Partners Ilene Farkas, James Sammataro, Frank Scibilia, and Benjamin Semel were all recognized on Billboard's annual list of "2022 Top Music Lawyers." The winners are chosen by editors based on, but not limited to, peer nominations from colleagues, superiors at selected major music companies, live music promoters, digital and streaming companies, and law firms. This year's list features "the savviest legal counselors in the business are called upon to advise on familiar contracts and a surging tide of catalog sales but also IPOs, NFTs, Web3, and new ventures in the metaverse."
Billboard highlighted Pryor Cashman's representation of the National Music Publishers' Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International in actions before the Copyright Royalty Board, in an effort to obtain fair wages for music artists and producers by negotiating "rates and terms payable by interactive streaming and limited download services such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Spotify."
Sammataro emphasized, "the struggle to ensure proper control and compensation for creators from digital uses, particularly as the music marketplace comes to be dominated by new business models." The firm has previously been recognized for its efforts in building the industry consensus group that has formed the Mechanical Licensing Collective under the Music Modernization Act.
Billboard also noted our team's work on behalf of award-winning musicians Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, and Paulo Londra as well as major labels and publishers like Universal, Sony, Warner, peermusic, ABKCO, and others.
The full list of winners and the Billboard feature can be found below.
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