Jeffrey Becker named to Billboard Magazine's Top Music Lawyers list
Billboard Magazine has named Jeffrey S. Becker, partner and chair of Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP's Entertainment and Media Law Practice Group, to its 2019 Top Music Lawyers list.
This prestigious list honors prominent music attorneys from around the country. Becker is the only Chicago attorney and one of three in the Midwest named to this year's list.
Billboard recognized Becker for his representation of Chicago artists Valee (for whom Becker helped ink his recording agreement with GOOD Music/Def Jam) and Chance the Rapper (for whom Becker secured multiple injunctions to remove counterfeit merchandise from the streets surrounding his concerts).
Billboard also noted his work with a nationwide roster of recording artists, producers and songwriters, including producers Pink Slip and MASN, who penned Namanana, the record-breaking debut single from K-Pop sensation, Lay, which reached Double Diamond status on China's QQ Music within 11 minutes and 11 seconds.
A Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP attorney for nearly 10 years, Becker founded the firm's Entertainment and Media Law Practice Group in 2013. Mr. Becker has been instrumental in orchestrating multiple lateral attorney additions in recent years, which has added significant depth to the practice group and helps further the firm's commitment to providing top-tier legal guidance to entertainment clientele nationwide in the film, television, music and digital media industries.
Becker is active in numerous industry organizations. He is currently Secretary on the Recording Academy's Board of Governors for the Chicago Chapter and serves as co-chair of its Legislative Advocacy Committee. He is former president of Lawyers for the Creative Arts' Associate Board and former co-chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Media and Entertainment Committee.
In 2015, Becker was named one of "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch" by Law Bulletin Publishing Company. He has been quoted in numerous publications, including The Verge, Pitchfork, Vulture and Law360.
Becker received his J.D. magna cum laude in 2004 from DePaul University College of Law, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor of music law. He received his B.A. in 2001 from Illinois Wesleyan University.
About Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP
Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP, a nationally recognized litigation firm in Chicago, is dedicated to resolving contested matters for our clients. Jury trial experience is the hallmark of the firm. Our attorneys have tried hundreds of cases to verdict in a variety of complex civil and commercial disputes. Many large corporations, prestigious institutions, business owners and talented individuals retain Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP in jurisdictions across the United States. Since its inception in 1992, the firm has grown to over 130 attorneys in 24 practice areas with offices in Chicago, Lisle, Libertyville and Madison County, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Hammond, Indiana.