&rdqu...
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...
Jeffrey L. Kessler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Antitrust Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Antitrust and Sports Law. Jeffrey L., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.
Roger Arar focuses his goal-oriented practice on film and television development, finance, production, distribution and talent. He provides strategic counsel to television networks, film and television production companies, independent studios and distribution companies, as well as individual producers, actors, writers, directors and investors. He is passionate about structuring deals for his clients that maximize results. Roger takes a thoughtful and efficient approach to transactions involv...
Brian Socolow represents athletes, teams, event owners, media companies, equipment manufacturers and others in the sports industry in complex commercial transactions and business disputes. He has handled transactions ranging from media broadcast and distribution agreements, sponsorships and trademark licenses to venue agreements and the purchase and sale of sports properties. Most recently, Brian has represented smart home services provider Vivint in its naming rights deal for the arena home ...
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.
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...
Edward H. Rosenthal is Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. He focuses on intellectual property litigation, emphasizing trademark, copyright, right of publicity, entertainment, advertising, and commercial disputes. Mr. Rosenthal counsels clients on the thorny issues concerning termination of grants of copyrights, and conducts prepublication review of books, articles, television programs, motion pictures, and other materials. His clients include businesses and individuals in ...
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...
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.