Pryor Cashman LLP

Music Group and Media + Entertainment Litigation

Partner

James Sammataro is a partner at Pryor Cashman and co-chair of the firm’s Music Group and Media + Entertainment Litigation Practice. 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.”

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.

Media Law Resource Center, member; Media Copyright & Trademark, committee member; Pre-Publication/Pre-Broadcast, committee member

Duke University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1999) Cornell University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1995)