Nicholas Saady

Trusted Advisor

Nick has a diverse client base focused on music, entertainment, and sports. Uniquely, Nick’s expertise spans both high-stakes litigation and significant commercial transactions. He represents internationally acclaimed artists, athletes, record labels, and media personalities. He is also outside counsel to two major U.S. sports leagues and music management companies, as well as the go-to lawyer for prominent brands and startups.

High-Profile and Bet-the-Company Matters

Nick’s notable representations (including his prior practice with two leading global law firms) include:

Music + Entertainment

• Major record labels, artists and actors in IP, contractual, and other statutory litigation — including Universal Music Group, UMG’s executives, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, H.E.R., Megan Thee Stallion, Gabrielle Union, and Justin Theroux;
• International artists and global music businesses regarding transactional, music, touring, and IP issues — including Anyma, Sara Landry, Cloonee, Afterlife, Adriatique, Aluna, Mau P, Hellbent Records, Hekate Records, Tale Of Us, and Amelie Lens;
• The Circuit Group on all legal matters related to its business — including the formation and operation of its $500 million Circuit Capital Fund with Create Music Group;
• Prominent media personalities, creators and brands regarding litigation, IP and commercial issues — including Fern Mallis (creator of New York Fashion Week), Proximity Music (10M+), and Luxury Listings (3.5M); and
• Halcyon Television in a copyright dispute regarding Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove — successfully defeating a motion for judgment on the pleadings prior to resolution.

Sports

• Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket on various litigation, IP, immigration and transactional matters — including a multi-billion-dollar dispute with USA Cricket (U.S. national governing body) regarding the future of U.S. cricket, and another significant IP dispute with Major League Baseball; 
• International Cricket Council on IP and immigration matters related to the 2024 T20 World Cup;
• U.S. professional soccer, rugby and powerboat racing teams and leagues on transactional, IP and immigration matters;
• Professional athletes and coaches in a class action against a major U.S. sports league; and
• Rugby Australia regarding labor, employment, and constitutional issues arising from the termination of star player Israel Folau.

Litigation

• A global media company in a multi-billion-dollar dispute regarding a streaming platform;
• Compass, Inc. against Anywhere Real Estate in commercial litigation;
• META against Meta Platforms, Inc. in trademark infringement and unfair competition litigation;
• Ten Five Hospitality in litigation regarding one of the hottest U.S. restaurants, Mother Wolf — successfully defeating a preliminary injunction motion in November prior to resolution; and 
• Revolutionary artist Kevin McCoy in a dispute regarding Quantum, the first-ever NFT — achieving dismissal of all claims against McCoy in March 2023 and dismissal before the Second Circuit in January 2024.

White-Collar and Government Enforcement

• A government body in conducting an impeachment investigation into a prominent politician;
• One of the world’s largest tech companies regarding various federal and state regulatory investigations; and
• The Australian Federal Government in prosecuting the most prominent Australian trade union and its management.

Strong Commitment to Pro Bono Work

In addition to his Board and Committee positions, Nick has conducted pro bono work for:

• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in intellectual property, statutory, and contractual disputes for artists and creators;
• NIL Pro Bono Project, advising college athletes with respect to NIL deals;
• Legal Aid Society in a dispute regarding its Brooklyn headquarters;
• Medicins Sans Frontiers in a dispute with the government of Nauru;
• Refugee Advice and Casework Service on immigration matters for Sri Lankan, Iraqi, and Syrian refugees; and
• Afghan refugees on immigration matters after their evacuation in mid-2021.

Prestigious Clerkships

Nick served as a judicial clerk at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, first for Justice John Sackar AM KC and then Justice Monika Schmidt AM. The Supreme Court is Australia’s eminent commercial court and the highest state court, dealing with the most serious civil and criminal trials and appeals. Nick completed both clerkships while studying law full-time, being one of the few clerks in the Court’s history to do so.