John Branca

  John Branca, Attorney When Michael Jackson bought ATV Music — home to the Beatles catalog — in 1985 and partnered with Sony Music Publishing to establish Sony/ATV in 1995, those strategic moves were stepping stones toward fulfilling Jackson’s long-held dream. “Michael’s dream was to create the biggest publisher in the wor l d,” says entertainment attorney John Branca. He negotiated the aforementioned deals and other publishing acquisitions on behalf of his client before Jackson’s untimely death in 2009. In addition to serving as co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate with John McClain, Branca is partner and head of the music division at entertainment law firm Ziffren Brittenham LLP. Speaking to  Billboard  on the occasion of Sony/ATV’s rebranding as Sony Music Publishing in tandem with the company’s silver anniversary celebration, Branca says, “Michael is the person who was single-handedly most responsible for the growth of Sony/ATV. That’s not to take anything away ...

  John Branca Attorney  to the Super Stars John Branca got his first taste of the entertainment business as a teenager when he joined a relatively unknown band in Los Angeles. Ultimately, that same young man became one of the entertainment’s biggest names. But not as a performer. Instead, John Branca became one of the most successful and accomplished attorneys in the entertainment industry. In his career, he has either represented or negotiated with the most famous artists and bands in history. Michael Jackson called him “the greatest lawyer of our time,” and client Carlos Santana simply called him “the Shaman.” As a pa r tner at the entertainment firm of Ziffren Brittenham LLP,  John Branca  ‘s impressive list of clients includes more than 30 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since 2009, he’s served as custodian of the Michael Jackson Estate. Among his favorite deals: the $2.2 billion acquisition by Sony of EMI Music Publishing, a deal that created the bigg...