ZIFFREN BRITTENHAM

L-r: John Branca, Berry Gordy, Marty Bandier

Founded in 1978, Ziffren Brittenham specializes in negotiating, structuring and executing transactions in the entertainment and media industries, as well as providing strategic planning and consulting services. The firm’s practice encompasses all facets of our industries, and it represents many talented and successful film, TV, sports, live-stage, digital, literary and musical artists, as well as financiers, production companies and programming services.

John G. Branca
Partner and Head of the Music Department
Hailed by publishing legend Marty Bandier as “the #1 publishing lawyer in the country,” Branca has been advancing the careers of recording artists and music companies for more than four decades. Michael Jackson praised Branca, his longtime business and legal advisor, as “the greatest lawyer of our time.”

His clients have included more than 30 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—among them Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Carlos Santana, Dr. Dre, Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, Don Henley, Elton John, Nirvana, the estate of Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones’ sports figures such as Mike Tyson, comedians Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, the Vatican, labels including Interscope and Rhino, and industry investors such as JVC, Matsushita and Vivendi. Under his stewardship as co-executor and co-manager, the Estate of Michael Jackson has earned more than $2 billion in the 10 years since Michael passed away.

David Lande
Senior Partner, Member of the Management Committee
Lande works with creative artists, entrepreneurs and owners of intellectual property, as his practice focuses on entertainment and corporate transactional work while providing strategic planning and consulting for his clients. Having initiated game-changing deals across the entertainment landscape, Lande represents clients including Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Linkin Park, Selena Gomez, Miguel, Chicago, Weezer, Jennifer Hudson, Grace VanderWaal and Rosalía. In regard to IP, Lande has concentrated on the effects of digital disruption and guiding clients through the changing economic and technological landscape.

David Byrnes
Partner
Byrnes’ practice is concentrated on the representation of a broad spectrum of talent (and genres) in the music business, with clients ranging from notable independent artists to globally recognized superstars, while also including top-level producers, songwriters, managers and executives. He has also developed an expertise in sales of well-known music assets and catalogs and the representation of iconic estates.

Mitchell Tenzer
Partner
A native New Yorker, Harvard Law grad and proud father of two teenage boys, Tenzer is a longtime member of the firm. He has been involved in representing, counseling and structuring deals for clients such as Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Rick Rubin, Enrique Iglesias, The Bee Gees, Jennifer Hudson, blink-182 and Shakira. He has always felt that the professionalism and collegiality of Ziffren is second to none.

Irina Volodarsky
Associate
Volodarsky’s interest in the biz was spurred by press coverage of Branca’s megadeals for MJ. At Ziffren, she has had the privilege of working with many top artists and groups, and on numerous music- and entertainment-related matters including catalog acquisitions, recording, publishing, employment, endorsement, licensing, live concert and touring, merchandise, production and soundtrack agreements. Irina received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her law degree from Loyola Law School.

Kelly Vallon
Associate
Vallon represents artists, songwriters, producers and music-related entities in connection with a wide variety of complex music-industry transactions. She has held positions in many areas of the biz, including at Rhino Entertainment, Universal Motown Republic Group, Island Def Jam, Press Here Publicity, CAA, AEG Live, Paradigm Talent Agency, Astralwerks, Startime Records and The Colbert Report.