MUSIC'S HOTTEST LAW FIRMS: BOYARSKI FRITZ, LLP

Boyarski Fritz LLP is a leading entertainment, media and IP-oriented law firm founded in 2011 by Jason Boyarski and David Fritz, longtime multi-industry veterans who sought to bring an entrepreneurial spirit, a boutique-oriented feel and a roll-up-your-sleeves approach to entertainment law. Their mantra is to promote, preserve and protect creativity and innovation. Since its inception, the firm has expanded, with offices on both coasts, while establishing itself as a premier destination for representation.

Jason Boyarski

Boyarski, the firm’s managing partner, has been named a top entertainment lawyer in various trades and cited as an industry expert by The New York Times, Time and The Times of London. His client roster includes the iconic estates of Earth Wind & Fire’s Maurice White (for which Boyarski recently negotiated documentary and merchandise deals), Prince (through Prince OAT Holdings), Donny Hathaway and Brazilian legend Antonio Carlos Jobim, which recently received a new publishing agreement spanning his entire catalog.

Among the high-profile artists Boyarski reps are Meek Mill, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Jett, AWAL breakout JVKE, LMFAO’s Redfoo, Dean Lewis, Lil Kim and EDM stars Aluna and Paul Oakenfold. Boyarski also represents next-gen artists Maddie Zahm (AWAL), Jordy (300/Elektra), Towa (Interscope), Kid Culture (Epic), Catie Turner (Atlantic) and Álvaro Diaz (UMLE).

Widely regarded as an industry-leading expert in music publishing, Boyarski reps global hitmaker Tainy (Bad Bunny, J Balvin), songwriter Claude Kelly (Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars) and producer/artist Kevin Rudolf, all of whom recently closed noteworthy catalog sales. His A-list producer/songwriter roster also includes Louis Bell (Post Malone, Justin Bieber), Cirkut (Ava Max, The Weeknd), Stargate (Sam Smith, Rihanna), Federico Vindver (Meghan Trainor, Coldplay), Sarah Solovay (Bebe Rexha, Jason Derulo) and Lindgren/Melanie Shulz (BTS, Dua Lipa).

In addition to having represented institutional companies like BMG, Disney Music, ASICS, Alice+Olivia and Hyatt Hotels, Boyarski reps some of the most successful music entrepreneurs and their companies. These clients include Austin Rosen (Electric Feel), Lex Borrero and Tommy Mottola (NEON16 & Ntertain), Jared Gutstadt (Audio Up), Troy Carter and Suzy Roo (Venice), Gary Marella and Timbaland (Beatclub), Jonathan Strauss and Alexandre Williams (Create Music Group), Gregg Wattenberg (Arcade), Zach Friedman and Tony Talamo (Homemade Projects), Jamil Davis and Matt Bauerschmidt (The Revels Group), Jonathan Gordon (1916) and Mike Spitz (Volume 1).

Boyarski also counsels such high-profile radio personalities as Zach Sang, Allison Hagendorf and SiriusXM’s Ryan Sampson and Stanley “T” Evans (HITS1).

David Fritz

A co-founding partner, Fritz has a varied entertainment, media and corporate practice that includes the longstanding representation of Marc Anthony and his booking, sports, production, music and management agency, Magnus Media. Fritz also counsels Joan Jett; Lil Tecca and his production company; Galactic Records (owned by client Giuseppe Zappala); Tana (Republic); developing artist Jillian Rossi (Ultra Music Publishing); American Idol contestant Louis Knight, Sash (signed to Mike Dean and Apex Martin); WhoKilledXIX (Masked/Warner); Xie (Thrive Music); indie-rock band Detention; and producers Menoh Beats, Keith Varon and John Buscema.

Fritz works with such music-based companies as Vydia (recently acquired by Larry Jackson’s gamma), Cinematic Music Group, Sound Factory Records and Homemade Projects; and Web3/NFT companies Taiyaki Studios, C World Enterprises, Siki and Angry Pitbull Club.

In addition to music, Fritz advises TV personalities like Bethenny Frankel, social-media influencers including The Pasta Queen, restaurants and software developers. He’s the co-founder of Creative Intell, a legal tech/educational business-affairs solution for the entertainment industry.

Go to the complete Boyarski Fritz LLP spread here

See all 2023 Law Firms profiles here

Avi Dahan

A recent HITS Noisemaker, Dahan is senior counsel in the firm’s Beverly Hills office. With his finger on the pulse of the industry, Dahan boasts a client list that includes multi-platinum producer Johnny Goldstein (Coi Leray’s “Players,” Black Eyed Peas), JVKE (with co-counsel Boyarski), DJ/producer duo DVBBS (for whom Dahan negotiated a record deal with Ultra/Sony), Redfoo (with co-counsel Boyarski), Slush Puppy (Prescription Songs), Atlantic recording artist Josh Levi and the entertainment companies Riot Games and Sturdy.

Alex Stolls

A senior associate at the firm, Stolls works in the diverse areas of music, digital rights, branding, live events, podcast and audiovisual rights as well as handling recent significant catalog sales. The onetime Noisemaker focuses on contract drafting and negotiation and worked on recent high-profile deals for Meek Mill, Lil Kim, Earth Wind & Fire, Cirkut, Electric Feel, Tainy, NEON16 and Create Music Group. Stolls’ best memory at the firm is the time he spent backstage at MSG with Boyarski and Louis Bell watching Post Malone play beer pong.

Leah Scholnick

An associate at the firm, Scholnick assists on a variety of matters in the music space including contract drafting, negotiation and legal research. During law school, she worked at SESAC and firm client Film Nation. Scholnick published a note in the Cardozo Law Review about music in political campaigns. She studied classical voice and opera at various conservatories.

Vaughn Bobb-Willis

Bobb-Willis is an associate handling a variety of matters in the areas of music and IP, with a specific focus on music clearances and artist-related transactions. Before joining the firm, Bobb-Willis spent five years at Sony Music, where he settled in the business affairs administration department and focused on music clearances. During law school, Bobb-Willis served at Atlantic and Downtown Music.

Marshall Amores

An associate based in New York, Amores specializes in contract drafting, negotiation and licensing for the firm’s clients, with a primary focus on recording artists, producers, labels and publishers including BMG. Amores previously worked at several other music-oriented law firms as an associate and law clerk. During law school, he worked in the legal department of Steve Madden.

Lauren Menkes

Menkes, of counsel, has a focus on audiovisual transactional matters including recent TV, documentary, feature-film and podcast deals. Menkes regularly represents authors, screenwriters, directors, producers, production companies, on-air talent and agencies. Previously, Menkes was a business-affairs executive for various companies including UTA, Comedy Central, PorchLight Entertainment, Walt Disney Television, Twentieth Century Fox and Lionsgate.

Stephen Goldstein

As the firm’s corporate-law specialist, Goldstein, of counsel, has broad-based corporate dealmaking experience, having represented companies of all sizes in various industries. Goldstein’s expertise includes corporate governance, operating agreements, corporate finance and formation, employment matters and M&A. Goldstein has assisted many firm clients on major corporate transactions.

Laurie Marshall

Marshall, of counsel, serves as the firm’s trademark specialist. With many years of experience, Marshall represents clients with a primary focus on IP matters, including trademark registration, prosecution, searches and clearance. She previously spent 10 years at Major League Baseball.