Overview
Sid Fohrman is a partner in the Entertainment and Media practice and chair of the Music Industry practice at Paul Hastings. With a focus on the intersection of technology, entertainment and music M&A, Sid’s diverse clients include public and private companies, talent, public figures and entrepreneurs in matters ranging from music, interactive and location-based entertainment, and podcasting to fitness, sports and live events.
Sid is a nationally recognized music lawyer with broad experience representing global media companies and prominent content creators in complex corporate and entertainment transactions. His work includes recording and music publishing; the purchase, sale and financing of music catalogs; and podcasting and content licensing agreements, as well as composer agreements for film and television; live event promoter and production agreements; and performance agreements relating to music festivals and live concerts.
A frequent speaker and writer on new issues in music and entertainment, including the impact and utility of artificial intelligence, esports, live events and blockchain technology, Sid advises on new media business models and joint ventures. He also handles content and licensing deals involving technology and new media exploitation; endorsement and sponsorship arrangements; publishing, copyright and trademark transactions; and live event production, labor, trade and venue matters.
Sid is a former commercial litigator with extensive experience representing public and private companies in diverse complex and high-stakes disputes, and he continues to represent clients in music copyright disputes.
Accolades
- Lawdragon, The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers (2025)
- Billboard, Top Music Lawyers, 2019-2024
- Variety
- Legal Impact Report, 2019, 2022-2023
- Dealmakers Impact Report, 2022-2023
- Legal 500 U.S., Recommended Lawyer, Media, Technology and Telecoms - Media and Entertainment: Transactional, 2019-2021, 2024
- Best Lawyers in America, Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television, 2021-2022
- Association of Corporate Counsel, Rising Star
Representations
- Create Music Group in its strategic acquisition of the catalog of electronic music artist and producer Deadmau5 and his label, Mau5trap. The deal is valued at more than $55 million and includes the sound recording and publishing copyrights of more than 4,000 songs in total.
- Multi-Grammy award-winning music producer/mixer, Manny Marroquin, on 50+ mixing agreements for many of the biggest pop, hip-hop and rock records.
- The Estate of Joe Cocker and his widow, Pam Cocker, in the sale of his music catalog to Irving Azoff’s company, Iconic Artists Agency.
- Create Music Group on 10+ music catalog and music company acquisitions, both domestic and international.
- Various catalog and music M&A transactions with a total value exceeding $1 billion.
- Primary Wave on some of its largest and most complex debt and asset transactions.
- Numerous social and technology platforms and brands, including 101 Studios (Yellowstone franchise, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown), Pokémon, TikTok, Foot Locker and Match Group, on a wide range of music and non-music matters and initiatives, including audio-visual content production and distribution; live events; virtual and augmented reality; music licensing and distribution; merchandising and artificial intelligence; and building out a full-service music platform for one of the largest grossing entertainment brands of all-time.
- Notable corporate music clients: Warner Music Group, BMG, HYBE America, Primary Wave, Create Music Group, TikTok
- Deals for clients involving Lady Gaga, David Bowie Estate, Katy Perry, Marcus Mumford, Megan Thee Stallion and Taylor Swift.
- Several global live events, including the Super Bowl halftime shows and opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
- The Chernin Group in connection with minority investment in top true-crime podcast company Audiochuck, founded by Ashley Flowers, and home to No. 1 true crime podcast, Crime Junkies.
- Capitol Records and iconic record producer, T Bone Burnett, in all aspects of the New Basement Tapes project, involving the formation of an all-star band comprised of Marcus Mumford, Taylor Goldsmith, Rhiannon Giddens, Jim James, and Elvis Costello, who collaborated in writing and recording brand new songs based on previously unexploited Bob Dylan lyrics, and captured in a Showtime Documentary Film directed by Sam Jones. Sid’s work included the negotiation of recording agreements for Capitol, and co-publishing deals between Bob Dylan and New Basement Tapes members, and license agreement with Showtime for the distribution of the documentary film, Lost on the River.