Prominent entertainment industry team expands firm’s national platform to deepen artist and creator representation capabilities

LOS ANGELES and NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Barnes & Thornburg — a national law firm with more than 850 lawyers in 26 markets — has expanded its Entertainment, Media and Sports practice with the addition of three prominent entertainment partners from Nixon Peabody.

Christina S. Chang and Carron Joan Mitchell join the firm’s Los Angeles office, and Farrah Usmani joins the Nashville office. The addition deepens the firm’s presence across the entertainment, media and sports landscape and positions it to serve the next generation of artists, creators, and entertainment companies navigating the convergence of music, traditional and digital media, sports, and consumer brands — helping clients scale their businesses, protects their rights and structure long-term growth strategies.

“Christina, Farrah and Carron are excellent, respected practitioners in the entertainment industry who complement our existing entertainment practice extremely well,” said Andrew J. Detherage, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg. “They bring not only exceptional legal skill, but a rare level of cohesion, loyalty, and shared vision that strengthens the very core of our entertainment platform. Their decision to join us reflects our firm’s commitment to invest meaningfully in key industries and markets.”

The team is regularly recognized by Variety, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles Times, Chambers, and The Best Lawyers in America for its sophisticated work at the intersection of career strategy, rights ownership, and dealmaking in an increasingly complex entertainment industry.

The trio is widely known for its deep experience advising cross platform creators, talent, and emerging businesses operating at the forefront of the evolving content marketplace — a sector that demands multidisciplinary counsel and infrastructure. They collectively represent some of the industry’s most dynamic talent and entertainment companies, including Tim Burton, Childish Gambino, Vince Staples, Brent Faiyaz, Camila Coelho, Pussy Riot, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Cuco, Freedom Forum, Gen.G Esports and ReelShort.

“Barnes & Thornburg is the perfect fit for our team,” said Mitchell. “We are aligned in our values, ambition, and commitment to growth and client service. Our team has built our reputation on judgment, integrity and deep industry trust, and Barnes & Thornburg offers the collaborative culture, national platform and forward-thinking leadership that allows us to elevate that work. We’re excited to build alongside lawyers who understand where our businesses are headed and who are committed to growing with us.”

Mitchell’s practice spans entertainment, sports, media, intellectual property and corporate, with particular depth in the music industry. She represents recording artists, music producers, songwriters, actors, athletes, content creators, and entrepreneurs; and regularly advises emerging entertainment platforms and companies, including businesses in the rapidly growing short-form verticals and micro-drama content space. A recurring honoree on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list (2022–2025) and Variety’s Legal Impact Report (2022–2025), she was also recognized as a “Women Behind the Music” honoree by ASCAP.

“Barnes & Thornburg combines sophisticated entertainment counsel with a deep national bench across IP, brand protection, entertainment finance, corporate, data privacy and litigation — giving our clients the full legal infrastructure they need on one platform,” said Chang. “I’m excited to join a firm that understands how creativity and commerce intersect and has the depth to support clients at every stage.”

Chang was recently recognized in Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2026, highlighting her as a lawyer helping clients navigate disruption in the entertainment industry, from financing and production to distribution and complex corporate and commercial matters. Her practice is uniquely positioned within the creator economy, where she advises multi-hyphenate digital creators, emerging media companies, brands, sports teams, advertising agencies, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs on brand development, IP ownership, content monetization, and complex commercial partnerships.

“Music is both an industry and a culture, and the lawyers who serve it best understand both,” said Usmani. “Barnes & Thornburg’s commitment to the entertainment space, combined with its depth across complementary practices, made this an easy decision. I’m proud to bring my clients and my practice to a firm so well-positioned for where the industry is headed.”

Usmani represents performing artists, songwriters, producers, promoters, venues, festivals, with a practice spanning recording, publishing, distribution, and asset purchase agreements, as well as executive employment and new business formation. A Chambers USA-ranked attorney (2023–2025) and recurring honoree on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list (2023–2025), she is a recognized voice in the industry who speaks regularly at major conferences including SXSW and the Americana Music Festival.

“This expansion brings a level of sophistication and industry trust that is difficult to replicate,” said Jason Karlov, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Entertainment, Media and Sports practice. “They enhance our ability to serve clients today, while helping us thoughtfully grow the practice for tomorrow.”

Barnes & Thornburg’s Entertainment, Media and Sports practice currently represents artists, rights holders, brands and companies such as Paramount, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Illenium, the Grateful Dead catalog, the NFL and the NBA. With nearly 50 attorneys across Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Atlanta and Chicago, the firm continues to invest in talent that reflects where entertainment and sports are headed.

The addition of Chang, Mitchell and Usmani further solidifies the firm’s position as a destination for creators, talent and companies seeking sophisticated counsel backed by a deep, collaborative bench. The move follows Barnes & Thornburg’s recent expansion with a 12-lawyer insurance recovery group from Lowenstein Sandler and a 39-lawyer Public Finance and Infrastructure group from Ballard Spahr, bringing the total lawyers welcomed to the firm in 2026 to more than 85.

About Barnes & Thornburg
Barnes & Thornburg operates 26 offices across the United States, enabling more than 850 lawyers to serve clients nationwide. As one of the 100 largest law firms in the country, we provide seamless coast-to-coast coverage for high-stakes litigation, complex transactions and innovative IP matters. Our national reach and knowledge of local markets help clients conduct business confidently wherever opportunities arise. Visit btlaw.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: stephen.clark@btlaw.com

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SOURCE Barnes & Thornburg LLP