Miller Barondess partners Sasha Frid and Skip Miller have been honored for the ninth consecutive year on Billboard’s exclusive list of Top Music Lawyers (login credentials required).
Sasha and Skip have built a premier music litigation practice, representing artists including Smokey Robinson, Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Montell Fish, Logic, Bad Wolves, Bush and Gavin Rossdale, Big Time Rush, Trey Songz, Nile Rodgers, Rod Stewart, Lionel Richie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose, former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, Journey and Neal Schon, Five Finger Death Punch, Steely Dan, Stone Temple Pilots, KISS, and many others.
Sasha chairs the firm’s entertainment practice group, is a member of the Recording Academy®, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. He represents leading artists, bands, major labels, and entertainment talent in matters involving recording and licensing agreements, touring, merchandising, film projects, copyright, intellectual property, and complex business disputes. Recognized for protecting artists’ rights, careers, and legacies, Sasha is a trusted litigator to many of the music industry’s biggest names.
Among his victories, Sasha secured a complete arbitration win for Mötley Crüe in a closely watched three-year dispute against former guitarist Mick Mars. Following a full evidentiary hearing, the arbitrator rejected all of Mars’ claims, ruled that he forfeited any right to touring revenues after ceasing to perform with the band, upheld the band’s decision to remove him as an officer and director for cause, ordered the sale of his ownership interest at book value, and required repayment of more than $750,000 in unrecouped tour advances. Sasha also dismantled Mars’ public allegations that the band relied on pre-recorded performances through live recordings, expert testimony, and admissions from Mars’ own expert, leading Mars to recant those claims under oath.
Sasha’s additional matters include representing Conan Gray in a dispute with his former manager, successfully vacating an $11.2 million judgment against Trey Songz in Las Vegas, securing a prison sentence in Tennessee against a stalker of Nikki Sixx in a groundbreaking digital harassment case, and obtaining dismissal of a highly publicized sexual assault lawsuit against Tommy Lee. After the action was refiled following changes to California law, Sasha led the defense effort that uncovered exculpatory evidence disproving the plaintiff’s allegations. He is also representing RSM Publishing LLC and Universal Music Group in defense of copyright claims brought by emPawa Africa Music Services Limited and Nigerian artist Dëra concerning Bad Bunny’s hit song Enséñame a Bailar.
Sasha’s courtroom successes also include securing a unanimous federal jury defense verdict for Motown legend Smokey Robinson in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract action and a complete defense jury verdict for music technology company Virtual Sonics against claims by former investors. He achieved a favorable settlement for Journey founder Neal Schon in a dispute over rights to the band’s name, represented the Estate of Tupac Shakur in litigation involving the film All Eyez on Me, and resolved a major contract dispute that allowed Five Finger Death Punch to resume touring and releasing new music.