About Us

The firm was founded in 1963 by Columbia Law School graduates Pete Pryor, Gideon Cashman, and David Braun. Experienced entertainment lawyers, Pryor and Braun, represented clients in the music, publishing and motion picture industries. Cashman was a seasoned litigator, having distinguished himself in public service as a trial and appellate attorney, serving as associate counsel to the New York Waterfront Commission. He also served as a lieutenant in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division in the Southern District of New York, where he was also Chief of Criminal Appeals.

The firm began as a boutique, representing entertainment clients in a wide variety of transactions and litigating for those and an increasingly broader spectrum of clients. Among the firm’s prominent clients were Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Neil Diamond, Petula Clark, Simon & Garfunkel, Faye Dunaway, The Lovin’ Spoonful and Creative Management Associates, one of America’s top talent agencies.

During the 1980s, Pryor Cashman hit its stride as a full-service, general practice firm. During this period, several current practice group heads joined the firm. 

Pete Pryor stepped down as co-Managing Partner in 1985 and retired from the practice of law. Pryor moved to Denver, Colorado to be closer to his family, and remained there until his passing on October 23, 2008. In 1985, Gideon Cashman became the sole Managing Partner and, during the next 20 years, guided the firm through its greatest period of development.

The first decade of the new century saw the opening of Pryor Cashman's Los Angeles office (in 2003) and, in 2007, Ronald Shechtman assumed his current leadership position, with Gideon Cashman continuing to provide guidance as Chairman. In July 2009, the firm moved its New York office to its current address at 7 Times Square, and in 2019, the firm established an office in Miami.

The Pryor Cashman team will continuously strive for excellence by fostering a prestigious culture that respects individuality and encourages innovation while practicing sound judgment and common sense. We will do this work in the pursuit of achieving new heights in professional achievement and satisfaction.