Pryor Cashman is pleased to announce that leading entertainment attorneys James Sammataro and Hans Hertell have joined the firm as Partners. Sammataro will co-lead the firm's nationally recognized Media + Entertainment Group with James Janowitz, having previously led the practice at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, and will be jointly-based in Los Angeles and Pryor Cashman's newly established Miami office. Hertell, also formerly of Stroock, will be resident to the Miami office.
Pryor Cashman has seen steady growth in its partner ranks, with Sammataro and Hertell being the 8th and 9th new partners to join the firm in the last 12 months.
A veteran litigator, Sammataro brings 20 years of experience representing Fortune 500 companies, media clients, record labels, music publishers, brands, celebrities and professional sports teams in high-profile disputes involving copyright, trademark, First Amendment, rights-of-publicity, non-compete and anti-SLAPP matters. On the transactional side, he has handled major entertainment deals on behalf of television and radio stations, prominent film companies, esports franchises, and A-list musical artists, and carved a niche as one of the "go to" attorneys for concerts and touring matters.
Hertell represents media, entertainment and other clients in high-stakes disputes, including with respect to contract and non-compete claims, intellectual property, First Amendment, business torts and related matters. He also handles international disputes in arbitration, with a focus on Latin America. Hertell will deepen Pryor Cashman's entertainment offering with a multilingual capacity at the epicenter of Latin music, television, film and the performing arts.
Ronald Shechtman, Pryor Cashman's Managing Partner, said of the new partners' arrival, "James and Hans add strength to strength in our already formidable media and entertainment litigation practice. They expand our scope geographically, while at the same time complement our existing services and client base."
"I've long admired Pryor Cashman's work in the media space, and look forward to increasing the geographic reach of the firm's top-notch practice," said Sammataro.
"Pryor Cashman has an unparalleled intellectual property bench representing creators and innovators of all stripes. I'm delighted to join its partner ranks and to help the firm tap into the ever-growing Latin American music and arts scene," Hertell said.
Sammataro received his J.D., cum laude, from Duke University School of Law. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Cornell University.
Hertell graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University.
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