Janine Small
Janine Small is of counsel to the firm and founder of the New York based boutique music and entertainment transactional law firm, Janine Small, PLLC. Over the last three decades, including during her long tenure as a partner at an industry leading entertainment firm, she has been a devoted advocate for a wide range of world-renowned and developing performers, songwriters, score composers, managers, record producers, labels, entertainment agencies and executives. She has also honed a particular expertise in representing producers and promoters of live events, including being lead counsel for some of the largest U.S. festivals and live based interactive experiences, such as those produced by long-term client SUPERFLY.
Janine has been involved with the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries for her entire career, including a two-year term as the chairperson. She is a frequent panelist and speaker and taught a semester long seminar on music industry contracts as an adjunct professor at Cardozo School of Law. Ms. Small is also currently serving as Co-Legal Community Lead for She is the Music, a non-profit organization with a mission to increase the number of women working in music both as creative and industry professionals, is a member of Women in Music, and serves on the advisory board of the FestForums conference.
Ms. Small is a mandolin hobbyist and for many years prior to COVID enjoyed hosting bluegrass parties featuring a raft of local and professional performers.
She resides in Manhattan and is licensed to practice law in New York and California.
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American University (BA - International Relations and Affairs)
UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) (JD)
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• Licensing of major international music, television and film properties and all related production, service, retail and advertising agreements for flagship and touring live based experiential event properties.
• On-site production agreements for Central Park 2021 Global Citizen Live Event.
• Major network and digital distribution agreements for Global Citizen - VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World.
• Asset purchase agreements for major label recording artist income streams.
• Due diligence and corporate sale agreements for major music festival.
• Multi-million dollar content partnerships for distribution of many top-grossing festival and concert events, both virtual and live, on major television, digital and mobile platforms, including high level rights negotiations.
• An array of agreements, including recording, publishing, distribution, merchandising, performance, influencer, SAAS, MSA/SOWs, executive, employment, endorsement, promotion, management, licensing, acquisition, talent and score composer agreements.
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State Bar of California
State Bar of New York
American Bar Association
- Section on Litigation
- Section on Intellectual Property
- Forum on Entertainment & Sports Industries (Chair, 2000-02)
Bar Association of San Francisco
- Entertainment and Sports Law Section (Chair, 1997-99)
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• The Changing Landscape of Festivals, MONDO, NYC CLE Music & Tech Law Symposium - October 14, 2022
• Music Business Basics - Legal, She Is The Music ("SITM"), Virtual, March 18, 2021
• Live Streaming in the COVID Era, AIMP, Virtual, February 25, 2021
• Licensing The Livestream: Ensuring Proper Payments for Creators & Copyright Owners, Music Biz Entertainment and Technology Law Conference, Virtual, September 24, 2020
• Current Legal and Business Issues on Sound Recordings, Americanafest 2019, Nashville, TN, September 5, 2019
• Fast & Furious: On the Road with 4 Suits, All About Music 2019, Mumbai, INDIA, August 27, 2019
• Covering Your Assets: Must-know Legal Advice for Live Events, XLive Conference, Las Vegas, NV, December 10, 2018
• #WETOGETHER: Pragmatism and Practice Advising Clients in the Post #MeToo, Music Biz Entertainment & Technology Law Conference Series, New York, NY, September 25, 2018.
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State Bar of California
State Bar of New York
American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries (Chair, 2015-2017)