The prominent law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips has announced the arrival of entertainment partner Binta Niambi Brown in the firm’s New York office.
Prior to joining Manatt, Brown founded Omalilly projects, a talent management, development and production company and consultancy. She was also a founding co-chairman and co-founder of the Black Music Action Coalition, an organization advocating on behalf of Black artists, songwriters, producers and other industry professionals. As a corporate lawyer, she has structured, negotiated and closed over $100 billion in transactions. Brown received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her B.A. in political science with honors from Barnard College.
“Manatt has always been at the forefront of representing creative forces in the sports and entertainment industries, and in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, clients are increasingly in need of guidance from experienced advisers who understand their businesses and growth opportunities inside and out,” said Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna L. Wilson. “Binta’s experience speaks for itself and we’re thrilled for her to join our dynamic Entertainment group and expand our capabilities within sports, which cuts across our platform in areas including transactions, digital media, venture capital and advertising.”
“Binta has a tremendous reputation as a corporate dealmaker, talent manager and artist advocate, making her incredibly invaluable to talent-side clients who are increasingly building their businesses and taking ownership of their personal brands in today’s exploding creator economy,” said Manatt Entertainment Leader Jordan Bromley. “In 2024, we’re expecting to see continued growth in the space, and Binta is an important addition to our national team as we navigate the opportunities for growth and innovation to come for athletes, musicians, creators and more.”
Brown joins the Firm’s expanding roster of legal and consulting professionals across the Firm’s core practices, including Entertainment (Bill D’Angelo); Health Care (Heide Bajnrauh, Axel Bernabe, Robert (Rob) Fraiman, Seth Frazier, Eric Gold, Paul Irving, Dr. Tracy Johnson, Lauren Polak and Thomas (Tom) Robertson); and Litigation (Justin Wolosz, Randy S. Grossman and Dylan Carson).
KoRn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch announces his partnership in the opening of Atlantic Behavioral Health, a treatment center serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire through intensive outpatient treatments.
With a focus on anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, Atlantic Behavioral Health combines individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management in a supportive outpatient program. Following his decades-long battle with mental health and addiction, providing support to others who are going through similar challenges has become Welch’s primary mission.
“I will never, ever forget the depths of the dark energy that lived upstairs in my mind, many years ago,” said Welch in a statement. “It was truly like living in an emotional dungeon with zero light, and I couldn’t find the key to get out.”
He continued, “Partnering with Atlantic is so personal to me and not just another business to invest in. I know what it feels like to live at the bottom of a dark pit, but I also know if you put in the work, the light will come back on, and Atlantic is going to help so many people find that light switch. With the exception of a few bumps in the road, over the last 20 years, I have been the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I believe if I can completely change the trajectory of my mental and emotional health, anyone can! Atlantic can be such a precious tool in helping people to achieve just that.”
Pictured above (L-R): Brian Welch, Greg Bacos, Chris Belhumeur, Tim Henault and David Ray.
+ Big Loud has started a new joint venture helmed by Mike Easterlin and Steve “Stevo” Robertson. The newly-launched Severance Records is an independent, modern rock label based in Nashville. The first act signed is the Texas-bred alternative band Dexter and The Moonrocks.
Easterlin most recently served as co-president of Elektra Entertainment after serving as president/general manager at two of the company’s cornerstone labels, Fueled By Ramen and Roadrunner Records. He counts additional experience in leadership roles at Island Def Jam, after starting his career at Virgin Records.
“Stevo and I could not be more excited to be joining the Big Loud family,” Easterlin shares. “(Big Loud Partners) Seth (England), Joey (Moi), Craig (Wiseman), and (Big Loud Rock / Big Loud Management Partner + President) Greg (Thompson) have been so supportive from the first time we met about building this partnership together. Watching the company that Big Loud has become in the country space only drives Stevo and I to want to make Severance Records the same kind of force in the alternative space. Our goal is to be rooted in Nashville, but global in vision.”
Robertson joins Severance after a 25-year tenure with Atlantic Records, last serving as general manager/senior vp of A&R, pop/rock for the label’s Nashville presence. Across his storied career as an A&R executive with an ear for alternative hits, Robertson signed Shinedown, Paramore, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Knox, and A Day To Remember among other acts, and helped develop talent including Gayle, Collective Soul, Seven Mary Three, Matchbox 20, and many more.
+ We Are Giant has added executive David Rappaport, chief operating officer of global touring at AEG Presents, to its board of directors.
Rappaport will serve as strategic advisor to We Are Giant CEO Andy Apple and his executive leadership team, lending his expertise on event execution, artist relations, fan amplification, and more.
Before joining AEG Presents, Rappaport also served as head of artist relations (Americas) at YouTube Music/Google, where he spearheaded new education and strategy initiatives geared towards artists, management companies and agencies.
This board addition follows recent news of We Are Giant formally announcing its launch in November, along with backing from leading investment management platform Sterling Partners, who have allocated nearly $8 million in investment. As part of We Are Giant’s initial beta, over 50 artists – ranging from major and indie label signings to independent acts – launched their community channels on the platform. Today, there are 70 (and counting) total artist community channels on We Are Giant.
+ Rimas Publishing has inked a deal with Reprtoir, the software suite that covers all the needs of music productions and publishing professionals.
This partnership is set to redefine Rimas Publishing’s operational approach, introducing software that centralizes, synchronizes, and leverages AI to make music management easier. Reprtoir boasts its SaaS (Software as a Service) which is meant to “revolutionize how the music industry faces the surging amount of streaming data and will allow Rimas Publishing to streamline workflows, market their talent, acquire new catalogs, discover rising artists, and explore various groundbreaking possibilities in the evolving music business landscape,” per a press release.
“Reprtoir’s innovative platform is a game-changer for our operations and will enable us to provide our clients with the best support and expand our business,” said Emilio Morales, Rimas Publishing managing director. “Our dedication to embracing cutting-edge industry technologies continues as we solidify our position as a leading industry publisher.”
Rimas Publishing is home to such artists as Bad Bunny, Eladio Carrión, Corina Smith, Mora, Súbelo NEO, Caleb Calloway, YENSANJUAN, Lennex, and Lizzy Parra.
+ Big Loud Rock, the alternative rock-focused imprint of trailblazing independent powerhouse Big Loud Records, has appointed David Barbis as its new head of promotion. In this pivotal role, Barbis will spearhead the label’s promotion team, strategy, and execution, reporting directly to partner/president of Big Loud Rock and Big Loud Management, Greg Thompson.
Barbis joins the label from his previous position as VP of promotion at C3 Management, where he played a role in the development and success of artists such as The Revivalists, White Reaper, The Head And The Heart, Mt. Joy, Chevelle, Wilderado, and Modest Mouse, among others. Barbis’ career spans over two decades in the music industry; before his role at C3 Management, Barbis held significant roles at Polygram/Island, Dreamworks, and Capitol Records.
+ BRIC, a multi-disciplinary arts and media institution anchored in downtown Brooklyn, has hired Saidah Blount as the executive director of its flagship program BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, which celebrates 46 years this summer at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park.
Blount will lead the curation, operations, and vision of the iconic performing arts festival, bringing years of experience at iconic brands like Sonos and NPR Music to the table. Blount and her team will help BRIC explore avenues to expand BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! into the digital and multimedia space, building on the storied reputation of the live event.
Blount has produced and developed new sonic and cultural platforms for global brands, including contributions to Sonos, NPR, and Cornerstone/The Fader.
+ The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has tapped Chris Barkley to serve as senior VP of government affairs. Barkley is a seasoned political strategist who has spent over two decades working in high-ranking positions on Capitol Hill beginning in the House of Representatives and spending the majority of his career in the United States Senate.
Barkley most recently served as deputy chief of staff for policy for Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), advising on all policy and legislation as well as supporting his role on the Whip Team. He helped negotiate several of the biggest bipartisan legislative deals in recent years. He previously was policy director for the Senate Republican Policy Committee under Senator John Barrasso (R-WY).
Barkley added, “Songwriters face more government regulation than anyone else in the music industry. There is much work to be done to allow publishers and creators to achieve the full value of their work. My experience across Capitol Hill has primed me for this opportunity and I’m thrilled to advocate for people whose work I respect and admire.”