Matthew J. Middleton is Of Counsel to the law firm of Simon, Eisenberg & Baum, LLP in the firm's Entertainment Law Practice Group. Mr. Middleton has over 13 years of experience as a transactional attorney in the area of entertainment law. Applying competency, integrity, and professionalism as his mantra for successful client representation, Mr. Middleton's entertainment practice focuses on providing counsel to recording artists, music producers, filmmakers, songwriters, managers, executives, independent labels & production companies, music publishers, authors, athletes, actors, models, choreographers and celebrity estates with respect to all facets of the entertainment industry. Specifically, Mr. Middleton specializes in complex recording deal negotiations, domestic and international touring, music publishing, product endorsement & corporate sponsorship, book deals, music & trademark licensing, and television & motion picture project development. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Middleton was the managing partner for his fast growing and well-respected boutique entertainment law firms where he represented Grammy Award winning songwriters, multi-platinum selling recording artists, motion picture & reality TV show stars, and popular athletes with entrepreneurial aspirations. His experiences have led him to develop relationships with, and maintain access to, key decision-makers throughout the entertainment industry. With the advent of emerging new media and content distribution platforms, and with a client base that includes talented individuals, business people, and corporations with diverse needs, Matt Middleton is proud of his ability to help shape and guide successful careers and negotiate lucrative strategic opportunities for his clients. Middleton began his legal career landing a coveted job as an Assistant District Attorney with the New York County District Attorney's office. As a prosecutor in the trial division, Middleton tried felony and misdemeanor cases in New York State Supreme Court. In 1997 Mr. Middleton shifted his complete focus to entertainment law full time. Mr. Middleton attended Howard University School of Law on a full merit scholarship after graduating from Howard Undergrad cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and a minor in Business Administration. During his law school years, Mr. Middleton served as Executive Articles Editor of the Howard Law Journal and received the Dean's merit award for outstanding achievement in entertainment law studies. Mr. Middleton is a member of the New York State Bar where he is admitted to practice and presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA). He is a member of the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) where he participates as an Executive Committee Member of its Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) and was a member of the American Bar Association's Forum on Entertainment & Sports. He also participates as a guest speaker /lecturer at various industry conferences, law schools and universities.
