MUSIC’S HOTTEST FIRMS: KING, HOLMES, PATERNO & SORIANO
King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, LLP remains a leader among the country’s music-law firms, having had one of its busiest years ever, despite the suspension of the live touring business. The firm’s music lawyers over the past year helped get clients through the pandemic, handling innumerable catalog sale and acquisition agreements, negotiating recording and publishing deals for existing and new firm clients and supporting clients in launching innovative livestream projects and in marketing NFTs. KHPS’s senior partners are litigator par excellence Howard King, Laurie Soriano (who reps such artists as Frank Ocean, Karen O, Calvin Harris, Bon Iver, Dominic Fike and Kim Petras) and the irrepressible Peter Paterno (whose clients include Metallica, Dr. Dre and Sia).
In July 2020, the firm announced that it was elevating Marjorie Garcia to partner. Marjorie joins a group of young KHPS partners with vibrant, growing clienteles, building on the firm’s long-standing client base.
On why she got into the music business: “Latinas account for less than 2% of American lawyers. I’m a first-generation Mexican-Guatemalan Latina partner at a major entertainment law firm, and I want to make sure that other smart Latinas don’t get left behind.”
Top 2020 projects: Renegotiated Glori Trevi and Raymix’s recording agreements with Universal Music Latin Entertainment. Negotiated a new publishing deal for Jesse & Joy with Warner Chappell. Various endorsement and livestream agreements for Snow tha Product.
On how the music industry has changed over the past year: “The types of deals that I am doing with record labels now are shifting toward artists retaining ownership of their masters. There are more buyers now in the market, and more artists are focusing on growing their fanbases on their own with their teams in order to increase their bargaining power.”
