Entertainment partners James Sammataro and Hans Hertell have jumped from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan to Pryor Cashman in Miami, where they are opening a small office for the firm.

Sammataro was previously managing partner of Stroock's Miami office. Only he and Hertell will work in Pryor Cashman's new Miami office; the firm said it has no immediate plans to add more lawyers or practices there.

A veteran litigator, Sammataro brings 20 years of experience representing Fortune 500 companies, media clients, record labels, music publishers, brands, celebrities and professional sports teams in high-profile disputes involving copyright, trademark, First Amendment, rights-of-publicity, noncompete and anti-SLAPP matters. On the transactional side, he has handled major entertainment deals on behalf of television and radio stations, prominent film companies, esports franchises, and A-list musical artists, and carved a niche as one of the “go to” attorneys for concerts and touring matters.

He will split his time between Los Angeles and Miami and will co-lead Pryor's media and entertainment group along with partner James Janowitz.

Hertell represents media, entertainment and other clients in high-stakes disputes, including with respect to contract and noncompete claims, intellectual property, First Amendment, business torts and related matters. He also handles international disputes in arbitration, with a focus on Latin America. He will deepen Pryor Cashman's entertainment offering with a multilingual capacity focused on Latin music, television, film and the performing arts, the firm said.

Sammataro said he chose to leave Stroock because over the last few years the firm's media practice has been sapped by the departures of veteran partners Sky Moore, who left for Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger, and Matt Thompson, who jumped to Sidley Austin. High-profile talent had been the reason he initially joined Stroock, and the departures dealt a blow to his practice.

“Perception soon becomes reality. We couldn't capture the high-end work anymore,” he said, adding that he left Stroock on amicable terms.

Pryor Cashman, on the other hand, has a media practice firing on all cylinders, he said, noting that the firm is a favorite among A-list celebrities, and Janowitz is a well-known name in the film and television space.

Sammataro and Hertell, a native of Puerto Rico who is fluent in Spanish, represent several Spanish-language media outlets, including Univision and the Spanish Broadcasting System. Pryor Cashman Managing Partner Ronald Shechtman said the firm believes that the two lawyers will enable the firm to expand outside its usual entertainment bases — Los Angeles and New York.

“James and Hans add strength to strength in our already formidable media and entertainment litigation practice,” he said in a statement. “They expand our scope geographically, while at the same time complement our existing services and client base.”

Sammataro said Miami is actually a good media market, and that the legal representation in Miami for that practice area is as good as in New York and Los Angeles, even though the common perception is that it is not up to par. “I've spent my whole career trying to debunk that myth, and having a recognized name in Miami is key for Pryor,” he said.

Laura Besvinick

Since Sammataro and Hertell's departure, Stroock has tapped insurance litigation Laura Besvinick to lead the firm's Miami office. She represents insurers in bad faith actions, complex coverage disputes and consumer class actions. She also advises insurers on claims-handling and bad faith issues.

“Laura is a talented and experienced lawyer whose leadership qualities make her perfectly suited for this role,” said Alan Klinger, Stroock's co-managing partner. “South Florida remains a key hub for our national platform.”

Asked to comment on the departures, Stroock said in a statement: “We're grateful for James's contributions to the firm and wish him the best on a platform that is a better fit for his practice.”

It also said that since 2018, it has added 12 new partners, in areas including real estate, litigation, private funds, and employee benefits and ERISA.