Meet Our Team

Jonathan Blaufarb
Senior Partner

Jonathan Blaufarb is the founding Senior Partner of Counsel LLP. His law practice includes advising major recording and performing artists and celebrities, songwriters, producers, record labels, digital music and technology companies, concert promoters, gaming companies, mobile firms, merchandising companies, film and television talent, and authors.

Jon was formerly the Managing Partner of the San Francisco office of Davis Shapiro Lewit & Hayes, LLP, a national music law firm with other offices in New York and Beverly Hills. Before that he was a partner in the Beverly Hills entertainment law firm of Bloom, Hergott, Diemer & Cook. His background also includes complex business and entertainment litigation with Rogers & Wells and Wyman, Bautzer, as well as music transactions as in-house counsel for Sony Music, personal management of recording artists, record retail operations, and performing and recording as a professional musician.

HENRY W. ROOT
SENIOR PARTNER

Henry W. Root is a Senior Partner of Counsel LLP. He has over 40 years of legal and business affairs experience in the music, television, and media industries. Henry has represented recording artists signed to every major label, award-winning songwriters and producers, music publishers, record labels, and principal cast members of several TV series. He specializes in transactions involving sales and purchases of music-related properties and provides sophisticated counseling and guidance to both sellers and purchasers in connection with due diligence matters, complex rights sales, content acquisition and licensing issues, loan and security agreements and valuations of intellectual property assets. 

Henry is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law, where he teaches the music law course. He is a past member of the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Sports and Entertainment Industries and former Chair of its Music Division. He was presented with the Ed Rubin Award, which is the Forum’s highest honor and is given in recognition of outstanding leadership and service. He is member of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He sits on the executive committees of the Entertainment Law Initiative and the annual North American Entertainment, Sports & Intellectual Property Conference. He is a longtime volunteer for the Recording Academy’s MusiCares charity.  Mr. Root is a frequent panelist and lecturer on music, television, media and internet legal issues.

Prior to commencing his career as a music attorney, Mr. Root was a concert producer for Barry Fey/Feyline Presents, in Denver, CO, where he was also the stage manager for Red Rocks Amphitheater. He also worked for four years as a tour manager and lighting designer for major, international touring artists.  

David Kostiner
Managing Partner

David Kostiner is the Managing Partner of Counsel LLP. His practice includes the representation of creators and innovators in the entertainment and technology industries with respect to all aspects of their businesses. David specializes in music, film and start-up strategies, rights transactions, corporate formation and maintenance, and trademarking. David was formerly an associate in the San Francisco office of Davis Shapiro Lewit and Hayes, LLP after beginning his career as a percussionist drumming in jazz clubs and appearing in the Tanglewood, New England and Interlochen Symphony Orchestras. He later joined Dreamworks artist Creeper Lagoon and toured and recorded with countless independent and major label artists.

Following his performing career and during law school, David co-founded the IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance), later sold to Sony Music, and was the sponsorship director for the Noise Pop Music Festival and managed the internationally acclaimed artist Rogue Wave. David currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Entertainment Law at the University of California Hastings College of Law and frequently appears as a panelist and public speaker. David has been published by the Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal and the Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal. David's education includes a J.D. from the UC Hastings College of Law, a B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University and studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston University's Tanglewood Institute and the Interlochen Arts Academy.

Vivek Sridharan
Partner

Vivek Sridharan is a Partner at Counsel LLP and has been with the firm since its inception in 2007. His primary practice includes general business representation of entertainment industry clients, including artists, bands, music festivals, digital media companies, event producers, content creators and licensors in transactions, deals, copyright, trademark and corporate matters.  

Vivek’s entrepreneurial experience in the industry informs his approach to representing clients in his legal practice. Before becoming an attorney, Vivek worked in the music industry as one of the first employees of the influential digital music start-up IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance). At IODA he wore multiple hats, signing labels and artists to distribution deals and working as the company’s financial analyst. IODA was eventually acquired by Sony Music and merged into The Orchard.  

Vivek has always loved music and for many years was a hip hop DJ at various venues and college and community radio stations. He also jams regularly on Indian percussion instruments.

Vivek received his J.D. from Santa Clara University and his B.S. in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.

He is the only Counsel attorney to have season tickets to the Golden State Warriors.

LYNN QUARTERMAN
PARTNER

Lynn Quarterman is a Partner at Counsel LLP.

Prior to joining the firm, she was an attorney with Smith Entertainment Law Group. The emphasis of her practice has always consisted of a unique blend of client representation in the music and television industries. In addition to serving as production counsel for numerous variety television productions and representing production companies specializing in unscripted television programming, she has counseled and advised cable television networks and other producers of audio-visual content on all music-related issues, including the OWN Network and IMAX documentary filmmaker MacGillivray Freeman Films. She continues to represent multi-Grammy Award winning artists, songwriters, record producers and management companies.  

Tucker Page
Partner

Tucker Page is a Partner at Counsel LLP. His practice includes advising artists, producers, managers, executives, festivals, labels, publishers, funds, and media companies in all aspects of the music industry – from indie artists to Grammy winners, from first record deal to catalog sale.

A former professional recording engineer, Tucker received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he was managing editor of the Stanford Law Review, and his B.A. from Duke University, where he taught an undergraduate class called Popular Music 1940s to Present. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Tucker practiced employment law at an Am Law 100 global law firm.

MICHAEL OLSEN
Of Counsel

Michael Olsen is counsel to Counsel LLP where he practices in the areas of music mergers & acquisitions, strategic planning, recording and publishing catalog sales, recording and publishing agreements, and music-adjacent corporate transactions. Before joining Counsel LLP, he served as Executive Vice President of Operations/Business & Legal Affairs/Finance at multi-national film, television, music, and live event producer Entertainment One. At eOne, Mike worked with multiple platinum-selling, Grammy award-winning recording artists, and songwriters.  He also led eOne’s music M&A practice.  He has served as President/CEO and chief legal officer for eOne Nashville, Sheridan Square Entertainment, Compendia Music Group, and as VP/GM of the Denver Symphony Orchestra (now the Colorado Symphony).  

Mike is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami Law School. He is formally an Adjunct Professor at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University and a was full-time Lecturer in the Master of Fine Arts program at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.  He is a regular speaker at music law conferences and events hosted by the American Bar Association and numerous state bar associations. He has served on the board of directors of Dualtone Music Group, UK-based Audio Network, the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy, and the American Association of Independent Music.  Mike received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgia State University School of Law in Atlanta. [Not licensed in California, licensed in Tennessee.]

Annissa Allen-Gore
associate attorney

Annissa is an associate at Counsel LLP, joining the firm in early 2021 as a law clerk with practice areas including transactional entertainment, sports, business, and intellectual property law.  She is a graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law where she earned specialization certificates in intellectual property and litigation. While at GGU, she received academic excellence awards for her work in intellectual property law and GGU's Women's Employment Rights Clinic. Annissa was an associate editor of GGU's Environmental Law Journal, and her article, "Water Contamination Ruining the Nation: How the Lead Water Crisis Disproportionately Affects Children of Color" was published in the journal's online blog. Annissa graduated magna cum laude from the illustrious Howard University with a B.S. in Sports Management. Prior to attending law school, Annissa taught middle school and high school special education for two years. In her free time, Annissa enjoys drawing and playing video games.

She is the only Counsel attorney to have managed a men’s lacrosse team during college.

reina shinohara
associate attorney

Reina is an associate at Counsel LLP, originally joining the firm in 2020 as a law clerk. Her practice areas include transactional entertainment, digital media, business, and intellectual property matters. A San Francisco native, Reina received her JD at UC Hastings College of Law, where she was a senior editor on the Hastings Law Journal. Prior to law school, she worked in various roles related to music supervision and rights management at tech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reina graduated magna cum laude from the Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University with a B.S. in music business. Outside of legal work, she loves singing karaoke, crocheting, and skateboarding.

DYLAN BLAKELEY
ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Dylan Blakeley is an associate at Counsel LLP where his practice encompasses a wide range of transactional matters in music, entertainment, digital media and intellectual property matters. Dylan received his J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law, where he was managing editor of the International Law Review, and his undergraduate degree from Auburn University, where he majored in Finance. Prior to joining the firm, Dylan worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Steven J. Kleifield of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Dylan also has prior experience at a boutique litigation firm, where he handled various litigation matters at every stage concerning intellectual property, contract, and property disputes.

Leigh Anne Lewis
Director of Operations

Leigh Anne Lewis is Director of Operations and a former client of Counsel LLP.  She started her career in Los Angeles at ASCAP, then moved into artist management and touring in 48 states and Canada (Maine and South Dakota TBD). Lured to San Francisco, her professional focus shifted to advertising and experiential marketing with agencies J. Walter Thompson, On Board Entertainment, Ammo Marketing then in-house global branding and sponsorship for Levi’s and Electronic Arts.  Her substantial production, party and personal skills were utilized by conference and event work for repeat clients including Salesforce, eBay, ServiceNow, SF Sketchfest, Moontower Comedy and the Wildwood Revival.  

A tour manager never really retires so along with wrangling Counsel’s attorneys, she consults on projects ranging from puppets, cabaret, book and magazine publishing to lifestyle brands and hospitality. With her flex time she enjoys reading, gardening, trips to Maui and playing fairy godmother and getaway driver to a select few next gen indie rockers.

She is the only Counsel staff to have chauffeured Spinal Tap and the OG casts of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Drunk History.