Lisa Alter was recently quoted in articles from USA Today and Axios following the news that Katy Perry sold her music catalog to Litmus Music for $225 million.
"(Artists) know this may not last forever," Lisa previously told USA Today. "Buyers may run out of money. And it makes a lot of sense for someone later in their career. Why not enjoy (the money) while I can? It can also create a simpler situation for heirs that they’re just inheriting money. And younger artists are looking at (the trend) and saying, my work is generating significant income today, so why not get the money now while my work is really hot?"
Axios referenced Lisa’s “1 Big Meal” interview earlier this year in which she explained that many investment firms have been buying music rights in recent years as they are increasingly viewing music as a strong asset.
The full articles can be found below.
Katy Perry sells music catalog to Litmus Music for reported $225 million - USA Today
Katy Perry sells catalog rights to Litmus Music - Axios
The ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund acquired a catalogue of songs and royalty interests from multi-platinum chart-topping record producer, songwriter, and musician, Simone Felice. The catalogue acquisition includes rights to The Lumineers’ last three hit albums, Cleopatra, III and Brightside, Vance Joy and Shania Twain’s newest album, Queen of Me. Simone Felice is the in-house producer for the Grammy-Award nominated band The Lumineers.
NEW YORK CITY, NY – September 14, 2023 – Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP (“AKB”) is pleased to announce the addition of Madison Smiley as an associate in the firm. Madison brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area of complex acquisition and asset-backed lending transactions, with a strong emphasis on the music industry.
Prior to joining Alter, Kendrick & Baron, Madison launched her legal career at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where she honed her skills with the finance group of the firm's corporate department, gaining valuable experience in negotiating and drafting transactional documents.
At AKB, Madison joins a collective that has advised on major music acquisition deals for the likes of James Brown, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, and the Strokes, at a firm that has completed more than 200 deals totaling over $6B in value over the last 24 months.
"AKB has a reputation of punching above its weight in the music business,” noted Madison. “Being in a position to work directly with and learn from the Senior Partners is a significant milestone in my career, and I'm dedicated to upholding the high standards they've set in the industry."
"We are thrilled to welcome Madison to our team," said Lisa A. Alter, Founding Partner of Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP. "Her addition reflects our firm’s commitment to hiring the best available talent to assist our clients with navigating the most complex transactions.”
Madison earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where she received a certificate in Intellectual Property, Media, and Information Law. During her time in law school, Madison was a dedicated member of the Brooklyn Law Review and completed legal internships at various prestigious entertainment law firms, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She graduated summa cum laude from Belmont University in 2018 with a B.B.A. in Music Business.
Primary Wave Music has announced a music rights deal with Dennis DeYoung, a founding member of the iconic rock band Styx. The deal will see Primary Wave acquire the music publishing catalog rights for a majority of compositions written by DeYoung, and master recording rights for a majority of recordings featuring his performances.
The firm is pleased to announce that Lisa Alter, Katie Baron, and James Kendrick will appear in the 2024 edition of "The Best Lawyers in America,” one of the oldest and most respected guides to the legal profession. The selections are based on a comprehensive peer-review process that captures the consensus opinion of leading lawyers regarding the professional abilities of colleagues within common legal practices and geographical areas. Lisa, Katie, and James were honored for their outstanding work in the following practice areas:
Lisa Alter: Copyright Law; Entertainment Law - Music
Katie Baron: Copyright Law
James Kendrick: Copyright Law
Additionally, “Best Lawyers in America” named Zachary Blumenfeld and Jaclyn Felber to its 2024 “Ones to Watch” list for Entertainment and Sports Law and Intellectual Property Law.
Lisa Alter was recently interviewed for Axios’s ‘1 Big Meal’ series about the current state of music investments and the changes that have been seen with the rise of AI, artist re-recordings, and more firms entering the space.
Lisa and the Axios reporter discussed the recent uptick in music catalog sales in recent years. Lisa speculated, “I think it's the investment community, the money, waking up to the fact that music is one of [America's] strongest national assets.” As she has seen this trend increase, she notes, “I think what's going to start happening is some amalgamation of content owners. A lot of funds have sprung up. A lot of these smaller funds are in it for the short term. I think you're going to see consolidation in the market.”
Influence Media Partners has acquired Grammy-nominated rapper and producer Logic’s publishing catalog spanning 185 titles including multi-platinum singles “1-800-273-8255”, “Everyday”, and “Sucker for Pain”. The company says that the Logic deal “further solidifies Influence Media’s investment in the future of hip-hop within the music publishing and content rights marketplace.”
“The estate of singer Joe Cocker has entered into an agreement with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group. According to a media statement, the deal will see Iconic “acquire, develop and expand Cocker’s rich musical legacy to new generations”. Iconic says that it has purchased Joe Cocker’s ‘music intellectual property assets, including his interest in his sound recordings, compositions, and his name, image, and likeness’.”
BMG has acquired the recording catalog of influential British rock and pop band, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Hollies. Under the agreement with The Hollies, BMG acquired more than 20 studio, compilation, live, and tribute album titles and rarities, wholly owned by the group, spanning 1967 to present.
New York, New York – June 6, 2023 – Leading music and entertainment law firm Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP has elevated Joyce Sydnee Dollinger to Partner at the Firm, effective immediately. Dollinger brings over twenty years of experience providing counsel in areas such as termination of grants of copyright, music publishing, and recorded music. She advises artists, songwriters, music producers, musical estates, and artist managers as well as companies spanning from start-ups to entertainment conglomerates on all aspects of their businesses. Her broad range of services include conducting copyright due diligence in connection with the sale and acquisition of music catalogs, counseling on copyright and licensing matters, and advising on music production projects, such as releasing new tracks through distribution outlets and engaging studio musicians, producers, and managers.
“Joyce is one of the most well-rounded lawyers I have encountered in the music business space,” says Founding Partner Lisa Alter. “She has a deep appreciation of music and is a dedicated advocate for her clients.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Joyce to our Partnership. She is an excellent practitioner and brings a great deal of positive energy to our firm,” says Partner Katie Baron.
Before joining the Firm, Dollinger counts among her career highlights working at and advising several prominent music companies, including both major and independent record labels and other music related businesses such as BMG/Arista and Special Products, Island Records, Palm Pictures/RykoDisc, PolyGram/Motown, Relix Magazine/Relix Records, and Cyber PR.
She enriched her full-time legal endeavors by serving on the New York State Bar Association’s Executive Committee of the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law (EASL) Section for a number of years and was recently voted Member-at-Large of its Executive Committee. She also serves as co-chair of the organization’s annual Music Business Law Conference, which she initially developed and implemented.
Outside the practice of law, Dollinger is involved in industry-specific organizations such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (The Grammy Awards), Women in Music, and New York Women in Film and Television. She is also an elected Board Member of the Association of Independent Music Publishers’ (AIMP) New York chapter, a position which she has maintained for eight years.
Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP is a top entertainment law firm with particular expertise advising clients in the music industry. The Firm’s attorneys advise clients in transactional, corporate, and intellectual property matters, including representing clients in complex transaction involving the acquisition and sale of significant music assets and advising on domestic and international copyright law.