d'ensemble
Debbie White focuses her practice in the music, motion picture and entertainment industries, with particular emphasis on representing recording artists, songwriters, producers, managers, record companies, publishing companies, and digital media and technology companies in their ongoing business affairs.
Recognized as a top entertainment lawyer and dealmaker by leading publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, Debbie is known for her work negotiating multimillion-dollar recording contracts, as well as agreements related to publishing, worldwide touring, catalog sales, film soundtrack and Broadway cast albums, merchandising and sponsorships. A significant portion of her music practice centers on the development of copyright strategies and implementation of licensing efforts for digital companies, major advertisers and advertising agencies, sports and television networks, and entertainment companies.
Her experience representing talent, combined with her in-depth understanding of licensing and publishing rights, uniquely positions Debbie to address the complex issues that arise when artists work with subscription streaming services and other new media companies and licensors of digital content.
My business philosophy is simple — relationships matter. I work my tail off to get the best deals possible for my clients … and I love every minute of it.
She also leverages her talent and recording relationships to negotiate entertainment-related strategic marketing partnerships, tour sponsorships, brand integration agreements and celebrity product endorsement deals on behalf of advertising agencies and Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries.
In addition, Debbie represents actors, fashion designers, athletes, chefs, models and high-level industry executives in a range of traditional entertainment matters. She has been very successful at expanding her clients’ interests through ventures such as book publishing, fragrance and cosmetic licensing agreements, non-scripted television deals, and infomercials.
Debbie's practice is international in scope, and she is increasingly active in Asia’s expanding entertainment and media market, with clients that include China’s largest tech company and the most successful K-pop band in history.
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Paradigm Shift: Redefining the Role of the Record Label
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2015 ASCAP EXPO
Éducation
- New York University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- Denison University, B.A., Recipient, Judge Clyde Shumacker Award: Excellence in Writing Skills and Public Speaking
Admission au barreau
- New York
Reconnaissance
- Named in The Hollywood Reporter's "Power Lawyers: Top Music Dealmakers" list (2019-2023)
- Named in Billboard's "Power List" (2020 and 2022)
- Named among top music attorneys in Variety's "Music Legal Elite" (2024)
- Named among top music attorneys in Variety's Power of Law (2020)
- Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Billboard (2019)
- Named among "Notable Women in Law - New York" by Crain's (2019-2020)
- Named among "Most Powerful Music Attorneys" by Billboard (2018, 2020-2024)
- Named among top women entertainment leaders in Variety’s New York Women’s Impact Report (2020 and 2022)
- Named among top women entertainment leaders in Variety's Women's Impact Report (2018)
- Named among top entertainment attorneys in Variety's "Legal Impact Report" (2018-2020 and 2024)
- Named in The Hollywood Reporter's "Power Lawyers" list (2018)
- Named in The Legal 500 U.S. in Media & Entertainment, published by Legalease Limited and John Pritchard (2018-2019, 2022-2024)
- Named "Top Dealmaker" in Variety's "Dealmakers Impact Report" (2017-2021)
- Named among “Most Powerful Women in Music” by Billboard (2016-2020, 2022)
- Named one of the most influential women in New York entertainment in Variety's "Power of Women: NY Impact List" (2014)
- Named "New York Metro Super Lawyer" in Entertainment & Sports by Thomson Reuters (2013-2017, 2024)