Although women now outnumber men when it comes to law school enrollment, according to the latest data from the American Bar Association, the legal profession remains a male-dominated industry by a measure of 61.5% to 38.3%. Lisa Alter, founder of Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP, a top music and entertainment firm, has the scoop on how to succeed in a practice area that’s known for being a boys’ club.
ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund acquired writer, publishing, and producer royalty rights to a discography of hit songs from 3x Grammy-nominated, 4x Juno Award winner, multi platinum-selling producer and songwriter Kevin Churko. Churko is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician best known for his works with several high-profile artists including Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, In This Moment, Skillet, Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne.
The firm is proud to announce that Lisa Alter and Katie Baron were named in Variety’s “Dealmakers Impact Report” for 2023. Each year, this coveted list profiles the top legal practitioners powering the entertainment industry’s most significant deals.
Lisa Alter was recently featured in MarketWatch’s article “Why Brenda Lee may not see much money from her No. 1 hit ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,’” which dives into the resurgence of the 78-year-old artist’s 1958 Christmas hit, currently ranked #1 on Billboard.
Despite the song’s high rank on streaming charts, the article notes that Lee will likely receive limited royalty payments. This is due to several factors, one being that “the big money” in royalties typically flows to songwriters. Lee sang and recorded the song as a teenager, but it was penned by the late Johnny Marks, who was also responsible for the Christmas hits “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Another reason Lee may not realize significant financial gains after topping the charts is that her artist contract, forged at least 65 years ago, could not have accounted for today’s listening experience, and the rise of streaming platforms. Royalties on Spotify and other platforms are typically low, generating fractions of a cent, which is then further split between artists and their labels. As Lisa emphasizes, “It takes a lot of streams to make money.”
Singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias and music rights platform Influence Media Partners have announced a new major partnership deal spanning his professional career along with name, image, and likeness rights to expand future licensing opportunities. “My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me. I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects,” said Iglesias.
Alter Kendrick & Baron has been recognized as a 2024 “Best Law Firm” by Best Lawyers®, the legal industry’s oldest and widely respected ranking publication. The firm was ranked on both the national and New York metropolitan area lists for the Entertainment Law - Music and Copyright Law categories.
“Best Law Firms” rankings are based on an intensive evaluation process in which the firms nationwide are ranked by their clients and peers in their respective practice areas, based on a set of criteria including responsiveness, cost-effectiveness, integrity, and civility, as well as whether they would refer a matter to the firm and/or consider the firm a worthy competitor.
Primary Wave has announced a partnership with the estate of Isaac Hayes to administer the late singer-songwriter-producer’s publishing interests. Additionally, the union will see Brookfield-backed Primary Wave market the name, image, and likeness of the longtime South Park voice actor Hayes, who released at least 20 studio albums as a solo act (1969’s Hot Buttered Soul chief among them) and penned well-known works including “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Coming” during his decades-long career.
The firm is pleased to announce that Lisa Alter has been included among The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 list of New York City’s 25 leading lawyers handling big-ticket entertainment work. Lisa was recognized for her music catalog deals on behalf of numerous top music industry players/numerous top music publishers and investment funds.
To view the full list, click below.
Influence Media Partners has acquired music catalogs from Grammy Award-winning producers 30 Roc and Dre Moon. Influence noted that its deal with Dre Moon covers 118 tracks, including hits like Heartless by The Weeknd, Drunk In Love by Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z, and Armed and Dangerous by Juice WRLD.