Best Lawyers in America for Sports Law
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Andrew Hurwitz is a partner and Co-Chair of the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit and a founding partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office. He represents award-winning entertainment talent and owners of intellectual property and is widely considered one of the nation’s top film and television industry lawyers. Mr. Hurwitz provides a full range of transactional and advisory services to clients in the motion picture, television, and digital rights businesses. He has negotiated ...
Kevin Doherty practices in the area of insurance regulation and captive insurance. He serves as President of the Tennessee Captive Insurance Association, Inc., and he helped to rewrite the captive insurance law in Tennessee in 2011. Since that time, Tennessee has formed more than 200 captives and more than 500 related cells (more than 700 risk bearing entities) and become one of the leading domestic domiciles for captives. Mr. Doherty also practices music and entertainment law and represents ...
Kathy A. Jorrie is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Entertainment Law - Music. Kathy A., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kathy A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Marcie Cleary is a partner in the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit, representing clients in the film, television, digital, and book publishing industries. Ms. Cleary structures and negotiates entertainment transactions for individual and corporate clients in the film, television, digital, and book publishing industries. Her clients include actors, news correspondents, writers, directors, producers, authors, podcasters and influencers. Ms. Cleary has significant experience representing ...
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.
David N. Pessin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Sports Law and Trusts and Estates. David N., who practices law in Towson, Maryland, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas represents and counsels businesses on a myriad of intellectual property and business matters. An avid supporter of North Carolina’s film industry, Thomas also practices in film and entertainment law, working with producers and filmmakers throughout the entire production process. In addition to his legal practice, Thomas is a co-owner of Mad Mole Brewing in Wilmington. He utilizes insights from this unique “real world” experience when counseling breweries, distilleries...
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...
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
Richard B. Heller is a partner at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC and a longtime member of the firm's Entertainment Group. His practice focuses on motion pictures and television, new media, publishing, celebrity branding and intellectual property. Mr. Heller's clients include on-screen talent, writers, producers, directors, production companies and distributors in the motion picture and television fields, as well as numerous foreign companies , charitable organizations and individuals d...
Charmaine D. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Entertainment Law - Music and Litigation - Intellectual Property. Charmaine D., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charmaine D. 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.