Players on the Move

Talent-agency giant Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has hired former Nike general counsel Hilary Krane as its chief legal officer. Krane served as general counsel of Nike from 2010 until last month, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before that, she spent four years as general counsel of Levi Strauss & Co. and 11 years as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "As we build on CAA's tremendous momentum, expanding our reach and opportunities for clients, Hilary's experience helping to guide some of the world's most respected global brands will make her an invaluable partner in achieving our ambitions," CAA president James Burtson said in a statement. Krane is joining Los Angeles-based CAA as it seeks to complete its acquisition of rival talent agency ICM Partners. The deal, announced in September, would shake up the Hollywood representation business if it clears Department of Justice antitrust scrutiny. Jeffrey Freedman, who had led CAA's legal operations, remains with CAA. His duties include serving as chief administrative officer. … Greenspoon Marder has added commercial litigator Glen A. Rothstein to its Los Angeles office. Rothstein previously ran his own firm for five years, specializing in disputes involving entertainment, video games and sports betting. Co-managing director Gerry Greenspoon said Rothstein's hiring complemented the firm's recently formed innovation and technology practice group, which targets startups, cryptocurrency and blockchain-based companies, and other emerging tech ventures. The group launched in December when Los Angeles emerging technologies lawyer Eric Galen moved to Miami to join the firm. Rothstein's hiring brings the Los Angeles office to 14 attorneys. … Miami boutique law firm Harper Meyer recently hired two partners who specialize in art disputes to service clients in the firm's growing private wealth practice. Litigators Laura Reich and Clarissa Rodriguez joined the firm after four years of running their own law firm, Reich Rodriguez. Harper Meyer specializes in helping high-net-worth individuals and companies come to the United States. In an interview, firm founder James Meyer said he saw art law as a natural extension of Harper Meyer's capabilities, which include international tax work, estate planning, real estate and the occasional business jet purchase. Simultaneously, he watched the expansion of Miami art events such as Art Basel, Art Wynwood, Art Miami, and the Coconut Grove Art Festival. Meyer said, "I've known Laura and Clarissa for years. It seems to me that New York has a monopoly on art law; if you need an art lawyer, you usually go to New York or Los Angeles. In Miami, we have a dearth of art lawyers." While running their former law firm, Reich and Rodriguez recovered a Nazi-looted portrait from an Austrian museum and helped Academy Award-winning Italian film producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori establish rights to a missing Jean-Michel Basquiat painting. … Downtown Music Holdings, a big player in the music business despite only being around since 2007, has hired its former vice president of legal and business affairs, David Dormon, as general counsel. Dormon replaces Peter Rosenthal who is giving up the GC role after two years to pursue an opportunity outside the company. Rosenthal could not be reached for comment. Dormon left Downtown Music last fall to join the law firm Reed Smith. He had joined Downtown Music in 2018 as legal counsel and director of acquisitions before quickly rising to vice president of legal and business affairs. New York-based Downtown Music made headlines last April when it sold its 145,000 owned and co-published copyrights to an affiliate of the Concord music company. The assets, which included songs popularized by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Marvin Gaye, Mötley Crüe and Stevie Wonder, fetched more than $300 million, according to Variety. Downtown Music still has substantial operations, which include managing more than 23 million music assets for more than 1 million creators and 2,500 enterprise clients. It also collects royalties for a range of prominent clients and estates, including John Lennon, John Prine and Miles Davis. … Smith Entertainment Law Group has added Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney Henry Root, along with the team of Lynn Quarterman, Leigh Zeichick and Michael Olsen. They join from Lapidus, Root & Sacharow.