Over the past decade, popular singer Taylor Swift has relied on the services of law firm Venable for a range of issues, from handling a trademark application to warding off plane-trackers. Swift’s relationship with the 900-strong firm can be seen as a reflection of Venable’s client base, which includes high-profile individuals and corporations alike.
Venable came into the picture when Swift altered her relationship with TAS Rights Management LLC in the USA in a recent trademark application pertaining to TAYLOR-CON, a fan convention in Dallas. The application was handled by Venable, testified to how Swift’s ties with the legal firm have deepened. This connection was further emphasized when Swift’s management company, 13 Management LLC, hired ex-Venable’s litigation practice co-chair in Washington,
J. Douglas Baldridge, as a general counsel in 2021.
In alignment, Swift’s former music manager, Scooter Braun recruited Andrew Sahn, a former Venable associate in the year 2022 as a legal advisor for his Ithaca Holdings LLC. Swift had found herself at odds with Braun after his controversial acquisition of her old record label in 2019. As a result of the contentious purchase, Swift chose to re-record four early studio albums. Braun later sold off Swift’s catalogue.
Swift’s general counsel Douglas Baldridge, then a Venable partner, was initially hired to lead the defense in Swift’s 2014 lawsuit with clothing company Blue Sphere, which concluded with confidential terms. Moreover, Venable’s active support doesn’t end with Baldridge. Venable’s litigator, Katherine “Katie” Wright Morrone also intervened by sending a warning letter to a Florida-based college student who was actively tracing Swift’s private jets.
Rebecca Liebowitz, the co-chair of Venable’s trademark prosecution and brand management group, is known to have signed the most recent trademark application drafted by TAS Rights Management, a Nashville-based company. Travis Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, who is due to play in the upcoming Super Bowl has drawn added attention, and incidentally, his whereabouts alongside other
Chiefs matches happening during this NFL season, attract a significant audience.
Judging by her previous legal victories, Swift’s alliance with Venable proves successful, such as the lawsuit by David Mueller, a former DJ who alleged that Swift’s sexual harassment accusations cost him his job. Swift scored a countersuit victory symbolized by nominal damages of $1, a win that has since been
cited by the US Supreme Court. Venable’s contribution in Swift’s ongoing legal combats, as reflected by the settlement of a long-drawn copyright dispute in 2022, is not to be overlooked.
Throughout every legal battle, Venable remains steadfast in assisting their noteworthy client. It is clear that Swift considers Venable a vital asset in legal matters, further underscoring the level of faith that the world’s biggest corporations, and indeed celebrities, place in their legal teams.
For additional details, you may wish to consult the original
Bloomberg article here.