Katie Baron

Partner

Katie Baron concentrates her practice in the area of music catalog acquisition and sale transactions with a special focus on copyright law. Ms. Baron advises music publishers, record labels, and other investors in the music space, as well as their financing partners, on all facets of the acquisition process. Her services in this regard include conducting in-depth copyright and chain of title diligence, structuring transactions, negotiating, drafting, and implementing complex asset and stock purchase agreements, and counseling on post-closing matters related to rights administration and income collection. Additionally, she represents music service providers, opera companies, and producers of audio-visual content on rights clearance matters.

Ms. Baron’s clients also include a number of prominent composers, songwriters, performing artists, producers, and musical estates, including several Grammy award-winners and inductees into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition, she serves as counsel to the Music Publishers’ Association of the United States and several respected musical foundations.

Ms. Baron has received numerous accolades in her career, including being named to Billboard’s “40 under 40” and perennially recognized in its “Top Music Lawyers” list as well as being honored among Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders” and in its “Legal Impact” and “Dealmakers Impact” reports. She also speaks frequently on matters related to copyright law for various professional groups and trade associations.

  • New York Metro Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2018-2023)
  • Up and Coming Lawyer in Media and Entertainment: Music - New York, Chambers USA (2022-2023)
  • Dealmakers Impact Report, Variety (2022-2024)
  • Best Lawyers, Copyright Law (2024)
  • Top Music Lawyer, Billboard (2020-2023)
  • “Up and Coming”, Media and Entertainment: Music - New York, Chambers (2022)
  • Legal Impact Report, Variety (2021-2023)
  • "Best Law Firms," U.S. News & World Report (2021, 2022)
  • Dealmakers of the Year, New York Law Journal (2021)
  • "40 Under 40" List, Billboard (2020)
  • Hollywood's New Leaders, Variety (2020)
  • Dealmakers Directory, Billboard (2020)
  • New York Super Lawyer's Rising Star (2018- 2022)
  • New York Dealmaker's Elite "Up Next", Variety (2017)
  • Panelist: “Music Copyright Terminations – A Review”, New York State Bar Association, Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section: Annual Music Business and Law Conference (New York, NY, 2023)
  • Panelist: “Why Million Dollar Music Catalog Sales Matter To You”, SXSW Music Conference (Austin, TX, 2022)
  • Panelist: “Copyright for Virtual Concerts: What You Can and Cannot Do”, Webinar (2020)
  • Panelist: “Copyright at the Crossroads: The Present and Prognostications”, SXSW Music Conference (Austin, TX, 2019)
  • Presenter: “Legal 101: US Copyright and Commissioning”, Composer Institute: Minnesota Orchestra (Minneapolis, MN, 2017)
  • Panelist: “Termination Rights and Related Issues”, New York State Bar Association Entertainment and Sports Law Section: Annual Music Business and Law Conference (New York, NY, 2016)
  • Panelist: “Music Law in the Digital Age: Recent Trends and the Effects of Streaming”, Brooklyn Entertainment and Sports Law Society (Brooklyn, NY, 2015)
  • Moderator: “Deconstructing Digital: An Overview of US Licensing and Royalty Collection Practices”, PRS for Music (London, UK, 2015)
  • Presenter: “Copyright & Commissioning Basics”, New York Philharmonic & American Composer Orchestra: Career Development Workshop (New York, NY, 2014)
  • Panelist: “The Business of Being a Composer”, MATA Festival: Workshop (New York, NY, 2014)
  • Presenter: “Copyright and Commissioning Basics”, American Composers: Professional Development Workshop (Detroit, MI, 2014)
  • Speaker: “MPA Anti-Piracy Initiative and Resources Available to Publishers”, Music Publishers’ Association of the United States of America (New York, NY, 2013)
  • Presenter: “Recording Issues: Rights and Agreements”, Opera America (Vancouver, Canada, 2013)
  • Admitted to practice in New York and Texas
  • New York State Bar Association
    • Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section
  • American Bar Association
    • Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industry
  • Copyright Society of the USA
  • International Association of Entertainment Lawyers
  • Fordham University School of Law, J.D. (2009)
  • University of Texas at Austin, B.S. in Communication Studies (2005)

Protecting Your Musical Copyrights

Download our useful and frequently sought out guide to copyright law as it pertains to musical compositions and sound recordings, including detailed information regarding the statutory termination provisions of the US Copyright Act and helpful charts outlining the applicable timeframes during which the recapture rights provided for thereunder may be exercised, as well as practical tips for musical estates, music publishers, and other content owners.
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