Billboard Names Helen Yu of Yu Leseberg As A Top Music Lawyer for 2020

July 27, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA) – Helen Yu, Principal of Yu Lesberg, Entertainment Attorney and music advocate is named to Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers 2020 (https://bit.ly/3hxZky6). Helen Yu’s inclusion on Billboard’s Top Lawyers list reinforces recognition of her successful legal career spanning over twenty-five years in the entertainment industry.

“I’m honored to be recognized by Billboard on this elite list of legal music industry attorneys.  I am humbled by Billboard for recognizing my acumen, hard work, commitment to my clients and overall success. It’s a broad landscape.” said Yu.  “I take pride in advocating for the music and entertainment community.  Being acknowledged for what I am passionate about and dedicated to in my career to is a true honor.”

Whether its recovering record setting copyright estates on behalf of heirs, such as T. Rex/Marc Bolan, Jimmy Holiday.  Helen Yu has been a consistent trailblazer in music business history.

During her illustrious career, she has executed deals resulting in billions of sales, downloads and streams and numerous #1 chart-topping hits, all while maintaining a firm stance on advocacy for artists, songwriters, producers and music companies she proudly represents.  Helen is known for her vigorous negotiations on her clients’ behalves and strategizing architectural business moves. Helen Yu’s commitment and tenacity are unmatched.

Early in her career, Helen Yu served as the legal force behind producers and songwriters for superstar acts including Tupac, Post Malone, Fifth Harmony, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, will.i.am, Big Sean, Tyga, 2 Chainz, Migos, Junior Mafia, Britney Spears, Drake, Wiz Khalifa, NSYNC, Justin Timberlake,  Fifth Harmony, Back Street Boys, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson, will.iam, Fergie and P. Diddy.  Helen Yu has also been on the forefront as a legal eagle moving hip-hop’s culture forward for the past 25 years among many in her legal representation of:  Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Mustard, Snoop, BAS, as well representing some of the most prominent Latin stars of today and yesteryear:  Joan Sebastian, Gerardo Ortiz, Paulo Londra, and Silent Giant Entertainment. 

TheSource: “Music Attorney Helen Yu Talks Music Business in the Age of COVID-19”

Interview By: Rhett Butler

(https://thesource.com/2020/06/26/music-attorney-helen-yu-talks-music-business-in-the-age-of-covid-19/)

Date: June 26, 2020

With the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism both on everyone’s collective radar, music creatives are operating in a new space.

Helen Yu Leseberg, the principal attorney at Yu Leseberg, is an advocate of artists, songwriters, producers, and creative talent in the entertainment industry.

“I’m a minority, i’m a woman of color, i’m Asian, and those are definitely challenges. But it just drives you. For me, I never looked at it as a barrier. Because if I really thought about how many succesful Asian music attorneys are in the business representing the talent side; it would just be me (laughs).

“There might be little pockets of people coming up here and there. But if I looked at it as being white male dominated, insider’s business, I just wouldn’t have done it. You just do what you do, have the faith in yourself and do better work than your colleagues. You don’t do equal work, you do better work.”

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES

Yu also founded North Hudson Music, LLC, a finely-curated music publishing administration company whose clients include Tupac, Robin Thicke, Estelle, YG, and many others.

“The hardest part for everybody, with the front line artist about 75% of their income probably comes from touring. It’s been difficult because everything’s cancelled.

“Some things are getting rescheduled but even the things that are getting rescheduled, like our European dates, are getting rescheduled again. Everybody knows that nothing is going to happen until 2021 sometime. It’s a very big hit in the income.”

Decades of experience have made Ms. Helen Yu Leseberg a noted authority on entertainment business strategies and contract negotiation. This background has made Ms. Yu Leseberg a skilled navigator of the challenges and nuances faced by artists in the 21st century.

FORCED EVOLUTION?

“I don’t think COVID-19 will change the industry forever. This is just my opinion, I think it is just something interim. I think the artists that are going through it now on a personal level, this has been helpful for them in terms of their own personal finances.”

Yu knows that success can breed complacency when evaluating your spending habits and that might have been the blessing in disguise with COVID-19.

“When you’re an artist having a lot of success, especially if you have big shows on the radio, that means that you’re touring, your live performances have increased which means you’re making a lot of money and when you’re in the thick of a very successful run the money starts pouring in, more money that you ever thought and some artists spend like there’s no tomorrow.”

“They keep thinking i’m on a roll. I think its a way of resetting and figuring out a personal reserve. But in terms of how they operate in the music business in general, I think we are going to come out stronger and better. Shows and live performances, the desire to have that person-to-person connection in a live setting is going to grow even stronger.”

In response to these rapidly changing waters, Ms. Yu Leseberg’s focus has expanded to include brand marketing, technological innovation, worldwide publishing, lucrative licensing deals, and merchandising.

In 2014, under Ms. Yu Leseberg’s leadership, Yu Leseberg negotiated and lawyered more charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R & B 100 than any other law firm in the entertainment industry.

“We’ve had a couple clients participate in apps and online events and the quality isn’t there. It didn’t stop them but the experience for the fans isn’t there. If you want the fans to have a real experience then you have to figure out the technical issues.

THE TRAVIS SCOTT EFFECT

Fortnite and Travis Scott presented Astronomical back on April 23-25. Fans had a chance to “blast off into a one of a kind musical journey featuring Travis Scott and the world premiere of a brand new track”.

It was billed as an other-worldly experience inspired by Cactus Jack’s creations, built from the ground up in Fortnite.

“I think Travis Scott’s Fortnite event was amazing. One thing that I do know over the years in general in terms of music, because music moves culture so much, even when promoters have done deals with our artists and they’ve also taken the performance for a particular show but they’ve also gotten the broadcast or simulcast rights.

“Its a very interesting crossroads (concerts and gaming) because we do know that gaming on a subscription or a per-admittance fee basis is extremely successful.”

However, Yu sees limitations to certain aspects of the technology meets music intersectionality.

“About ten years ago they were trying to do pay-per-view. What I notice is that people are not willing to pay money for that concert experience. They may pay money for a stream but in terms of the same similar model of paying for ticket and “entering” a venue, its not going to transition. There is something about being around an artist with a crowd of people. Its not going to be a major revenue source.”

MUSIC CARES

In addition, Yu sees the music industry lending a helping hand during these times of extreme trauma.

“One label head actually called one of my managers and said, ‘look if you guys need any money, any advance, anything to get through this, come to us.’ I’m acually proud of the music business that they’re not completely exploitive (laughs).”

“Music has always influenced culture. You used to have musicians that had the natural sister businesses. A lot of musicians are really good visual artists like digital illustrators. A lot of them are really good chefs because that creative energy basically transforms into different types of media and also their brand.”

With technology aiding artists during this rough time, Yu looks at what is working and is hopeful that younger generations will keep oiling the wheel of success for artists of today and yesteryear.

“This TikTok thing. Its bringing old songs back to the forefront. In fact we had two songs that weren’t super legacy songs and it brought them back. I think its going to help music catalogues and new releases as well.

“I think its great for younger audiences to get familiar with older music. For the younger generation they don’t even need access to the physical products, the records, they can just get it over these new means.”

Remembering Deon “Big D” Evans on Tupac’s Birthday

June 16, 2020 - Happy Birthday, Tupac. On this day, I remember one of my closest friends and an early believer in my ability to make the deals which help producers and creatives change their lives. Deon “Big D” Evans was one of Tupac’s most important team members as a producer and collaborator. “Big D” Evans (a true gentle giant) made me proud to handle deals on many of Tupac’s most iconic records: “Brenda’s Got a Baby,” “Ghetto Gospel,” and “Changes,” to name a few.

Black Lives Matter

Ty Dolla $ign & J. Cole Hit RIAA Gold With “Purple Emoji”

Gold Certification: May 1, 2020

Yu Leseberg and Helen Yu, Prof. Law Corp has been working with Ty Dolla $ign for a decade now. Today, May 1, 2020, we celebrate the gold certification from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for his single, “Purple Emoji,” featuring J.Cole  

Helen Yu notes “I’m always amazed and proud of how many hit records he’s been able to garner.” Ty also worked with well-known street artist, Gregory Siff on the cover art for “Purple Emoji.” The Brooklyn born Los Angeles based creative has made a slew of polarizing works of art drawing inspiration from anything like the Black Lives Matter movement to Vans footwear. Siff’s work has been featured in the pages of The New York Times and W Magazine, among many others.

“Purple Emoji” debuted on May 20, 2019, yet the record’s ability to still gain recognition during this (awful and unfortunate) global pandemic, proves how much of an influence Ty has on his fans and the industry. In an interview with Beat 1’s Zane Lowe, Ty explained how “Purple Emoji” came into sonic fruition.

"I was at this studio called Jungle City in New York working on Yandhi with Kanye. And then just turns out Cole was in the room right next to me. When I saw him I was like bro I got something to play you," he said. "I’m like, 'Yo, I just did this one I thought would be crazy for both of us.' So he came in my room, I played it for him immediately and he did his verse in five minutes."

It’s that innate ability to recognize a hit when he hears one coupled with the dexterity of a song making mastermind that has set Ty apart from his peers, and has made his collaborations rise to the top.  

YG "My Krazy Life" Anniversary

It’s been six years since Compton’s own YG has released his debut album My Krazy Life on March 18, 2014.

“March 18th for me marks a special day, the date serves for me as a good luck charm that I’ll always keep in pocket,” Helen Yu notes. “I’m proud to have been a big part of YG’s career especially our legal work on all the complex deals involving Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jeezy, Nipsey Hussle and many others on YG’s debut album on Def Jam.“ 

Yu has been able to help catapult his career from gangster rapper to a ubiquitous artist whose appeal transcends the palm tree lined streets that make up Los Angeles, the city, that birthed and raised him. He uses his LA roots as his muse for the music, and it’s proving to pay off.

“That’s why a lot of people respect me in L.A. that’s around my age group, because they saw me in the streets. They saw me at all these parties performing,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 2014. “Mustard was DJing. Ty [Dolla Sign] used to come perform with us. That’s how the sound that we have now was created — all the [stuff] we was doing when we was young, just our lifestyle. And when we sat back on it and looked at it, that’s how it was supposed to sound. It was some party gangsta [stuff], some real street [stuff] at the same time.”

“With an Artist like YG with deep LA hip hop roots there’s definitely a method to navigating the entertainment madness,” Yu concludes.

Most Streamed Albums of Last Year

As they say… it takes a village. In that spirit, Yu Leseberg proudly announces our contributions in negotiating legal agreements for songs contained on one-third of Billboard’s Top 10 most streamed albums of the past year, as noted in a recent New York Times article.

• Scorpion by Drake - named the most popular album of the year, according to Nielsen Music.

• Beerbongs & Bentleys by Post Malone - the artist’s first Number One, Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year, and tied for the RIAA’s top-selling album of 2018.

• Culture II by Migos - which entered the Billboard 200 at Number One, also tied for the RIAA’s top selling honors of 2018.

We congratulate our clients.  May they have an even brighter 2019.

"I Want Your Job": Helen Yu featured in UPROXX's Music Industry Interview Series→

Helen Yu, Esq. in her Hollywood office: "You don’t choose music, music chooses you."

Interview by Caitlin White of UPROXX.

Helen Yu Leseberg describes herself first and foremost as an advocate. As the found of her own entertainment law firm, Yu Leseberg, her priority is to serve and protect the legal well-being of “artists, songwriters, producers, and creative talent in the entertainment industry.” If anyone knows how difficult it might be to get artists to take care of and be familiar with their own legal rights, it’s Helen, who works at explaining high-level, analytic concepts to some of the most creative and non-linear artists currently working.

After an early stint as a high school intern for the now-defunct indie label Enigma Records, Yu Leseberg realized she could pair her love of the arts with her family’s mandate that she go to law school — and her career in entertainment law was born. Music law is just as complicated and unique as the rest of the industry, and in our conversation below she unpacks the challenges and considerations that go into working in the entertainment law field. Her final note resonates most: You don’t choose music, music chooses you.

How did you end up in your current role? What was your trajectory?

I always loved music and I started as a musician. I played keyboard and I was in a band in high school. Being in a band and being in music, of course I loved going to shows, and in high school I was able to get an internship at a label called Enigma Records. It was really early to start, I didn’t drive, I was 15, my mom would dropped me off. That’s how I started, and this label was an independent label and it was very cool. It was two brothers that owned it and they had all the departments there — radio, retail, distribution and finance. Everything was there. So I started off there in publicity. I learned working with a record company that way, and I did whatever they wanted me to do: answer phones, box stuff up, called stores. Back then we’d do a lot of data gathering by calling retailers to find out what records were selling. When I started in music for that first job, we didn’t have a lot of competing media. The internet didn’t exist. I’m surprised that millennials still want to work in the music industry, because there’s so many cooler jobs. But I started out with an internship, and most of my friends that work in the business almost all started with an internship.

So you met the Engima records guys at a show?

I was really lucky because I lived in LA and the entertainment industry is a cottage business here for us. The two guys that owned the label lived in my neighborhood. I was in a band and… I didn’t look like the other kids in the neighborhood. So I stood out, so they asked me ‘Hey, do you want to be an intern?’ And I didn’t know what that was, but I was like ‘Yeah!’

How did you move from working with a label into the law side of things?

I wanted to be a musician and be in a band, to have a creative career. But my family really discouraged it, because they thought that it was not a very stable career path. They wanted me to be a lawyer because they felt I had a higher likelihood of having a steady living. At the record company they had a lawyer so I had already thought ‘hmmm.’ The lawyer would come in and do things every once in awhile.

And at the time I was taking driving lessons — it’s funny, you never know where the inspiration is going to come from — I was learning how to finally drive so my mom wouldn’t have to continue to drive me down there anymore. This older hippie gentleman was my instructor, and he asked me ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I told him I wanted to be in a band but my parents wanted me to be a lawyer. And he said ‘Well you know, there’s lawyers that do that.’ And I said ‘Yeah, you’re right, there’s lawyers that come in! They handle the musicians and all the stuff for the legal side. I think that really was it, it was a way to contribute to the arts and still kind of satisfy what my parents wanted.

Can you briefly explain what your main role is as an entertainment lawyer?

I’ve worked both in-house at record companies, and I now work in what we call private practice. I own my own firm now, and I’ve worked for other firms in the past. But in private practice mainly I represent talent. Meaning that I represent the artists and we negotiate their recording agreements, if they’re getting signed to a record company, whether it’s Universal, or whoever, we negotiate those recording agreements, we negotiate the publishing deals, we negotiate the tour agreements if they’re going out for live concerts, live tours. We oversee and master use and synchronization licensing.

Anytime you hear songs being used in television shows and in films, we help oversee that. Sometimes we directly license that if they don’t have a publisher, generally that’s the music publisher. We handle endorsement deals, where maybe Tanqueray or Samsung might want to get into business to have an artist as their spokesperson or to do commercial endorsements with that artist, we handle that. Any type of general releases, if they’re being interviewed on television or that kind of thing, we set up all their corporations, their personal loan-outs to render services to third parties. We do almost everything. But that’s generally what we do on a day-to-day basis for the artist.

What kind of skills do you think are good for someone who might be thinking about a job in music law?

You have to be very detail-oriented. You have to have a very high level of reading comprehension. You have to be a good writer, and be a good draft person. Those are the technical skills you need. The difference between and “and” and a “or” something in a sentence is huge. You can’t say “this or that” or “this and that,” the difference is enormous. If you miss one zero it’s the difference between 10,000 and 1,000. You can’t make mistakes, so you have to check and you have to re-check and you have to be very detail-oriented. Even where you put your punctuation, where does that comma go in that sentence can make the sentence have a different meaning.

How is music law different from practicing other kinds of law?

Music law is like being on a different planet. It’s a different skill set. It’s almost like, it’s contracts, it’s copyright, it’s intellectual property, but there’s so many things that are custom and practiced in the business in the way things are done that are so unique to the business it’s almost like a trade. You can’t really graduate from law school and then just start being a music lawyer. Because there’s so many things that you don’t know. You can’t possibly learn, even if you read about it. It’s literally analogous to going and having an apprenticeship, becoming a journeyman or being an electrician or something.

How did you handle that transition?

I had been able to get an internship during law school at Motown Records. And then once I graduated I was able to get a job working in the legal department at Virgin Records. In a very low-level position there in the legal department, and I just started learning, kind of from the bottom.

What do you think the hardest part of your job is?

The hardest part of my job, honestly, is number one managing the expectations of the clients. It’s hard dealing with talent, especially high-level talent. You have to be able to deal with a certain type of personality, because artists are unusual. They’re temperamental. They think in a very non-linear terms, and you have to be able to explain very linear, analytical, difficult concepts to people who are creative who naturally think in non-linear terms. The better of an artist they are, the less linear of a thinking pattern they have. [Laughs] Then, there’s also the fierce competition. There’s a lot of competition, even among the attorneys themselves. There’s ego, there’s all of that stuff. It’s an extremely competitive field.

On the other end of the spectrum, what is one of the most triumphant moments in your career?

There’s so many… I don’t know if I have one watershed moment that I feel is really the pinnacle. But maybe one of the most difficult things I’ve done is I resolved an incredibly important and difficult copyright case that was multi-jurisdictional that no one had been able to solve and resolve with a famous UK rockstar for almost forty years. Many lawyers had come before me and tried over an almost forty year period. There was a BBC documentary about it, and I was able to resolve it. It was pretty amazing.

What advice do you have for someone who might be looking to get into music law?

If you want to get into music law, stay the course. Be dedicated to it. When you go to law school and graduate, your first job leads to your second job leads to your third job etc. So if you go to school and you’ve got all these student loans — it’s expensive because it’s graduate school — it may take you longer to land that first job in music and entertainment, but you’ve got to say the course. If you take a job at this bankruptcy firm thinking you’re going going to switch later, and it’s just a job for now, it’s not going to happen. Because when you go to get that music job, they’re going to ask what experience you have. So you’ll start going down this other path. You’ve got to stay really passionate and stay the course. Music is a community and I think it’s a great community to be part of because it is about passion. This is one of these fields… where it chooses you. Music chooses you, you don’t choose music.

Learn more about Helen’s entertainment and music law firm Yu Leseberg here.

John Kirby Gets a Well-Deserved Seat At The Table On Solange Knowles’ Critically Acclaimed New Album

Yu Leseberg and Helen Yu, Esq. are thrilled to congratulate friend and client John Kirby on his stunning contributions to Solange Knowles’ chart-topping record A Seat at the Table.  

John, a multi-talented musician, served as a co-producer on 3 tracks on Solange’s critically acclaimed new album, released by Columbia Records on September 30, 2016.  In addition to co-producing 3 tracks, John Kirby co-wrote 2 songs (“Borderline (An Ode to Self Care)” and “Junie"), as well as lending his fine musicianship to many of the songs on A Seat at the Table.   

“John is one of the most amazing talents – he can make anything sound like an old school sample.  His production skills are so next level,” says his attorney Helen Yu.  “He’s very humble and keeps his head down, but I feel he’s a secret weapon for Solange.”

A Seat at the Table has been a massive success with both fans and critics alike, debuting at Number One on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Charts.  Pitchfork gave the record a whopping 8.7 rating, calling it “a document of historical significance, not just for its formidable musical achievements but for the way it encapsulates black cultural and social history with such richness, generosity, and truth.”  “Cranes in the Sky,” which features John Kirby’s haunting and memorable synthesizers, was featured as Pitchfork’s “Best New Track” and is rapidly climbing the charts.

Congratulations, John… We toast your hard-earned success and can’t wait to hear your next project!

Ty Dolla $ign For President

Kudos, respect, and much appreciation to our friend and client Ty Dolla $ign, who is enjoying a year of explosive and well-deserved success. Ty is living proof that with talent, determination, and the right team -"The Dream" is well within reach. 

On September 25, 2016, Ty hosted and headlined his inaugural "Dolla Day," a live concert and voting drive, at the famed Hollywood Palladium to a sold-out audience celebrating the release of his timely soundtrack albumCampaign. The Dolla Day concert featured surprise performances by fellow friends and superstars A$AP Rocky, Belly, G-Eazy, Kendrick Lamar and Wiz Khalifa. Billboard praised Ty's performance as "one of the most formidable forces in R&B and hip hop." The star-studded evening was prefaced by a two-day pop-up shop, featuring Campaign-themed merch, voter registration, and live mural painting. 

See live stream by Tidal. Tidal streamed the entire event. 

Ty, a multi-talented songwriter, singer, musician, songwriter and producer also co-wrote and is featured on Fifth Harmony's Billboard #1 Top 40 single "Work From Home," released in February 2016, certified double platinum.

Rolling Stone calls "Work From Home" one of the "Greatest Songs of 2016" and has been streamed 514 million times on Spotify. In August 2016, Ty was also honored with his first MTV Video Music Award (VMA) for Best Collaboration for his contributions to "Work From Home." He also performed "Bacon" with Nick Jonas during this year's VMA telecast. 

Earlier this year, Ty's strength in diversity has also shone. He co-wrote and performed on the Billboard #1 Rock Album smash single "Sucker for Pain," featured in the motion picture film Suicide Squad. Ty Dolla $ign with Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons, and the song went #1 on iTunes, #3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and boasts over 166 million plays on Spotify. 

With no signs of slowing: last week, Ty performed his new songs from Campaign on MTV's voting special "TRL: Total Registration Live" which songs XXL Magazine called "near perfect" including: "No Justice," "Stealing," "3Wayz" ft. Travis Scott, "Campaign" ft. Future, and "Zaddy," are available on iTunes; and Ty's newmusic video for "Zaddy" has been viewed nearly 5 million times on YouTube. 

Los Angeles Entertainment Attorney - Helen Yu: "It has been my pleasure being Ty's lawyer for the past 7 years... it is a thrill to watch him receive the recognition he deserves. Ty's incredible unparalleled talent, along with his great team to support his visions, makes it an honor to be part of his journey." 

We are beyond thrilled to celebrate Ty's successes, and can't wait to see what he drops next! 

Deon "Big D The Impossible" Evans Passes Away at age 45

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our client and friend, multi-platinum hip hop producer Deon "Big D The Impossible" Evans. He passed away on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 45. In recent years, Deon struggled to maintain his health after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2005. 

Big D Evans was widely known and recognized for his legendary work with Tupac Shakur producing the rapper's biggest hit records, including: "Brenda's Got a Baby," "Changes,", "N.I.G.G.A," "Crooked Nigga Too," "Ghetto Gospel," "If My Homie's Call," "Don't U Trust Me?," "Resist the Temptation," "Dopefiend's Diner," and "Papa'z Song," among others.

Big D Evans also played an instrumental role in assisting Tupac's mother and estate in releasing Tupac's posthumous best-selling multi-platinum album: Tupac's Greatest Hits which sold over 11 million copies worldwide, remaining the best-selling rap greatest hits album of all time. Evans also produced on both albums released by Tupac during his life, including 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.

Big D Evans got his start producing artists such as the critically acclaimed group, Digital Underground and Hollywood Records pop group, Youngstown. In later years was regular collaborator of Ne-Yo (Shaffer Smith), whom Evans gave the name "Ne-Yo" to as his professional moniker. 

His longtime Los Angeles entertainment attorney, Helen Yu of Yu Leseberg, said: 

With the passing of Big D Evans and along with Tupac, hip hop royalty has lost two of its members. These guys put Oakland and the Bay Area sound on the map worldwide and changed popular culture forever. Deon Evans was one of the kindest and gentlest souls I've had pleasure of representing. Having fought hard through all of his medical issues and other hardships, Deon truly epitomized the spirit of hip hop... battling to overcome the struggle. He is dearly missed. 

Deon is survived by his sons Akira and Kai, his twin sister DeAnn, his brothers James and Steven, and his mother Caroline.

Joan Sebastian, 1951-2015

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our client and friend, the enormously talented performer, songwriter and artist Joan Sebastian. The most awarded Mexican performer in Grammy history, his remarkable 38-year career was highlighted with five Grammy Awards, and seven Latin Grammy honors. 

At my first client office meeting with Joan, we had lunch in Century City near my old offices. During that lunch I learned how powerful and culturally impactful Joan Sebastian and his music were: By the end of our hour-long meal, virtually every employee in the restaurant had come by our table to pay homage to the much-loved icon.

I will never forget the first time I saw him perform. Although all of his lyrics were entirely in Spanish (and my Spanish is mediocre), his songs required no interpretation. The depth, feeling, and emotion conveyed though his music was understood -- as pure love.

 From Joan's classically handsome face and smile, his gracious charm and mass appeal, Joan was an absolute gentleman and loved working with women (so he told me!) I feel so blessed and privileged that he welcomed me as his lawyer into his inner circle. 

He was a true class act. He leaves behind an incredibly beautiful body of work and a remarkable life story. I salute Joan Sebastian and send my deepest condolences to his wife, children, family and team Tony Navarro, Polo Molina, and Edmundo Monroy. 

Much love,
Helen Yu
 

Yu Leseberg Dominates Charts

Dear Friends, 

It is my pleasure to announce one of our proudest achievements - as noted by Billboard last year, the Yu Leseberg law firm negotiated and lawyered the highest number of charting "singles" on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R & B 100 for a single talent representative than any other law firm in the entertainment industry.  

31 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 & Billboard R & B Hot 100 in 2014! 

From the bottom of our hearts to yours.....we thank you for your continued support and loyalty. It is only through your friendship and partnership we continue transforming dreams into reality. 

Many continued blessings,

Helen Yu

Hollywood Reporter: Don Henley Sues; T. Rex Bangs; Wyclef Jean Wins→

"Rolan Feld, the son of T Rex frontman Marc Bolan, has obtained 144 copyrights connected to the band's songs, including those on the album “Electric Warrior” like "Get It On (Bang A Gong).” In July 2013, Feld sued publisher Westminster Music Ltd. for ownership, on the basis that rights revert to an author’s heirs when the author dies during the initial copyright term. Feld's case then got a big boost when the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year addressed another reversion case — involving the classic film Raging Bull — and limited the application of laches (a defense based upon the prejudicial effect of a plaintiff's delayed filing) in intellectual property cases. The parties then worked out a settlement with the result leading to the return of copyrights to the Feld family. Feld was represented by Helen Yu and other attorneys at ‎Gradstein & Marzano, the same firm that is litigating some of the pre-1972 lawsuits on behalf of the Turtles."

Read the entire article here. 

Hollywood Reporter: Legal Fight Over T. Rex Songs Portends Music Industry Battles→

"Feld is being represented by Helen Yu of Yu Leseberg, who oversees and administers the estate's intellectual property."

Read entire article here. 

The Power of Dance Mixes to Drive Chart Hits

Mariah Carey's long-awaited single "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" featuring Rick Ross and Meek Mill hit #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Play charts (October 23rd). This single was injected with an irresistible club-banging energy by Dutch DJ producer Laidback Luke making his kinetic dance version of the song certified as Mariah's 16th #1 Dance Hit. 

As DJs and mixers are moving from behind the board and into the spotlight, Laidback Luke has become one of his genre's most visible practitioners. 

"Triumphant (Get Em)" extends a celebrated string of hit mixes that includes tracks for artists including Madonna ("Turn on the Radio,"), Steve Aoki & Lil Jon ("Emergency"), Rita Ohra, Subfocus, Tiesto and others. 

For younger audiences, more accustomed to hearing music through a variety of mediums - YouTube, social media, and peer-to-peer sharing - creating an ideal environment for the dance music experience can propel a song into the listener's consciousness.

With his epic "Super You & Me Events," Laidback Luke, who was born in Manila and raised in the Netherlands, has thrown massive parties in locales including Ibiza, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Seattle, where he invites dance music superstars like Chocolate Puma, Afrojack and Calvin Harris as special guests. His "Speak Up" bus tour reached over 125,000 fans, with whom he has communicated in over 100,000 tweets. (A new tour is planned for 2013). 

In 2004, Laidback Luke founded Mixmash Records as a vehicle for his own releases. Eight years later, A-list names such as Tiesto, A-trak, Steve Aoki, Steve Angello, Afrojack, Sidney Samson, Tocadisco, Avicii are all part of Mixmash's imposing catalog of 100+ releases. 

Laidback Luke is managed by well known veteran music manager Olga Heijns, principal of Unmanageable Artists B.V. based in the Netherlands. Olga is known for bringing the careers of several well known DJ's to the next level, including Laidback Luke. His legal counsel is Helen Yu of Yu Leseberg, based in Los Angeles, California. 

Helen notes the increasing influence of dance music on the pop charts.... "When thousands of people are transported by an extended remix in a club or festival setting, it underscores the communal experience the kids want. As Electronic Dance Music (EDM) continues its ever-expansive sphere, dance music is evolving into a dominant and increasingly mainstream force."

THE BILLBOARD Q&A - HELEN YU

HELEN YU: PRINCIPAL, YU LESEBERG; MANAGING MEMBER, NORTH HUDSON MUSIC

The music biz attorney on how artists can avoid getting ripped off by their own managers.

by Phil Gallo

An authority on entertainment business strategies, lawyer Helen Yu is a firm believer in building a strong team with managers, business advisors and others to assist musicians, songwriters and producers.  When she sees a wrong being committed – as occurred when the Black Eyed Peas’ corporation was suspended – she makes it her goal to set a situation straight.

“While deals have gotten better, the same problem persists – artists can be taken advantage of,” Yu says over lunch downstairs from her Century City office in Los Angeles near Beverly Hills.  “Ethics and backbone.  Managers, business managers and lawyers make a commitment to a creator to do what’s in their best interest, but only lawyers are bound by a legal code of ethics.  Keeping that commitment [to point out misdeeds] is hard to do.  But it has to be done.”

Yu represented the Black Eyed Peas when the group sued its longtime business manager, Sean Larkin, for failing to file income tax returns covering the band’s touring operation.  In April, Larkin filed for bankruptcy protection with debts of up to $1 million.

Yu is the managing member of North Hudson Music, a boutique publishing administration company, and a principal at the law firm Yu Leseberg, where her clients include songwriters, producers, musicians and the estate of T-Rex’s Marc Bolan.  She hopes to spread the word among artists that they need to better protect themselves, even as it becomes tougher to keep an eye on every deal.

How did you discover the financial inequities with the Black Eyed Peas?

I was doing a deal for [band guitarist George Pajon] and I needed documents from the business manager, and he failed to provide them to me.  It was a very simple document – the articles of incorporation.  I needed to verify the client’s corporate status, and when I couldn’t get them through the business manager, I had to order them from the state. The state said it was suspended, which means the corporation is invaild.  But there are several reasons a corporation can be invalid and, in their particular case, taxes had not been paid.

This led to lawsuits, the band firing Larkin and coutersuits between you and Larkin, whose suit was tossed before Larkin filed bankruptcy.  Is this kind of negligence commonplace but just doesn’t make it into the news?

I’ve become more conscious of it because I’ve seen it become relevant to my clients.  I would say, without fail, creative clients are in need of guidance when it comes to their business and finances.  They’re prey.  They can be easily exploited by people who don’t have their best interests at heart. 
Even if you’ve been in the business for a long time, it does not mean you know how finances work.  People like Steven Tyler have had a lot of trouble.

It used to be that there would be news of unscrupulous managers running off with a band’smoney – even Mickey Hart’s father ripped off the Grateful Dead.  Are business managers the culprits that musicians need to look out for the most?

When a band picks a business manager, they need to be careful.  They really have to do their homework.  Some business managers are not licensed certified public accountants and their function becomes extremely important in tax situations, especially if you are a touring artist.  You need a CPA.  But I’m not trying to pick at business managers.  I don’t like people who are ethically challenged in any field, whether it’s the dry cleaner or the mechanic who fixes my car.  When you cross a line, I have an issue.  It’s not necessarily a legal issue, but a moral one.

What’s your best advice for a musician or producer or songwriter?

An artist should look at their team the way the United States government works.  There are three branches of government, with a checks and balances system.  The three branches would be analogous to the manager, the business manager and the lawyer.  They can all cross-check and double-check each other: That’s really how to be protected.  But an artist can still get in trouble, because too often there’s a quid pro quo that happens. 

You do a lot of business with songwriters and producers.  Is it any different for them?

The publishing administrator becomes important.  Writers/producers don’t have endorsements or touring income, but they do have publishing and writer royalties, so you have to have a four-member team.

Obviously, the needs of any of these people shift over time.  Is there a barometer for knowing when an artist needs to make a change?

There’s something to be said for loyalty, and for growing with an artist.  When you’re in the trenches and growing as a brand-new artist, there are not many people willing to help.  If someone is willing to help you at that stage and they’re smart, it’s good to be loyal to those people.  But all too often, whenever a client needs a new business manager or a lawyer or a manager, sometimes the other [members of the team] put their head in the sand. 

It seems that it’s too often the artists who put their own heads in the sand, correct?

I had one client say to me, “I knew this guy was a shark, but he was our shark.”  So they knew he was doing things that were unscrupulous, but they thought those things were done to benefit them.  A manager should help artists filter out some of the other people who come in.  It’s basic research.  I had an artist who once went to a lawyer’s office for a 10 a.m. meeting, and the lawyer said, “Hey do you guys want to do shots?,” thinking that this is what the band wanted.  Do you really want an attorney who is doing shots at 10 a.m.?

That sounds like something you would have heard about 20 or 30 years ago.

It’s much less so now than before, but plenty of artists do drugs or drink heavily.  The artist or creative person overspends on partying, so there isn’t much left to pay the bills.  If you don’t have businesspeople with the highest level of ethics, you can easily be victimized.  Predators gain the trust and then start to press the lines.  Once they push that line, maybe they push a bit more.

That seems to be the sort of thing that can happen with more established artists, people like Leonard Cohen or Billy Joel.  You have to wonder if they ever looked at any of their financial statements. 

They don’t.  And even if they did, they wouldn’t know what they are looking at.  These relationships are so close in a lot of instances, the employees can become like family to you.  George Pajon said he couldn’t believe what [Larkin] was doing to him because he gave a toast at the guy’s wedding.  [Artists] don’t want to believe it.  People get comfortable with what they know and they don’t like any disruptions.  Even if they have an instinctual feeling that they need to change, they might bury that instinct and not face the change just so they can remain comfortable. 

Billboard Magazine - July 7, 2012

Huge Congratulations to YG, TY$ & DJ Mustard!

YG and Ty$ are co-writers of the Billboard Hot 100 megahit, "Young & Wild & Free" an anthem of liberation & a flat out good time performed by Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars. The song debuted #1 on iTunes in October 2011 & has been a consistent Billboard Top 10 (currently #7) on the Hot 100. 

"YG," is one of Los Angeles' premier rising hip hop superstars. He is currently on a nationwide tour with "Tyga," bringing his own brand of unique swag to the stage. YG continues to be a tastemaker of the new West Coast sound which is fast becoming a movement. YG was signed to Island Def Jam by well respected music exec, Max Gousse, who has been a supporter since the begining of YG's breakthrough radio hit in 2011 with "Toot It and Boot It." YG is managed by veteran managers Stampede (who also manage Snoop) & published by Rondor Music. His recent single "Snitches Ain't Shit" features Snoop, Nipsey Hussle & Tyga, and followed up with the release of equally edgy "I'm Good" which promises to be a radio fav!

"Ty$" is a much sought after Los Angeles based recording artist and producer, well versed in incorporating his own style of classic melodies and club banging beats. Ty$ says, "Snoop came up with the concept for Young, Wild & Free, which is based on a melody in 'Toot It and Boot It' which Snoop liked to sing to his kids. He was in the studio one night and created this new song, which has been blessing for both YG and I." Ty$ recently signed with Big Jon of EMI Music Publishing. 

DJ Mustard produced this year's mega chart topper "Rack City" by Tyga and audiences can't keep it off their tongues! DJ Mustard, a Los Angeles based producer is quickly making his mark as one of the best new producers in music today. Mustard notes, 'I met Tyga through YG. From there, I made a beat for Rack City on a Wednesday in 10 minutes. Sometimes you know its right especially when it feels right.' DJ Mustard also produced the 2 follow up singles for YG, "Snitches" and "I'm Good."

Helen Yu - "It's exciting to be working with this group of extremely talented artists, producers & writers. It's been a long time since we've seen a group of friends all from the West Coast (specifically LA), who are top notch level creatives such as YG, Ty$, DJ Mustard, Tygaand all their other friends, who are the nucleus of this new West Coast sound and movement. I'm really proud to be working with them."

Music Producer Kenny Oliver ("Audiobot") Making Music for Superbowl XLVI!

With Madonna’s show-stopping half time performance at the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI, which included the party rocking duo LMFAO joining the diva and, to the delight of billions of viewers, inserting “Sexy And I Know It” into her performance….it was quite a thrill for young producer, Kenny Oliver – known as “Audiobot” - who co-produced and wrote “Sexy And I Know It” with LMFAO (Audiobot’s first Billboard Hot 100 #1 song). 

“Sexy And I Know It” had several other Super Bowl plays, as the song was also used by iconic American candy M & M’s in a Super Bowl commercial where a red M & M shedded its shell, gyrating to the track in a prime spot.

Barely a year ago, Audiobot was working on his ProTools rig in his hometown of Riverside, CA, when his friend passed on a remix of LMFAO’s “Party Anthem” to “Redfoo” through Facebook.  From there, it’s been like a “speeding bullet” for Audiobot to music’s inner circle.   He also did the promo remix (which is being offered free for the first million downloads) of Madonna’s brand new single “Give Me All Your Luvin,” which she premiered at her Super Bowl halftime performance.

Audiobot has since co-produced and co-written additional tracks with LMFAO, totaling 5 on the current album.  He has also been working with will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas front man, on his solo project, #willpower,  including co-producing and co-writing the first single, “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” featuring guests Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger. 

Entertainment attorney, Helen Yu, Esq. who represents Audiobot says, “I love Audiobot’s story.  Truly a modern day testament to social networks on line ‘connecting’ people rather than disconnecting.  Kenny’s talent, drive and creative ability are clearly pointed at Kenny becoming one of music elite’s new hit making music producers.  With DJ culture quickly growing in the United States, the sky’s the limit for Audiobot.”  

Television audiences will also note Latin music superstar, Ricky Martin performing a bilingual version of “Sexy and I Know It” when guesting as a Spanish teacher on the hit television show “Glee.”