Music legal elite 2026 list spotlights billion-dollar deals and AI battles

Variety’s music legal elite 2026 list puts the business behind the hits in the spotlight, naming attorneys who handled major catalog sales, artist deals, touring agreements and AI licensing work over the past year.

The publication said the list was based on recent accomplishments rather than reputation alone. Its editors framed the attorneys as key operators in a music economy shaped by high-dollar rights sales, streaming pressure, artificial intelligence and fast-moving artist careers.

Who is on Variety's music legal elite 2026 list?

The honorees include lawyers from major entertainment firms, in-house legal teams and boutique practices. Among the names featured are Lisa Alter and Katie Baron of Alter, Kendrick & Baron; Jason Boyarski and David Fritz of Boyarski Fritz; Jonathan Sperling, Neema Sahni, Adrian J. Perry and Phillip Hill of Covington & Burling; and David Dormon, Claire Jacobs, Bea Koramblyum and James Ball of Downtown Music.

Variety also highlighted Cynthia Katz, Heidy Vaquerano, Ken Abdo and Tim Mandelbaum of Fox Rothschild; Donald S. Passman, Ethan Schiffres and J. Eugene Salomon Jr. of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman; Damien Granderson, Guy Blake, Elizabeth Moody and Colin Morrissey of Granderson Des Rochers; and Bobby Rosenbloum, Jeff Biederman, Steve Plinio and Jess Rosen of Greenberg Traurig.

Other attorneys cited include Lawrence Shire, Eric Sacks and Kenneth Meiselas of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, David Jacobs of Jacobs Law Group, Dan Wall of Live Nation Entertainment, and John Frankenheimer, Derek Crownover, Debbie White and Monika Tashman of Loeb & Loeb.

The big deals behind the list

Catalog transactions dominate the roundup. Variety reported that Alter and Baron closed more than $1 billion in music deals, including Iconic Artists Group’s purchase of Rod Stewart’s publishing and recorded music catalog and a Wu-Tang Clan catalog partnership involving RZA.

Fox Rothschild’s team was credited with work for HarbourView Equity Partners on hundreds of transactions worth billions of dollars, including catalog and publishing company acquisitions tied to Max Martin and Shellback, the Quincy Jones estate and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.

Greenberg Traurig’s Rosenbloum led negotiations on the Recording Academy’s reported $500 million-plus agreement with Disney and ABC, which Variety said moves the Grammys to Disney after more than 50 years at CBS. Rosen also negotiated Kenny Chesney’s Sphere residency and Miranda Lambert’s catalog sale, according to the publication.

Downtown Music’s legal and business affairs team was featured for its role in Virgin Music Group’s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music. At the time of that deal, Variety said Downtown served more than 4 million creators and 5,000 business clients in 145 countries.

Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks was noted for deals involving the Weeknd, Usher, Chris Brown and Lady Gaga. Variety said Meiselas negotiated the Weeknd’s catalog partnership with Lyric Capital, described as being in the $1 billion range.

Why music lawyers matter now

Music attorneys negotiate recording, publishing, touring, media rights and catalog agreements, and they often help artists avoid terms that could hurt them later. They also work on copyright disputes, royalty claims and licensing deals involving new technology.

AI runs through the list as a major industry flashpoint. Granderson Des Rochers’ Moody was cited for deals between Udio and Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Merlin, plus a Roblox partnership with UMG. Several attorneys told Variety that AI, copyright protection and creator compensation are among the most urgent issues facing music.

Live Nation’s Wall was included for his work at a company under intense scrutiny over ticketing and antitrust issues. Variety noted his prior experience as a trial lawyer in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

This story draws on original reporting from Variety.