Profile
Steve represents artists, creative individuals and entrepreneurs in the music industry. His practice is focused on the defense of his client’s rights in their professional endeavors and business dealings, including recording contracts, music publishing agreements, merchandising, touring, music in film and TV and other music business transactions. Steve is experienced in advising and representing new and established artists, as well as on the issues and rights relating to new media and new technologies. His clients include recording artists, bands, producers, songwriters, performers, small music publishing and recording companies, film production companies and other entertainment businesses.
Prior to joining the firm, Steve worked as an executive in the music industry, having served as a member of the senior executive team for Loudeye Technologies, Inc., a publicly traded company, which was acquired by Nokia, and was a leading provider of services and infrastructure for the authorized delivery of digital media. While at Loudeye, Steve helped lead company efforts to build and manage business relationships with the worldwide music industry, particularly supporting Loudeye’s role as a key partner with major music companies and their music initiatives, and handling key licensing arrangements for their products and services.
Concentrations
- Music and entertainment transactions
- Media technology
- Intellectual property
Capabilities
Experience
- Advised numerous recording artists (from new to multiplatinum) relative to all aspects of the music industry, including recording, publishing, merchandising, management, touring and band-member agreements.
- Negotiated and closed lucrative, multi-rights agreements for major recording artists.
- Represented one of the world's largest toy manufacturers with respect to its music activities, including the use of new media for its most popular brands.
- Represented several new music operations with respect to all of their outside activities and internal operations, from licensing content to the negotiation and documentation of their more sophisticated ventures.
- Represented an industry leader in encoding, hosting and delivering entertainment content, and handled its more sophisticated technology/entertainment issues and transactions.
- Represented independent game producers relative to the development, protection and exploitation of games.
- Handled transactions for the sale or disposition of significant music intellectual property assets including the sale of music publishing catalogs.
- Managed transactions for the licensing of major sound recordings, music videos and celebrity names/likenesses for use in entertainment and new media products.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Entertainment Law - Music, 2021-2025
- Team Member, a Law360 “Media & Entertainment Practice Group of the Year,” 2022
- Named, Billboard magazine, "Top Music Lawyers," 2023-2024
- Listed, Variety, “Legal Impact Report,” 2023
- Listed, Variety, “Dealmakers Impact Report,” 2023
Credentials
- J.D., Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- B.A., magna cum laude, Colgate University
- California