For the 11th consecutive year, Pryor Cashman has been recognized among the top U.S. law firms by the Legal 500. 13 of the firm’s attorneys were selected as leading practitioners in their fields, while the Intellectual Property, Media + Entertainment, Immigration and M&A Groups were ranked among the best in the country. 

Premier Copyright Practice

Legal 500 praised the firm’s Copyright practice for its work on behalf of “major music industry clients as well as a number of motion picture studios.” In particular, Legal 500 highlighted the “responsive, informed team which represented NMPA and NSAI in the high-profile rate-setting proceedings with the major streaming and limited download services, including Amazon, Apple and Google.” The practice’s “strong track record defending high-profile recording artists and studios against allegations of infringement,” including Ricky Martin and Jay-Z, was also noted.

Frank Scibilia, co-chair of the Copyright practice, was singled out as one of the elite “leading lawyers” in the copyright field, as well as for an appellate victory he obtained for EMI Music Publishing as plaintiff in a dispute with the now-defunct MP3Tunes.

Additionally, Donald Zakarin, head of the Litigation Group, Tom Ferber, co-chair of the Copyright practice and Ilene Farkas were also recognized as leading attorneys for copyright disputes, while Brad D. Rose, head of the Intellectual Property Group, and Media + Entertainment Group chair James Janowitz were named among the best attorneys for transactional work.

A “Standout” in Media + Entertainment

Dubbed “a standout for clients in the music industry,” Pryor Cashman’s Media + Entertainment Group was once again recognized for its expertise in transactional work, copyright litigation and trademark disputes. Along with the groundbreaking CRB matter, the group represented Bruno Mars and Atlantic Records in a copyright infringement suit relating to the hit song Grenade, and obtained a dismissal for Ricky Martin in a copyright and trademark infringement dispute.

Beyond the music arena, the group also successfully represented Speedee Distribution in a breach of contract dispute with The Weinstein Company, and advised the producers of the film I Can Only Imagine on various issues.

Janowitz, Zakarin, Scibilia, Ferber and Rose were all named top attorneys in the field, along with Michael Novicoff, who joined the firm’s Los Angeles office from Liner LLP in 2017.

Leading Immigration Attorneys

“The cornerstone of Pryor Cashman’s Immigration practice is sports-related work,” Legal 500 observed, lauding its “quick, reliable and thorough” team of attorneys who serve “a broad range of athletes, teams and leagues, including the ECHL.” The group was also recognized for “its strength in advising clients from the aviation, fashion, education, pharmaceutical, financial services, technology and entertainment sectors on immigration issues.”

Legal 500 honored “the exceptional Colleen Caden, who chairs the group and attracts praise for her experience in immigration planning, corporate support and policy development matters.” Avram Morell was commended “for assisting financial services clients with global mobility issues, compliance matters, foreign talent recruitment and I-9 procedures and audits,” while Alice Stock was recognized as being “always updated on new policies and regulations and proactively sharing relevant information with her clients.”

Trusted Advisors for Middle-Market M&A Deals

The M&A practice also received top honors, with Legal 500 touting its work on “deals involving the energy, software, technology and advertising sectors,” as well as its “transactional experience in the apparel, medical supplies and life sciences industries.” Specifically, the firm’s work “assisting Asian supermarket chain NYM Holding with its merger into iFresh (a SPAC), and advising Marina Biotech on the acquisition of hypertension treatment Prestalia® from Symplmed Pharmaceuticals,” was highlighted.

Richard Frazer won praise for his representation of music mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons in the sale of prepaid debit card company UniRush to Green Dot Corporation, while M&A practice co-chair John Crowe and Stephen Goodman were named top attorneys in the field.

Complete 2018 Legal 500 Rankings 

The Legal 500 U.S. rankings are based on work achievements, depth and experience of practice, and independent interviews with clients and peer law firms across the country. The awards are given to the elite legal practitioners, based on the most comprehensive research into the U.S. legal market.

To view the complete 2018 rankings, please visit here.