In today’s music industry, owning and monetizing a catalog has become one of the most lucrative financial endeavors for artists, songwriters, and investors alike. Whether an artist is looking to sell their catalog for a multi-million-dollar payout or a company is acquiring rights to some of the most influential songs in history, the lawyers facilitating these deals play a crucial role. Music catalog lawyers specialize in intellectual property, licensing, publishing rights, and contract negotiations, ensuring their clients maximize their assets while protecting their creative legacies.
Here are 15 of the top music catalog lawyers who have shaped the industry through their expertise and high-profile deals in recent years.
Lisa Alter & Katie Baron | Alter, Kendrick & Baron LLP
In the past couple of years, Lisa Alter and Katie Baron have negotiated and closed more than $1 billion in deals. They have represented Primary Wave in the acquisitions of several catalogs, including Def Leppard, The Strokes, Ramones, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, and a share of Stevie Nicks’ works. The duo has also helped other companies acquire more catalogs, including Iconic Artists Group (Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker), Influence Media Partners (Future, Blake Shelton, Enrique Iglesias), BMG Rights Management (Peter Frampton, ZZ Top), and Reservoir Media Management (Sonny Rollins, Louis Prima).
Palisa Kelley | Palisa Kelley Law
As sales of music catalogs have skyrocketed over the past few years, Palisa Kelley has emerged as a top dealmaker in the arena. She’s helped acquire the catalogs of some of the biggest artists in the world, including Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Pat Benatar, Christine McVie, Nelly, Florida Georgia Line, and Brad Paisley. Kelley has made deals for more than 55 catalogs and 29,000-plus songs across master recordings, publishing income streams, and musical compositions.
Adrian Perry & Jonathan Sperling | Covington & Burling LLP
Adrian Perry and Jonathan Sperling have played a pivotal role in shaping major music catalog transactions, having co-led a legal team in one of the industry's largest deals. Perry is a leading expert in AI-related agreements, digital content distribution, and licensing, advising top clients like Sony Music, Disney, and Amazon. Meanwhile, Sperling is a sought-after litigator, representing record labels in high-stakes copyright and royalty disputes.
Matthew Thompson | Sidley Austin LLP
Matthew Thompson has been instrumental in shaping major deals within the music industry, particularly through his work with Warner Music Group. He played a key role in WMG’s recent restructuring of Atlantic Records, which saw 10K Projects founder Elliot Grainge elevated to CEO. He has worked on significant catalog acquisitions, including WMG’s purchase of the entire recorded music catalog of legendary rock band Yes.
Damien Granderson | Granderson Des Rochers LLP
Damien Granderson has built a reputation as a top-tier music attorney, representing some of the biggest names in the industry. His client list includes stars like J Balvin and Ne-Yo, as well as indie labels such as Paper Route and Neighbourhood. Beyond performance agreements, Granderson negotiates major branding deals, brokering partnerships for A$AP Rocky (Bottega Veneta, Puma, Beats) and J Balvin (Marc Jacobs, Air Jordan, Tiffany).
Tim Mandelbaum | Fox Rothschild LLP
Tim Mandelbaum is a key figure in the world of music catalog transactions. Recently, he facilitated the sale of Christine McVie’s Fleetwood Mac master royalties to HarbourView and brokered the acquisition of DJ/producer Gesaffelstein’s catalog by Position Music. Despite the fact that many legendary catalogs have already been snapped up, Mandelbaum continues to close high-profile deals, including transactions involving music that’s only a year old.
Sarah Martin | Loeb & Loeb LLP
Since joining the agency in 2016, Sarah Martin has steadily risen through the ranks, earning a promotion in early 2024 to oversee business affairs across five offices and 250 agents handling more than 2,500 music and comedy acts. Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding the Public Appearance team through the complex post-Brexit and post-COVID touring landscape, as well as ongoing geopolitical challenges.
Tanya Perara | Universal Music Group
Tanya Perara plays a pivotal role in managing Universal’s vast catalog of 200,000 songs. She has also been at the forefront of discussions with the musician’s union, tackling pressing issues like AI’s impact on live musicians. Recognizing both the risks and creative possibilities of the technology, Perara remains a key figure in shaping the future of music rights and innovation.
L. Lee Phillips | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Lee played a key role in representing Tracy Chapman for her highly acclaimed duet with Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammys. Combs’ hit cover of Fast Car reignited interest in Chapman’s original, leading to a staggering 6,000% spike in catalog sales following the performance. Beyond this landmark moment, Lee has also worked on endorsement deals for former American Idol judge Randy Jackson and has represented a roster of legendary artists, including Barbra Streisand, Kenny Loggins, Brian Wilson, and the Eagles.
Christine Lepera | Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Lepera is the go-to litigator for artists and labels facing high-stakes copyright, trademark, and contract disputes. Her client list includes industry heavyweights like Universal Music Group, Drake, Katy Perry, Post Malone, and Dr. Luke. As lead counsel for Universal Music, she successfully defended against a lawsuit over Drake and Kanye West’s Glow and continues to represent Kobalt Music Publishing in a dispute involving Eminem’s publisher, Eight Mile Style, and Spotify.
Julian Petty | Warner Music Group
Petty has been instrumental in Warner Music’s recent success, playing a key role in securing deals for breakout stars like Benson Boone and Teddy Swims, as well as managing ongoing agreements for country sensation Zach Bryan. As executive VP and head of legal affairs, he oversees both new artist contracts and high-profile renegotiations. Beyond artist deals, Petty spearheaded Linkin Park’s partnership with Riot Games and remains deeply involved in the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business Fellowship Program at Howard University.
Angela Marie Rogers | Reed Smith LLP
After more than a decade running her own firm, Rogers took on the role of head of business and legal affairs at gamma., the forward-thinking media and technology company that also operates as a next-generation record label. In this position, she oversees signings for high-profile partners like Usher, Snoop Dogg, and Rebel Music’s Sexyy Red while also leading strategic partnerships. Beyond artist deals, Rogers played a key role in production legal services for Mass Appeal’s Hulu documentary Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told, which explores the legendary Atlanta street party that defined the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Bobby Rosenbloum | Greenberg Traurig LLP
As of 2024, Rosenbloum has facilitated music deals worth over $3 billion, solidifying his reputation as a key figure in the industry. He oversees music licensing and strategy for leading AI-driven music companies like SourceAudio, Klay Vision, Songbird AI, and Oy, as well as major social media platforms, including Meta, Snap, TikTok, X, and Twitch. As a go-to outside counsel, he advises top-tier brands like Mattel, Coca-Cola, Amazon Studios, Lululemon, Verizon Wireless, MLB, and Apple Studios.
Clara Kim | ASCAP
Clara Kim, who oversees licensing deals for ASCAP, is a strong advocate for the organization's artist-friendly approach, emphasizing its lower operating expense rate compared to competitors like BMI. Over the past year, her team has secured licensing agreements with major platforms such as Apple TV+, Amazon, Hulu, Fox News, Roku, and Peacock. Additionally, Kim has played a pivotal role in shaping ASCAP’s policies on AI, ensuring the organization stays ahead of industry shifts.
Debbie White | Loeb & Loeb LLP
Dubbed the queen of K-pop collabs, White has been the go-to legal representative for HYBE (the powerhouse behind BTS) for seven years, playing a key role in bringing K-pop into the global spotlight. Beyond K-pop, White has secured major deals for global icons like The Who, Duran Duran, and Christina Aguilera, including her Las Vegas residency and an Airbnb partnership. She also played a hand in NewJeans’ ambassadorship with Coca-Cola.
Sources:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/top-music-attorneys-2024/
https://variety.com/lists/music-legal-elite-report/
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