Jonas E. Herbsman graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 1990. He received an undergraduate degree cum laude from Tufts University in 1987.

Named a top music lawyer by Billboard Magazine, Mr. Herbsman has a general transactional practice concentrating on entertainment and contractual law, including recording contracts, music publishing, book publishing, intellectual property licensing, merchandising and the sale and acquisition of entertainment companies.

Prior to joining Herbsman, Hafer, Weber & Frisch, LLP, Mr. Herbsman was a corporate associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges from 1990 through 1994. He is a member of the New York Bar.

J. Jeffrey Hafer graduated from Fordham University School of Law (J.D. 1977) and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame (B.B.A. 1974).

Mr. Hafer’s clients include Emmy, Oscar, Grammy and Tony Award winners as well as multiple gold and platinum selling artists, songwriters and composers.

A member of the New York Bar, Mr. Hafer has a broad transactional practice emphasizing contractual and entertainment law, including music law and publishing, records and performance agreements, licensing, merchandising, endorsements, theatrical productions, motion pictures, television productions and the sale and acquisition of intellectual and entertainment rights and properties. He has also represented professional athletes in the negotiation of their deals.

Mr. Hafer is active in charitable and local committee affairs, and has served on The Cardinal’s Committee of the Laity, local civic and community boards, as well as a Trustee of the International Trust for Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Foundation.

For his outstanding contributions in his field, Mr. Hafer has received the highest rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale Hubbell.

Dorothy received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School. She graduated cum laude with a BA degree from Brooklyn College. 

Dorothy has represented Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winning clients as well as gold and platinum recording artists and members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dorothy has worked to lobby New York State on behalf of a variety of celebrity clients in an effort to enact legislation in New York to protect postmortem publicity rights, which legislation came into effect in 2021. 

Dorothy’s transactional practice includes extensive intellectual property licensing and fair use evaluations for merchandise, film, television, fashion, and publishing.

Dorothy is a member of the New York Bar and is admitted to practice in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Second, Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Her litigation practice, specializing in intellectual property, covers a broad range of clientele including theatrical and film entities, recording artists and others in copyright, trademark, unfair competition, corporate and contract cases. Dorothy has handled a number of seminal Second Circuit cases dealing with copyright and trademark issues, as well as participating in the landmark Supreme Court decision Eric Eldred et al. v. John D. Ashcroft, 01 U.S. 618, by filing an amici curiae brief on behalf of Amsong, Inc. for copyright term extension. 

Dorothy has lectured and taught widely on copyright, trademark and unfair competition issues and is the author of numerous articles in the intellectual property field, including articles appearing in The Visual Artist’s Manual, the New York Law Journal and Cardozo Entertainment Law Review.

Dorothy has the highest professional rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, Top Women Attorney in New York and a Top-Rated Intellectual Property Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell.

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Michael B. Frisch graduated from Tulane University in 2000, with a B.A. in Political Science. He obtained his J.D., with an emphasis in Intellectual Property, from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University in 2003, where he served as Notes Editor for the Journal for Conflict Resolution. He is a member of the New York Bar.

Named a top music lawyer by Billboard Magazine, Mr. Frisch provides strategic legal and business affairs counsel to clients in all facets of the entertainment industries, including the negotiation of artist recording and distribution agreements, co-publishing, administration, and licensing of musical compositions, intellectual property asset purchase and sale, personal management, name & likeness and life rights, live performances and venue rentals, merchandise and ancillary rights, spokesperson and endorsements, web and mobile-based apps, and other physical and digital content licensing for both audio and audiovisual medium.

Mr. Frisch’s clients include gold and platinum-selling major label and independent recording artists (including Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees), and the estates of well-known deceased artists, music publishing companies, record producers, mixers, and remixers, independent record labels, songwriters, personal managers, agents, app and tech developers, festival producers, music venues, magazine publishers, and other start-up and established entrepreneurs with projects relating to music, entertainment, and intellectual property licensing.

Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Mr. Frisch worked in the business and legal affairs department of Sanctuary Group, a major independent record label, artist management, and merchandise company, subsequently purchased by Universal Music Group. Mr. Frisch began his career at a boutique NYC entertainment law firm.

He has participated as a moderator and panelist at the CLE portion of the South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference in Austin, the CMJ Music Marathon & A2IM Indie Week events in New York City, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Sync Up Conference, and the Cutting Edge Music Business Conference, in New Orleans.

He is currently a member of the NYSBA Entertainment Law section, as well as the Committee on Music and Recording Industry, and A2IM’s Licensing & Publishing Committee.

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Rakhil received her B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from Binghamton University in 2017. She received her J.D. in 2020 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she was a Heyman Scholar, served as Notes Editor for the Journal for Conflict Resolution, and worked as an intern in Cardozo’s Indie Film Clinic.

Prior to joining Herbsman Hafer Weber & Frisch, LLP, Rakhil worked at a boutique law firm where she assisted clients with a variety of entertainment, intellectual property, and privacy issues, both nationally and internationally.

Rakhil is a member of the New York Bar.

James E. Doherty graduated from Fordham Law School (New York, NY) earning a Juris Doctor degree in 1993. Mr. Doherty earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management (Chestnut Hill, MA) in 1990 with a concentration in marketing.

Mr. Doherty is an active member of the New York Bar, admitted to practice law in that state as well as in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

During the course of his legal career, Mr. Doherty has represented many nationally known performing artists, entertainers, production and publishing companies, digital media companies, fine arts institutions, and hospitality clients primarily in civil litigation, intellectual property counsel, media & entertainment matters and in connection with a broad range transactional matters. In recent years, Mr. Doherty had concentrated in copyright litigation and has served as co-counsel in several matters that have helped define the scope of “fair use” in the context of copyright infringement including Walsh v. Townsquare Media, Inc., 464 F. Supp. 3d 570 (S.D.N.Y. 2020) and Marano v. Metro. Museum of Art, 472 F. Supp. 3d 76 (S.D.N.Y. 2020), aff’d 844 F. App’x 436 (2d Cir. 2021), cert denied, 142 S. Ct. 213 (2021).

Mr. Doherty is a highly experienced attorney who prides himself on utilizing a practical approach to the law that fosters very strong relationships with clients and colleagues.

Mr. Doherty joined Herbsman Hafer Weber & Frisch LLP as Counsel in 2023. Prior to joining HHW & F, Mr. Doherty was an attorney with several prominent New York law firms specializing in entertainment, copyright, trademark, media, first amendment, defamation, and contract law and began his legal career with a leading labor and employment firm in New York, NY.

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