Music Rights Counsel for Both Sides of the Table

Ted Hall is a New York lawyer who helps buyers understand what they're acquiring and rights holders understand what they're selling. He ties contract terms to cash flow, risk, and exit value from both sides of the table.

I got my law degree and went straight into the music business: first managing bands at Rob Shore & Associates (Bastille, The xx, Suicide Silence, Deerhunter, Skream, Basement Jaxx), then running royalty operations at mtheory (now Virgin Music Label & Artist Services). I spent six years directing royalty operations: ingesting statements, reconciling across PROs, publishers, labels, SoundExchange, the MLC, and international CMOs. Before any of that, I spent five years running the business side of theater companies.

I've built deal models, corrected registrations, recovered underpayments, mapped termination exposure, and translated technical rights language into clear decisions for fund managers and legal teams.

Princeton B.A. · Seton Hall J.D. · Admitted in New York · NYSBA Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section

What I do

For Buyers

Due Diligence & Acquisition

Chain-of-title review · Split and share validation · Termination exposure mapping · Pricing guardrails and sensitivities · Deal model review

Ongoing Operations

Statement ingestion and normalization · Registration hygiene and gap fixes · Underpayment claims and recoveries · Rate and policy monitoring

Exit Preparation

Data room build and cleanup · KPI narrative and variance history · Disclosure schedules · Transition plan and handoff

For Sellers & Rights Holders

Pre-Sale Positioning

Catalog audit: what you actually own vs. what you think you own · Registration cleanup to maximize value at sale · Termination and reversion analysis · Revenue recovery before you sell

Transaction Support

Buyer due diligence response · Pricing review: is the offer fair? · Deal term translation: what the contract actually says · Closing mechanics and transition

Ongoing Rights Management

Royalty statement review and audit · Registration monitoring · Rate change impact analysis · Estate and succession planning for catalogs