Mr. Barson practices entertainment law and specializes in music, film, television, home video and legitimate theatre transactions as well as copyright, trademark and business/commercial law. His clients include creative and executive talent (both in the spotlight and behind the scenes) of theatre, film, music and television, and the services he offers them include structuring and negotiating deals in the motion picture, television, home video, book, recording, music publishing, merchandising and touring, theatre, new media and intellectual property industries.
Professional Experience
Before starting his solo practice, Mr. Barson was with the New York entertainment law firm formerly known as Leibowitz Roberts & Ritholz, where he represented many of the firm's clients including *NSYNC, Damon Dash, INXS, Deborah Cox, The Raveonettes, Robin Thicke, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Joey McIntyre, John French, Billy Mann, 143 Records, The Sanctuary Group of Companies, TVT Records, Atlantic Records, V2 Records, L.O.U.D. Records, Grand Canyon Music, Madison Square Garden, Outdoor Life/Speedvision Networks, New Line Cinema and others.
Mr. Barson earlier served as Senior Vice President/Head of Business and Legal Affairs and General Counsel at the London/Sire Records Group, then a record label in the Warner Music Group, where he reported to, and worked side by side with the legendary music industry mogul, Seymour Stein. At London/Sire, Alan's responsibilities included overseeing business and legal affairs for the company's New York, Los Angeles and London based recorded music operations, as well as its record distribution and music publishing affiliates. Before joining London/Sire Records, he was an attorney with the pre-eminent entertainment law firm Franklin Weinrib Rudell & Vassallo, where he represented major public media conglomerates, private companies, major recording artists, senior executives and creative talent engaged in a broad range of entertainment activities including recording, motion pictures, television, home video, theatre, music publishing, book publishing and new media. That firm's clients were (and are) a veritable who's-who in the entertainment industries. Before that, while in law school, Mr. Barson ran the international music publishing affiliates of GRP Records, a highly regarded, jazz-oriented record company.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Barson lived and worked in the music industry in London for ten years in various creative capacities including as a recording engineer, producer, remixer, artist manager and software developer for first generation computer musical instruments. During that time, he worked with such artists as 10cc, The Ruts, Mental As Anything, The Cure, John Foxx/Ultravox, Moody Blues, Sad Café and Ozzy Osbourne. Also during that time, Mr. Barson served on the Executive Committee of Young Variety Club of Great Britain, a charity dedicated to aiding handicapped and deprived children.
Professional Affiliations
Mr. Barson was elected Chairman of the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association for the 2006-2008 term, and also co-chairs the Music and Recording Committee and is one of two Section Delegates to the NYSBA House of Delegates. He is a member of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., the Association of Independent Music Publishers and the New York City Bar Association.
Professional Honors and Achievements
In January, 2008, Mr. Barson was appointed Adjunct Professor of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City where he teaches the wildly popular course "Entertainment Lawyering." He continues to appear and lecture at colleges, for various bar associations and entertainment industry seminars.