From the destiny of TikTok to the state of LeBron’s tattoo, these A-list attorneys drive offers that form initiatives on the display screen, stage and past. September 21, 2024 10:00am Printed on September 21, 2024 Illustration by Victor Kerlow The leisure trade in New York Metropolis, similar to Los Angeles, has been adjusting to the consequences of the post-strike contraction on prime of a struggling economic system. Nonetheless, the 25 attorneys on THR ’s New York Energy Legal professionals listing have been stored busy serving to their shoppers with negotiating sports activities rights, inking offers for theater, movie and TV, launching clothes strains, taking over behemoths like Google and navigating the legalities of AI.
The attorneys on this listing had been chosen for the profile of their shoppers and the impression of their circumstances, with enter from trade friends and different leisure stakeholders. Take a look at their impactful work on headline-making circumstances and powerhouse expertise offers. Profiles by Alison Brower, Winston Cho, Caitlin Huston, Katie Kilkenny, Etan Vlessing and Alex Weprin Robert Auritt (CDAS) Brooklyn Regulation Faculty CORPORATE Auritt labored as exterior basic counsel on the U.
S. portion of the 2024 ICC Males’s T20 Cricket World Cup, which was held in Lengthy Island. “It was an actual thrill to be concerned with bringing this world occasion to the U.
S. for the primary time as I consider that it represents the start of large progress for cricket’s reputation within the U.S.
market,” he says. And he labored on behalf of shoppers searching for to license their knowledge for coaching generative AI methods, a key development throughout the trade. “Moral AI licensing is the one means for copyright homeowners to have the ability to management, and to be compensated for, the usage of their work as the muse on which the AI trade is constructing its companies,” he says.
Most shocking merchandise on my desk “A woodcut paperweight that my teenage daughter made me with the title of my previous band carved into it. The band title can’t be printed in a household journal.” Jared Bartie (Willkie Farr) Northwestern CORPORATE There are few tales extra impactful on this planet of sports activities proper now than the altering possession panorama.
For Bartie, chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s Sports activities Transactions Apply, it has made for a really busy 12 months. “The growing impression of institutional capital and the path ahead with respect to skilled sports activities and sports-adjacent properties is the ‘proper now’ sports activities enterprise angle to observe,” he says. Energy lunch spot “My desk.
” My responsible TV pleasure “Any episode of any season of Dateline .” David Berlin (Schreck Rose) College of Texas TALENT Shoppers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — newly minted EGOTs after scoring an Emmy for his or her composition “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” from Hulu’s Solely Murders within the Constructing — additionally wrote songs alongside Pharrell Williams for the Could 2025 Common function Atlantis , impressed by the star’s childhood. Berlin noticed Shaina Taub notch two Tonys (finest e-book and finest rating of a musical) for her musical Suffs , and he helped information breakout Cole Escola’s absurdist darkish comedy play Oh, Mary! to Broadway.
If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Ally McBeal!” App I can’t dwell with out “NYT Video games.” Gary Bornstein (Cravath) Harvard LITIGATION Epic Video games turned to Bornstein to deal with all issues associated to antitrust litigation towards Google over allegedly anticompetitive conduct within the distribution of cell apps and the dealing with of in-app funds. The three-year battle culminated in a verdict towards the tech big that would remodel all the app retailer economic system.
Past his antitrust work, Bornstein represents Paramount’s particular committee of the board of administrators in litigation in regards to the firm’s proposed merger with Skydance. He’s additionally reportedly representing three Murdoch siblings of their battle with Rupert over the way forward for his media empire. Favourite social media “None.
Not my factor.” Carrie Casselman (Davis Wright Tremaine) Columbia CORPORATE Along with accomplice Grey Coleman, Casselman represents The Public Theater, Manhattan Theater Membership and different nonprofit institutional theaters throughout the nation. She additionally works with top-tier fashionable entertainers and media corporations making inroads into theater.
“I like working with shoppers that actually see what they will do on the dwell stage as complementary to different media,” says Casselman. “It’s a novel means of experiencing work.” Most shocking merchandise on my desk “A flashlight/multitool proper subsequent to my desk cellphone — I’ve by no means needed to repair one thing with it, however I’m prepared if circumstances warrant!” App I can’t dwell with out “The WNYC App — nerd alert.
” Dale Cendali (Kirkland & Ellis) Harvard LITIGATION Cendali performed a serious position in a precedent-setting resolution regarding the copyrightability of tattoos when a jury in April rejected allegations that Take-Two Interactive’s use of LeBron James’ ink in its video games violated the rights of the artist who crafted them. “This was an vital case for the leisure trade in having the ability to depict folks realistically as they select to look, in addition to for tattooed individuals who count on the proper to regulate their very own our bodies,” she says. She additionally represents the household of William Styron, the late writer of novel Sophie’s Selection , in a breach of contract lawsuit over the rights to a stage manufacturing of the e-book.
App I can’t dwell with out “The Yankees YES app.” My responsible TV pleasure “ Miss Scarlet and the Duke .” Marc Chamlin (Loeb & Loeb) NYU TALENT As a longtime “trusted adviser” to Oprah Winfrey, Chamlin works throughout her large portfolio, from scripted sequence and specials on weight reduction and AI to her launch alongside Dwayne Johnson of the Folks’s Fund of Maui to assist victims of 2023’s wildfires.
Shopper Glenn Shut will star reverse Kim Kardashian in Ryan Murphy’s All’s Truthful on Hulu and in Netflix’s Knives Out 3 . Chamlin additionally labored with Andy Cohen on his best-selling Daddy Diaries and his new publishing imprint cope with Crown Books. Along with his arms in company in addition to expertise offers, “I’ve at all times had a extremely numerous follow, which displays my stressed soul,” he says.
App I can’t dwell with out “Audible.” Marcie Cleary (Frankfurt Kurnit) Yale TALENT Cleary reps rising comedy abilities like Chloé Hilliard, Rekha Shankar and Eagle Witt within the face of unprecedented trade disruption. “Alternatives for expertise proceed to be considerably restricted, so I’m typically being known as upon by my shoppers not solely to assist navigate advanced offers, but additionally to suppose creatively about growing content material that can develop their skilled alternatives,” Cleary says.
How I rejoice an enormous win or closing a deal “I’m going to mattress early!” Grey Coleman (Davis Wright Tremaine) College of Virginia CORPORATE As major exterior counsel for a number of prestigious nonprofit theaters, Coleman noticed the fruits of his labor this previous 12 months as a lot of new musicals developed throughout the nation, together with Hell’s Kitchen , Suffs and Water for Elephants , went on to open on Broadway. Most shocking merchandise on my desk “A small vase illustrating the ‘seven ages of man’ speech from As You Like It , and a small tambourine used within the unique manufacturing of Hair .” Lisa Davis (Frankfurt Kurnit) NYU TALENT Inside the previous 12 months, Davis’ consumer Michael Harriot’s e-book Black AF Historical past made the New York Occasions best-seller listing, and the Kennedy Middle introduced that her consumer the Apollo Theater is ready to obtain one in every of its namesake honors.
However she says the sorts of Hollywood creatives she represents are at the moment dealing with obstacles: “We’re in an inflection level within the leisure and media trade. ..
. There are a variety of challenges coming from each path for inventive folks.” My music of summer time 2024 “ ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar.
” Peter Grant (Grubman Shire) Penn TALENT Grant represents a few of Hollywood’s highest-profile gamers on each coasts, together with Spike Lee, Robert De Niro and Woman Gaga. He was behind Ana de Armas’ deal on the brand new Ron Howard film Eden and Bruce Springsteen’s negotiations with Disney for an upcoming documentary and scripted movie, and he additionally advises on enterprise affairs for David Letterman’s manufacturing shingle Worldwide Pants and former HBO head Richard Plepler’s Eden Productions. For Grant’s shoppers, AI goes to be a serious space of concern for the following few years: “We spend a variety of time today stopping folks from doing issues with our shoppers’ likenesses,” he says.
If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Jack McCoy from Regulation & Order .” My music of summer time 2024 “Similar as 1984 — ‘Panama’ by Van Halen.” Gregory Hessinger (Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp) St.
John’s College CORPORATE As a go-to labor and employment lawyer, Hessinger had a ringside seat on trade disruption when advising the AMPTP and the main studios throughout final 12 months’s actors and writers strikes. “It appears I’ve been saying this my complete 30-plus years within the leisure trade, however adjustments in know-how and distribution platforms will place strain on a number of the most elementary frameworks that labor and administration have used to divide the pie for a number of a long time,” he says. App I can’t dwell with out “Fishbrain.
” My music of summer time 2024 “ ‘Saturn’ by SZA.” Mike Hill (Covington) Fordham CORPORATE Hill represented the NBA on its large $76 billion agreements with NBCUniversal, Disney and Amazon. “It’s not every single day that you just get to work on offers of this magnitude that can reshape the enterprise of the media trade and the best way followers watch their favourite groups and gamers,” Hill says.
However the altering media panorama, and particularly the rise of recent types of bundles, additionally pose enterprise and authorized challenges. “It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how corporations navigate these dangers in mild of market calls for.” If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Kim Wexler from Higher Name Saul .
” Wook Hwang (Sheppard Mullin) Columbia LITIGATION After Amazon Studios was sued for copyright infringement over the Street Home remake by the unique movie’s screenwriter, Hwang led the corporate in hitting again with counterclaims over the rights to the 1986 screenplay that spawned the film. The countersuit accused the author of fraud for mendacity to the U.S.
Copyright Workplace that he’s the true writer of the script and might make the most of a provision in copyright regulation that enables for the reclamation of the rights to previous works. And Hwang has been on the middle of a number of the buzziest disputes of the Instagram age, representing Condé Nast in its swimsuit towards Drake and 21 Savage over their faux Vogue cowl to advertise their album. How I rejoice an enormous win or closing a deal “I inform my preteen daughter, who tells me she doesn’t care.
” Most shocking merchandise on my desk “A customized mechanical keyboard that’s just about silent whenever you kind.” Anders Linderot (Covington) Cornell LITIGATION Linderot is on the forefront of multibillion-dollar First Modification litigation that may resolve the destiny of TikTok’s U.S.
operations. Thus far, he’s obtained a preliminary injunction towards Montana’s ban of the platform and secured dismissal of Indiana’s lawsuit over inappropriate content material for youngsters and the safety of customers’ private info. Up subsequent: Main the problem to federal laws successfully banning TikTok.
He says that the leisure trade will proceed to see “governments probing the boundaries of their energy to manage content material supply, and challenges and alternatives ensuing from the growing overlap between the know-how and leisure industries.” If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Matlock.” Favourite social media observe “First Modification Twitter (for work) and TikTok (for enjoyable).
” Jonathan Lonner (Grubman Shire) Northwestern TALENT Alongside together with his colleague, fellow honoree Adam Rosen, Lonner represents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Actually Helpful Group. Along with serving to A24 plan an upcoming theater season on the off-Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre, which it bought in 2023, Lonner represents the Luther Vandross property, which not too long ago screened a documentary at Sundance and Tribeca. If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Stuart Markowitz ( L.
A. Regulation ).” Favourite social media observe “Something dog- or travel-related.
” Michael Mahan (Peikoff Mahan) Southwestern TALENT Longtime consumer Ebon Moss-Bachrach simply scored his second Emmy for The Bear and can star as The Factor in Marvel’s The Incredible 4: First Steps , set for July 2025. Mahan additionally negotiated Isabella Merced’s deal to hitch season two of HBO’s The Final of Us , plus her roles in Alien: Romulus and DC’s hotly anticipated 2025 Superman . Carrie Coon will be part of the third season of The White Lotus , and Cynthia Erivo will doubtless be contending for a finest actress Oscar nom for Disney’s long-awaited movie adaptation of Broadway smash Depraved .
Essentially the most shocking merchandise on my desk “Typically a sleeping cat.” My responsible TV pleasure “ Jeopardy — nerd alert, I do know.” Lucy Popkin (Goodman Genow) Stanford TALENT Home of the Dragon breakout Milly Alcock, a more recent consumer for Popkin, can be DC’s new Supergirl and can also be capturing the Netflix restricted sequence Sirens , whereas Joseph Quinn ( Gladiator 2 ), Nicola Coughlin and Luke Newton ( Bridgerton season 4), and Chris Perfetti ( Abbott Elementary ) additionally had banner years.
Popkin’s early profession as an expert ballet dancer, which included time as an American Guild of Musical Artists rep, has helped form her authorized work. “I so intently relate to being a performer and the way not possible it’s to advocate for your self with out being seen as demanding or a diva or troublesome,” she says. “You really want representatives going to bat for you.
” Favourite social media observe “The Dogist. The best and finest use of social media is cute puppies.” Energy lunch spot “Frankie’s 457 Spuntino, in my Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn neighborhood.
Actual energy isn’t having to schlep to Midtown.” Adam Rosen (Grubman Shire) NYU TALENT With colleague Jonathan Lonner, Rosen has been working with A24 on programming for its newly bought off-Broadway theater, and with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Actually Helpful Group on new exploitations of his work, together with Amazon’s movie adaptation of Joseph and the Wonderful Technicolor Dreamcoat , directed by Jon M. Chu.
Rosen represents Elton John for his work writing music on the brand new musical Tammy Faye . If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “Miranda Hobbes.” My favourite social media observe “LizaMinnelliOutlives.
” Josh Sandler (Granderson Des Rochers) UCLA TALENT The printed sitcom renaissance has been good to Sandler’s shoppers, with Janelle James blowing up on ABC’s Abbott Elementary , and Brandon Scott Jones haunting on CBS’ Ghosts . Pete Davidson will seem in Amazon MGM Studios’ The Pickup. “When he and I met, it was pre- SNL ,” Sandler marvels.
“Now I simply made a deal for him to star together with his hero Eddie Murphy.” Energy lunch spot “Krav Maga Consultants — a special sort of energy lunch.” App I can’t dwell with out “Chess.
com is a love-hate relationship that began throughout the pandemic, and we’re at the moment taking a break, however I at all times return.” Alison Stein (Jenner & Block) Penn LITIGATION Stein had a busy 12 months working with shoppers like Meta and Nintendo, however she has additionally been chopping offers on the forefront of generative AI. “It’s extremely vital to acknowledge that a variety of partnerships are being solid between content material corporations and AI corporations,” Stein says.
“I consider this can result in some attention-grabbing and thrilling content material and media initiatives, a lot of that are positive to be pioneering.” Favourite social media observe “My brother, Sam Stein, managing editor of The Bulwark and MSNBC contributor.” My responsible TV pleasure “Proper now, I’m ripping by way of Making an attempt on Apple TV.
It’s so good!” Alli Stillman (Latham & Watkins) Penn LITIGATION Stillman scored Spotify a serious victory in September when a decide dominated that the streaming big isn’t on the hook for practically $40 million in royalty funds sought by Eminem’s publishing firm, Eight Mile Model, for not having the correct licenses to stream a whole bunch of songs from the rapper’s catalog. Additionally part of Stillman’s caseload: Defending OpenAI in a number of copyright infringement lawsuits introduced by authors and publishers. Most shocking merchandise on my desk “Sizzling sauce.
” My music of summer time 2024 “‘Good Luck Babe’ by Chappell Roan.” Rachel Strom (Davis Wright Tremaine) Cardozo LITIGATION When Wendy Williams’ court-appointed guardian sued A+E Networks to impede the airing of a documentary on the previous discuss present host in February, the leisure model known as on Strom. A brief restraining order on the venture was reversed the following day.
“That was a real pleasure and privilege, sort of the explanation that you just go to regulation faculty doing the work that we love,” Strom says. A First Modification warrior, Strom additionally this 12 months assisted in getting a copyright lawsuit towards Abbott Elementary dismissed and is defending Netflix in a defamation lawsuit introduced by former Anna Sorokin pal Rachel DeLoache Williams over her depiction within the docudrama Inventing Anna . If I had been a TV lawyer, I’d be “I want I may say [ Suits ’] Jessica Pearson, however in all probability Miranda Hobbes.
” Favourite social media observe “Ellie the Elephant, the New York Liberty mascot and typically the one factor that offers me hope in humanity.” Michael Williams (Frankfurt Kurnit) Albany Regulation Faculty TALENT Previously 12 months, Williams has brokered a lot of high-profile offers for his vogue shoppers, together with for Christie Brinkley’s new clothes line TWRHLL, photographer Petra Collins’ Nike Air Max DN marketing campaign and Miranda Kerr’s model ambassadorship of Michael Hill Jeweller. He additionally represents fashions together with Adwoa Aboah and Alessandra Ambrosio, photographers Inez & Vinoodh and Tyler Mitchell, inside designer Nate Berkus and burlesque artist Dita Von Teese.
App I can’t dwell with out “Trident Mindset.” Energy Lunch Spots “Emilio’s Ballato and Manhatta.” Nancy Wolff (CDAS) Rutgers LITIGATION AI increasing or threatening prized images collections has occupied Wolff previously 12 months.
“I spend a lot of my time advising shoppers on finest practices in utilizing AI as a device, serving to shoppers license knowledge units for AI coaching and advising shoppers on the ever-evolving authorized panorama round AI content material,” she says. “Within the new period of AI-generated photographs, and pretend information, it’s vital to protect our visible historical past for generations to return.” App I can’t dwell with out “NYT Cooking.
” This story appeared within the Sept. 19 subject of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe .
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