This year’s honorees are Stephen Sessa, Edward Shapiro, Gregor Pryor, Josh Love, Eric Marder, Amy Dunitz, and Jordan Siev.

Sessa and Shapiro have been named to the list each year since 2018, Pryor since 2021, Love since 2022, and Marder since 2023, reflecting the practice’s long-standing prominence in the music industry. Dunitz and Siev are recognized for the first time. Together, their practices span talent representation, music rights, digital distribution, live performance, transactions, and disputes.

“The music business increasingly cuts across borders, platforms, and technologies,” said Sessa. “What distinguishes our team is the ability to pair industry judgment with practical structuring advice for artists, companies, investors, and entrepreneurs pursuing creative and commercial opportunities.”

Together, the honorees advise artists, songwriters, producers, executives, entertainment companies, record labels, publishers, investors, brands, and funds across the full spectrum of the music business. Their work spans strategic transactions, talent representation, catalog acquisitions and investments, recording and publishing agreements, licensing, digital distribution, live performance contracts, intellectual property, and disputes – with experience representing clients in courtroom, arbitration, and out-of-court settings. The team’s collaborative approach reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of Reed Smith’s music, entertainment, and media practices.

These attorneys, along with their colleagues in the firm’s music practice, are trusted advisors and recognized leaders to the world’s largest labels, funds, and artists – from multi-platinum Grammy winners to top buyers and emerging catalog investors.

Recent firm work includes advising Concord on its landmark combination with BMG, one of the most noteworthy independent music mergers in the past decade – and among the most impactful deals in music industry history – spanning publishing, recordings, theatrical rights, and digital distribution. Reed Smith also represented CVC Capital Partners in its majority investment in DistroKid, which offers music and video distribution, direct-to-fan experiences, merchandise, and other tools for independent musicians.

The Billboard recognition adds to a long-standing history of industry honors for Reed Smith lawyers in music and entertainment, further cementing the practice’s excellence in the space. Variety named Love, Marder, Sessa, and Shapiro to its Dealmakers 2025 report and Love, Sessa, and Shapiro to its 2025 Music Legal Elite list. The publication also recognized Sessa and Love among its 2024 Dealmakers and Love among its Hollywood New Leaders of 2024.

View the Billboard 2026 Top Music Lawyers list.