The copyright practice at Mayer Brown offers a wealth of experience in litigation across a wide range of industries, including technology and media companies, music publishers and record labels, and publishing companies. Primarily operating from the firm’s New York office, the team has a proven track record in copyright royalty disputes and infringement suits. Allison M. Aviki frequently assists in high-value copyright infringement cases, with particular expertise in the book publishing industry, while Sara Slavin is a key contact for technology and fashion companies. The practice also benefits from John Mancini, who has extensive experience representing clients in litigation before the Copyright Royalty Board and courts across the country. At an associate level, Megan Fitzgerald has a particular interest in the music industry. Paul Fakler and Jacob Ebin left the team in January 2026.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Key clients
- Pandora Media LLC
- Spotify USA, Inc.
- Alphabet, Google, YouTube
- Hachette Book Group, Inc.
- Meta Platforms Inc.
- Music Choice
- Orchestra Music Licensing Association
- Television Music License Committee LLC
- Musixmatch
Work highlights
Defending Pandora in nine copyright suits by comedians and estates—backed by Word Collections and Spoken Giants—claiming separate licenses are required for “jokes” embodied in licensed comedy recordings.
Advised Spotify USA Inc. in a five-year-long action brought by Eminem’s music publishers Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated in federal district court in Nashville, Tennessee, asserting copyright infringement of 243 musical compositions including “Lose Yourself.”
Defended Google in connection with copyright infringement claims brought by videogame developer, Krafton, against Garena, the developer of a competing game, as well as Apple, Google, and YouTube.
Other key lawyers
Allison M. Aviki; Sara Slavin; John Mancini; Megan Fitzgerald