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The Legal 500 US 2008 has named Pryor Cashman as one of the top Media, Technology and Telecoms firms in the United States, citing its prowess in the film, music and television industries on both the studio and talent side.

According to the publication, which obtains its information by speaking with corporate counsel throughout the country, the firm’s “integrated multi-disciplinary entertainment, media and communications practice … has a particularly good name for film financing work, with deep experience in this burgeoning area of practice.” The Legal 500 US 2008 also noted that the “firm has a strong international flavor to its entertainment practice, advising clients financing motion-picture projects produced outside the US.”

Legal 500 US 2008 wrote that “Pryor Cashman has a strong entertainment talent practice concentrated on writers, directors and producers for film and television” and noted that the “firm particularly leverages its financing prowess, gained on the corporate side of entertainment representation, to assist talent clients in the development of new projects.”

As noted in Legal 500 US 2008, “Pryor Cashman is especially well-regarded for its IP expertise, and has a strong celebrity-branding practice, clearing and protecting celebrity names and negotiating licensing, sponsorship and endorsement deals to build their brand. The firm also has deep experience in the music industry, with a wide range of singer, songwriter and production clients whom the firm represents both in respect of traditional music-industry deals, and on the burgeoning complexities of new-media music distribution."

According to Legal 500 US 2008, “clients are positive about their experiences with the firm, commending in particular its ‘efficiency, attitude, and extremely high quality of work.’” The publication also singled out three attorneys from Pryor Cashman, stating that:

• “Practice head James Janowitz in New York provides work of ‘the highest caliber’, according to clients.”
• “‘Very smart’ litigators Stephen Huff and Tom Ferber are widely commended as ‘professional and successful’.” 

• Representation of “ABP Investments, the world’s third-largest pension fund, in connection with ABP’s acquisition from Universal Music of a variety of music publishing catalogues for Europe, including songs such as Britney Spears’ Oops!...I Did It Again and Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.”
• Retention “for the second consecutive year to represent all the finalists on the 2008 season of American Idol in connection with their appearances on the show and recording, management, touring and merchandising deals."
• Acting “as counsel on Oscar-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side."

Legal 500 US 2008 also noted that Pryor Cashman “has a strong reputation for entertainment-related litigation, having represented nearly every major motion-picture studio and television and cable networks, as well as an impressive roster of entertainment talent.” The examples of the firm’s litigation strength cited by the publication included:

• The “successful defense of Sony/ATV Songs and songwriter Scotty Emerick against a claim that the popular country and western song I Love This Bar infringed copyright. The firm obtained a dismissal with prejudice of the claim.”
• “The representation of Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, Johnta Austin, EMI April Music, BMG Songs and others in a music copyright infringement case alleging that Carey and other writers of the song It’s Like That on The Emancipation of Mimi album copied the plaintiff’s song Sexy.  Pryor Cashman successfully obtained summary judgment for its clients, showing that no striking similarity, nor evidence that the writers of  It’s Like That had heard the plaintiff’s song.”

Among the representative Pryor Cashman clients listed by Legal 500 US 2008 were: 

• Constantini Film Group
• EMI
• Fox Broadcasting
• Lionsgate Films
• New Line
• Sony-BMG Entertainment
• Warner Bros.
• The 2008 American Idol finalists and finalists from earlier years including Ruben Studdard, Kim Caldwell and Justin Guarini
• Paul Abdul
• Mariah Carey
• Jermaine Dupri