Zehra Abdi practices primarily in the areas of copyright, trademark, transactional, entertainment law, and litigation. Prior to joining Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard, she was with the firm of Wolff & Godin, LLP, where she worked closely with Nancy Wolff in matters involving copyright, trademark, licensing, art law, digital media, rights of publicity, privacy and libel and commercial/corporate transactions.

Admitted: New York

Jean Albert’s practice focuses on general corporate law, IP, competition and international law. He advises companies, governments and NGOs on transactions that involve international legal issues. He has experience in over 90 countries assisting clients in international joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions and the expansion of their activities abroad.

Admitted: New York

Anne C. Baker is a transactional attorney in the areas of intellectual property and entertainment law with a focus on digital media, publishing, television, film, copyright, trademark, and music law.

Admitted: New York; Louisiana

Frederick P. Bimbler practices primarily in the area of transactional entertainment law, representing producers and the production of theatrical, television, motion picture, and digital media projects at all levels, though he also actively represents Latin media stars, individual actors, personalities, and writers in all media. He is an affiliate member of the League of American Theatres and Producers.

Admitted: New York

Susan Bodine practices in the firm's motion picture and television group. Ms. Bodine's clients include prominent and critically acclaimed screenwriters, directors, producers, film production companies, and distributors. Among her services, Ms. Bodine provides counsel on corporate matters, film sales and distribution matters, financing matters, and production legal issues for domestic and international clients and projects. With 20 years of experience in the entertainment field, Ms. Bodine is well established as a leading member of the arts and entertainment community in New York.

Admitted: New York

Michael Bracken practices primarily in the area of transactional entertainment and law, focusing on media, live events and sports and representing cable networks, television and event producers, team owners, website developers, digital media distributors, and providers of technical services. He is a former senior vice president of Madison Square Garden.

Admitted: New York, California

Toby Butterfield is an experienced litigator who handles intellectual property, copyright, trademark, digital media and general commercial cases in federal and state courts.  He also counsels clients on various non-litigated matters. He chaired the Committee on State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and was a member of the Community Advisory Board of WNYC, New York's Public Radio station.

Admitted: New York; England and Wales

Andrea Cannistraci is a well known transactional attorney in the firm's motion picture and television group, serving renowned writers, award winning producers and cutting-edge feature and documentary filmmakers, as well as major studios, leading cable networks and independent production companies.

Admitted: New York

Al J. Daniel, Jr. is a trial and appellate litigator with substantial experience in copyrights, trademarks, entertainment law, artists’ rights, and commercial law. He served as a trial and appellate attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and New York City, where he drafted briefs, presented argument in all federal courts of appeals, drafted briefs and petitions with the Solicitor General’s Office for cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also involved in entertainment-related transactions.

Admitted: New York; Arkansas; District of Columbia

Timothy J. DeBaets is a well-known transactional attorney for theater organizations, documentary filmmakers, television producers and directors, choreographers, dancers, writers, and playwrights.

Admitted: New York

Lisa K. Digernes practices primarily in the areas of copyright, trademark and transactional entertainment law, including publishing, digital media, art law and film. Ms. Digernes has her law degree from the University of Oslo, Norway, and her LL.M. degree in intellectual property from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She speaks fluent Norwegian and English and is proficient in Danish, Swedish and French.

Admitted: New York

Robert J. Epstein represents a diverse clientele in the entertainment field. Clients include recording artists, songwriters, performers and producers, as well as corporate entities such as media companies and music publishers.

Admitted: New York

Robert I. Freedman is an internationally recognized transactional attorney in the field of entertainment with thirty years’ experience representing award-winning filmmakers, independent producers, theaters, writers, directors, performers, composers, and charitable and nonprofit associations. He has also represented clients in corporate matters and is a mediator.

Admitted: New York

Jerrold B. Gold has represented clients in the entertainment world, particularly in music, for over thirty years. He also practices in the areas of real estate, elder law, and trusts and estates.

Admitted: New York; District of Columbia

Hayden M. Goldblatt is a transactional attorney practicing primarily in the areas of entertainment, copyright, and trademark law, including film, television, theater and digital media. He graduated cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2008. While there, he interned with Kimmel International, the foreign sales agency of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and since January 2007 with Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP. Prior to law school, Hayden worked as Assistant to the Producers for Robert Altman’s Sandcastle 5 Productions.

Admitted: New York; New Jersey; US District Court of New Jersey

Albert Gottesman has concentrated in transactional matters in the various entertainment fields and in copyright and trademark licensing for most of his career. He has represented television and motion picture production companies, writers, directors and producers, and clients in music production and publishing, live theatre and book publishing.

Admitted: New York

Matthew A. Kaplan is a litigator who practices primarily in the areas of copyright, trademark and commercial litigation. He has represented companies in the computer sales, computer consulting and pharmaceutical industries.

Admitted: New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania

Roger E. Kass is an entertainment and media lawyer who specializes in the areas of feature and documentary films, television, and digital media. His clients include producers, financiers, distributors, directors, writers and performing artists, as well as studio executives, recording artists, fashion designers, photographers and other media industry creative talent.

Admitted: New York

Ellis B. Levine is a widely known and highly respected lawyer for the book publishing industry. He primarily represents book publishers and authors in matters involving contracts, legal readings of manuscripts and copyright issues.

Admitted: New York

Christopher J. Marino practices primarily in the areas of copyright, trademark, commercial litigation and publishing. Mr. Marino has experience litigating trademark and copyright disputes in the luxury good and fashion markets. In addition, he has gained expertise policing counterfeit and gray market sales of goods both online and in retail stores.

Admitted: New York; New Jersey; US District Courts for the Southern District of NY, Eastern District of NY, and District of NJ; US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Mitchell E. Radin practices primarily in the area of intellectual property. He is well-known in the trademark field and is the head of the firm’s international trademark practice. His practice focuses on commercial transactions involving the licensing and sale of trademarks, copyrights, patents, technology, designs, and know-how and he counsels clients on trademark and copyright selection, adoption, use and registration, brand development, and dispute resolution, both in the United States and internationally.

Admitted: New York

Gary E. Redente is an entertainment, intellectual property, and business lawyer with transactional and litigation experience. His clients include record labels, film production companies, digital media companies, writers, producers, managers, actors, musicians, songwriters, photographers and product manufacturers.

Admitted: New York; District of Columbia; Wyoming

Admitted: New York

Michael D. Remer has long represented prominent creative and performing arts and entertainment individuals, estates and organizations in copyright matters and in all media, including publishing, fine arts, photography, graphic arts, motion picture, television, theater, music and dance.

Admitted: New York

Robert L. Seigel is a well-known entertainment transactional attorney who specializes in the representation of directors, producers, production companies, writers, distribution companies and foreign sales agents concerning the development, production, marketing, distribution and licensing of fiction and non-fiction projects. His practice also includes representing performing artists, music recording and publishing companies, talent management companies, book authors, playwrights and digital media content and website developers.

Admitted: New York

Josh has been practicing for over ten years at large New York law firms and has worked in private practice and as general counsel for several digital communications and media companies. Josh has specific expertise in Digital Media, Corporate, Entertainment, Trademark and Copyright Law.

Admitted: New York

J. Stephen Sheppard is a leading transactional attorney in the entertainment area. He represents award-winning film directors, network news and documentary producers, television production companies, book publishers, advertising agencies, and well-known actors and writers. He has thirty years experience in the entertainment industries as an attorney, agent, manager, and producer.

Admitted: New York; District of Columbia

Marc Simon is an experienced entertainment attorney who represents film and television companies, producers, directors, writers and talent. He has served as production counsel on numerous films, handled complex negotiating and transactional matters on behalf of his diverse clientele, and has functioned as a producer's sales representative. Mr. Simon advises clients on financing, intellectual property acquisitions, all above-the-line agreements, co-production and distribution agreements. He also has experience in all areas of commercial litigation, including securities, employment, real property and entertainment matters. Mr. Simon’s practice is uniquely informed by his personal experience as an award-winning film producer and director of the feature documentary films “After Innocence” and “Nursery University”.

Admitted: New York, New Jersey

Kenneth N. Swezey is a transactional attorney concentrating in copyright, publishing, entertainment and corporate law, with clients ranging from well-known authors, literary agents, literary estates, publishers, visual artists and visual art licensing agencies to digital media companies and national not for profit organizations.

Admitted: New York, California

Robert F. Van Lierop is a transactional attorney in the areas of entertainment law, real estate and international law. He has represented a number of acclaimed artists, producers, writers, and arts organizations. He is also an experienced litigator, and a former Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He is a life member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) and numerous other professional associations and civic organizations.

Admitted: New York; District of Columbia

Steven Weinberg, of our West Coast office, is a leading litigator and transactional lawyer in the areas of branding and trademarks; brand, content and celebrity licensing, sponsorship and endorsements; copyrights and digital rights; branded entertainment; employment and trade secret issues; publishing; software and online technology deals and licensing; online television deals; domain name protection and enforcement; IP and digital rights management; and direct response, advertising and promotion in all media.

Admitted: New York, California and Arizona

David B. Wolf is a litigator in the field of copyright and related areas and is head of the firm’s litigation department. He has successfully litigated a number of significant copyright cases, and he teaches copyright litigation at Fordham University School of Law. He is a frequent speaker and panelist on copyright matters and is past Chair of the Committee on Copyright and Literary Property of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Admitted: New York

Nancy E. Wolff practices primarily in intellectual property and digital media law. Clients include trade associations Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) and PLUS, Inc., stock photo libraries, individual photographers, authors, illustrators, designers, publishers and digital media companies. She counsels clients in copyright, trademarks, licensing, contract, rights of publicity and privacy and libel. In addition to transactional work, she represents clients in arbitration hearings as well as state and federal court civil actions. In May 2007 her book entitled “The Professional Photographer’s Legal Handbook” was released by Allworth Press/PACA. The American Society of Picture Professionals named her “Picture Professional of the Year” for 2007.

Admitted:New York; California; New Jersey; Pennsylvania

Practice Areas

> Entertainment Law
> Art Law
> Publishing
> Copyright
> Trademark
> Trusts and Estates
> Real Estate
> Commercial/Corporate
> Digital Media
> Litigation