James G. Sammataro

Entertainment Litigator

James is one of the music industry’s most recognized attorneys, having represented Eminem, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Karol G, Don Omar, Chris Cornell, Chris Brown, Dr. Dre, Becky G, Luis Fonsi, Lil Baby, DJ Tiesto, Paulo Londra, Roddy Ricch, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music, and Spotify in high-profile music-related disputes.

James has defended a number of iconic works, including Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything,” Karol G’s remix of “Dame to Cosita,” Chris Brown and Drake’s “No Guidance,” and Da Baby’s “Rockstar.”

James’ trial success has resulted in Billboard repeated recognition of himas one of the nation’s top music lawyers. He’s cemented this reputation by:

• Defending the reggaeton industry, including Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, Becky G, Anitta, and Diplo (among 93 total defendants) in the sprawling “Dem Bow” copyright infringement action in which reggae duo Steely & Clevie claim that 1,800 songs infringe their drum pattern.


• Extricating several of the music industry’s biggest stars from copyright infringement actions, including actions involving Chris Brown’s collaboration with Drake, “No Guidance,” Da Baby and Roddy Ricch for the mega-hit “Rockstar,” Future’s “Life is Good,” Chris Brown’s “Pills & Automobiles,” and Lil Baby’s “My Turn.”


• Resolving the Estate of Chris Cornell’s litigation with the band Soundgarden over the recordings containing Cornell’s final vocal performance, bringing a close to the highly publicized, heavily contested three-year litigation and paving the way for the release of Soundgarden’s final album.


• Spearheading Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment’s parallel copyright infringement actions against Bang Energy, securing both summary judgment and spoilation sanctions against the energy drink company.

Variety has hailed James as one of the most impactful entertainment attorneys based on his deft handling of media entities and A-list celebrities in delicate disputes, including defamation matters (Sean Penn vs. Lee Daniels), right of publicity claims (Lindsey Lohan vs. Pitbull), trademark disputes (American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Price Is Right), and profit participation disputes (Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Making the Band, and The Real World). He also represented Netflix, Univision, and Rakontur in defamation actions, and defended claims involving the television shows American Gods, Press Your Luck, Maradona, and God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty.

Transactional Expert

James represents leading concert promoters and production companies, and overseen concerts featuring Cardi B, Ozuna, Bad Bunny, Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dog, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Rosalía, and Genesis. He also possesses unparalleled experience in touring exhibitions, working with Harry Potter, The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, Bodies, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, CoComelon, The Little Prince, and The Lionel Messi Experience.

James guides major entertainment deals to fruition, managing both day-to-day and breakthrough transactions on behalf of television stations, radio stations, and e-sports franchises. He also advises media companies on managing and defending their valuable intellectual property, as well as negotiating talent, content, production, syndication, and distribution agreements. Recently, James has been involved in a number of high-profile NIL deals and NFT-related transactions.

Industry Authority

The author of the definitive “Film and Multimedia and the Law,” James is a regular podcast contributor and is frequently called upon to provide legal commentary on emerging trends and pivotal legal decisions for The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Deadline, Variety, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Entertainment Tonight, and The USA Today.