Marc D. Ostrow

Marc is a copyright and entertainment attorney and chair of the firm’s music industry practice.  He represents songwriters, recording artists, labels, music publishers, authors and other creatives as well as businesses that produce or license intellectual property.  He has been recognized by his peers as a 2022 New York Super Lawyer for entertainment and sports law and has been rated “AV-Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell.

With more than thirty years’ experience as an executive and attorney, both in-house and in private practice, Marc has worked in private equity, corporate and start-up environments.  He uses his varied experience to counsel his clients as to both the legalities and the practicalities of matters, including those involving strategic planning, employment, negotiation strategy, asset sales and acquisitions and dispute resolution.

Before returning to private practice, Marc ran the New York office of London-based classical music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, representing many of the greatest composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including several Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winners.  He increased profitability, streamlined operations and hired key staff.  Marc was also responsible for the office’s legal, licensing, copyright and contractual matters.  Prior to Boosey, Marc was a Senior Attorney with BMI, where he prosecuted copyright infringement actions throughout the country, defended the company in lawsuits and advised management on legislation affecting songwriters.  He began his legal career as a litigator with large and mid-size firms.

Since 2017, Marc has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School, which has been rated by Billboard Magazine as the top law school for music law.  He has been interviewed on live television regarding his views on high profile copyright infringement cases on NewsNation, Fox, Scripps TV and CourtTV. Marc is also a speaker at various industry and educational organizations and recently served on the panel about copyright and book publishing at the 2023 New York Law School Intellectual Property Symposium. His Introduction to Music Law video presentation is available for CLE credit through Lawline.

Marc is a former Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA and has served on the boards of the New York Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers and the Music Publishers Association.  He has been quoted in Time, Washington Examiner and the Law360 blog.  As a pianist, Marc’s favorite composers include Chopin, Bach, Gershwin and Thelonious Monk although he still plays the Elton John and Billy Joel songs he grew up with. He also writes and performs his own songs and compositions.

Representative Recent Matters

• Negotiated recording contract with major label for Grammy Award-winning composer (previously negotiated music publishing agreement with major music publisher)
• Served termination notices and negotiated deal to re-assign post-termination rights in copyrights to several hit songs to major publisher on behalf of heir of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter Hall of Fame artist
• Closed deal representing purchaser of interests in songs from iconic Broadway musical
• Created new contract songwriter and licensing contract templates for music publisher
• Negotiated recording contract and drafted side artist agreements for debut album nominated for a Grammy Award for best solo classical vocal performance
• Negotiated and drafted agreements for licensing poems of US Poet Laureate for new compositions for choir
• Created artist management agreement template for boutique artist management agency
• Negotiated contract for conductor/arranger son of legendary film composer to revise orchestrations and conduct live orchestra accompaniment to screenings of iconic film

Law School

• University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois. J.D.