Brian A. Rosenblatt

Income Member

Brian joined Downey & Lenkov in 2016 after, leaving one of Illinois’ top 25 largest law firms after nearly 15 years. Brian has previously developed and co-chaired both an “Entertainment, Media and Privacy Practice Group”, and an “Intellectual Property Group” at his past firms. Brian brings his entire platform to Downey & Lenkov, where he continues to expand his local, regional, and national practice.

Brian’s practice is focused in three main areas: 1) entertainment (including media and advertising), 2) intellectual property and 3) litigation. His entertainment practice concentrates on transactions, media clearance and liability, advertising injury, defamation, 1st Amendment issues, and corporate matters. He also handles intellectual property transactions and litigation, specifically copyright, trademark matters and unfair/deceptive trade practice litigation.

Brian represents, and has represented, high-profile individuals and entities, including a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, a U.S. Presidential candidate, high-ranking officials and clergy within the Arch-Diocese, NBA All-Stars, NFL Players, international athletics gear manufacturers, award-winning songwriters, multi-platinum selling recording artists, national recording artists, social media celebrities, producers, record labels, managers and national platform festivals. Brian has also represented concert promoters in contract negotiations and class action litigation. He has locally and nationally worked on numerous film, television and literary projects. He counsels start-ups, media and internet companies. He serves as general counsel for online magazines, record labels, concert promoters and tech companies.

Brian also handles commercial litigation, catastrophic losses, construction litigation, products liability, commercial trucking/transportation claims, employer liability, premises liability, false arrest/malicious prosecution, personal injury data security/breach, privacy, cyber liability and e-commerce matters. Brian’s litigation experience extends to workers’ compensation, where he handles slip and falls, construction accidents, toxic tort, subrogation and other complex matters for employers.

He has served as lead counsel in nine jury trials and over eighty bench trials. He has conducted over three hundred arbitrations and mediations and prevailed on countless motions for summary judgment relating to intellectual property, commercial claims, construction cases and personal injury matters (including trucking claims, premises liability and automobile accidents.) Brian also regularly serves as an Arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County. Brian handles transactional and litigated matters across the country and has been admitted pro hac vice to several jurisdictions nationwide.

In 2006, Brian was named one of the top 40 Under 40 attorneys to watch in Illinois by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. He also was named to the Illinois Super Lawyers® list (a peer-review designation published by Thomson Reuters) 2010-2023, as well as the Leading Lawyers list. Brian has received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell for his legal ability and ethics. Brian works with the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, handling pro bono entertainment related matters.

Brian has been an active member of the National Academy of Arts & Sciences since 1996. He is on the governing committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Forum’s Law Journal, Entertainment and Sports Lawyer.

DID YOU KNOW: I attended the last live performance of Miles Davis at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1991.

  • Education:

    • J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1997
    • B.A., Economics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 1991
  • Professional Memberships & Associations:

    • American Bar Association Entertainment – Sports Law Forum
    • Hope For The Day
    • Lawyers for the Creative Arts
    • National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (Grammy’s)
  • Seminars & Presentations:

    • “Investigation Strategies” Downey & Lenkov Clients August 2023
    • “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Launch Music Festival, April 2023
    • “Houston, We Have a Problem,” Launch Music Festival, April 2023
    • “Can You Handle the Truth,” Launch Music Festival, April 2023
    • “Media Errors & Omissions,” Sports Risk Management Alliance (SERMA) Clients January 2023
    • “Arising Out of the Ashes of McAllister: Accident Analysis Reborn,” Downey & Lenkov Clients January 2023
    • “Money: Cashflow & Access to Finance,” Music Managers Forum Summit, November 2022
    • “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Launch Music Festival, April 2022
    • “Houston, We Have a Problem,” Launch Music Festival, April 2022
    • “Can You Handle the Truth,” Launch Music Festival, April 2022
    • “Pre-Hearing Conferences,” National Business Institute, June 2021
    • “Livestreams, Licenses and Special Clauses,” Pennsylvania Presenters, May 2021
    • “Speed Mentoring,” American Bar Association Entertainment & Sports Virtual Conference, October 2020
    • “Illinois Workers’ Compensation in the COVID-19 Era,” Downey & Lenkov Clients September 2020
    • “Deposed: Will You Be Deflated and Dethroned or Will You Dominate?,” Chicagoland Safety Health and Environmental Conference, September 2019
    • “Caution Before Signing–Red Flags in Entertainment Contracts,” Launch Music Festival, April 2017
    • “Meet the Lawyers,” Launch Music Festival, April 2017
    • South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2017
    • “Meet The Entertainment Lawyers,” Chicago Kent College of Law, March 2017
    • “Artist Development in the Digital Age,” Chicago International Movies and Music Festival, April 2016
    • “Caution Before Signing–Red Flags in Entertainment Contracts,” Chicago International Movies and Music Festival, April 2016
    • South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2016
    • “Film Funding Pitfalls,” Sundance Film Festival, January 2016
    • “Legal Trends In The Music Industry,” IICLE Entertainment Law Seminar, September 2015
    • “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” South by Southwest, March 2015
    • “Ten Best Practice Tips for New Businesses,” Asian American Business EXPO, September 2014
    • “Why Re-Invent the Wheel When Putting Together a Staffing Company WC Program?,” WCI360 – Workers’ Compensation Institute, August 2014
    • “Starting Up My Start Up—Pitfalls and Best Practices,” SmithAmundsen/NAAAP/CABA, June 2014
    • “Meet The Regulators—A Discussion About The Illinois Compassionate Cannabis Act And Its Regulations,” SmithAmundsen, May 2014
    • South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2014
    • “Caution Before Signing–Red Flags in Entertainment Contracts,” South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2013
    • “Protecting Your Business Brand, Name & Identity: Trademarks & Internet Law,” Illinois Chamber of Commerce, May 2012
    • “Who Said You Could Use My Name?,” South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2012
    • South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2011
    • “Gaining and Maintaining Artist Exposure,” MOB Fest, June 2010
    • “Caution Before Signing–Red Flags in Entertainment Contracts,” South by Southwest Music Conference, March 2010
    • “Entertainment Law,” CBA Practice Tracks Program, January 2009
    • “Development and Exposure for Music,” MOBFest, June 2008
    • “Protecting Your Company’s Copyrights, and Ensuring Your Company Does Not Infringe the Copyrights of Others,” Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, May 2008
    • “Red Flags in Entertainment Contracts and Related Copyright and Trademark Matters,” Anointed-Pages Gospel Awards, Showcase and Conference, May 2008
    • “Selecting The Artist’s Team—The Roles of Manager, Agent, and Attorney,” Anointed-Pages Gospel Awards, May 2008
    • “Sound Advice–Putting Together the Artist’s Team” Music Garage, November 2007
    • “Protecting Confidential Sources: Why It’s So Important,” MLRC, November 2006
    • “Analysis of Joint & Several Liability Apportionment under 2-1117,” OSA Fall Client Seminar, October 2004
    • “Negotiating a Recording Contract for the New Artist,” Chicago-Kent College of Law – Sports and Entertainment Law Society, 1998
    • “New Artist Management and Representation,” Chicago-Kent College of Law – Sports and Entertainment Law Society, 1997
  • Articles & Publications:

    • “Injury While Hopping Fence Did Not Arise Out Of Employment,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, June 2021
    • “Unexplained Falls Not Always Attributed to Job Duties,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, December 2020
    • “Dramatic Expansion of Illinois Workers’ Compensation Rights Leads to Injunction, Nullification and Likely Governor Action,” Illinois State Bar Association The Policy Insurance Law Newsletter, June 2020
    • “Remember the Basics: Foundation Still Matters,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, April 2020
    • “Refuse the Job Offered at Your Own Peril,” Downey & Lenkov Illinois Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, July 2019
    • “The Entertainment and Sports Lawyer,” American Bar Association Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, October 2014–Present
    • “Chapter 14: Mediation,” Business and Commercial Litigation 2014, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 2014
    • “Chapter 14: Mediation,” Business and Commercial Litigation 2012, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 2012
    • “Burning Q’s: The Idol State Parade & Fox Shots,” E! Online, September 2008
    • “Understanding A Client’s Needs”, Inside The Minds: Entertainment and Media Law Contract Strategies, Aspatore Books, January 2008
    • “Chapter 14: Mediation,” Business and Commercial Litigation, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2007
    • “Copyright Aware™,” Intellectual Property Shield, Inc., June 2006.
    • “I Know, It’s Only Rock and Roll, But Did They Like It?: An Assessment of Causes of Action Concerning the Disappointment of Subjective Consumer Expectations Within the Live Performance Industry,” 13 UCLA Ent. L. Rev. 39, January 2005
  • News & Insights:

Chicago, Illinois 312-377-1501 | Crown Point, Indiana 219-488-2590
Indianapolis, Indiana 219-488-2590 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-758-3367

Chicago, Illinois

312-377-1501


Crown Point, Indiana

219-488-2590


Indianapolis, Indiana

219-488-2590


Milwaukee, Wisconsin

414-758-3367