Matthew C. Thompson and Rollin A. Ransom Named Among Billboard’s "Top Music Lawyers" of 2026

Matthew C. Thompson and Rollin A. Ransom, co-leaders of Sidley’s Entertainment, Sports and Media group, have been named to Billboard’s list of “Top Music Lawyers” for 2026. The annual list honors lawyers from various sectors and specialties, including litigation, transactional, copyright, licensing, and policy advocacy, who have made significant contributions to the legal landscape of the music industry.

Their recognition follows two landmark developments in the music business representing Warner Music Group in its US$1.2 billion joint venture with Bain Capital to invest in iconic music catalogs and securing the dismissal of a high-profile federal defamation lawsuit brought by recording artist Drake against Universal Music Group, reinforcing the firm's strength in handling both transformative transactions and precedent-setting litigation for leading entertainment and music clients.