David Jacobs
Founding partner
Jacobs Law Group
The Grubman veteran hung out his own shingle in November of 2024 and quickly established himself by closing a blockbuster, reportedly nine-figure label deal for country superstar Zach Bryan. The firm has grown quickly, now with 10 staffers and a roster that also includes Geese and its singer Cameron Winter, Pusha T and Clipse, Young Thug, Lil Nas X, Kali Uchis, Blood Orange and rising stars Ethel Cain, Adela and Jim Legxacy.
What is your proudest accomplishment of the past year?
“Building the kind of firm I wanted to exist in the music business: one that is relentlessly artist-first, taste driven, uncompromising in its integrity, fiercely effective in its advocacy, and genuinely committed to helping move culture forward. Our business can create enormous pressure to prioritize short-term wins over long-term careers. I’m proud that we’ve built a team that believes great artists deserve patience, conviction, and representation that is every bit as ambitious as the art itself.
“On a personal level, as a lifelong New Yorker who grew up obsessed with alternative music, I’m incredibly proud to play a small role in helping Geese and Cameron Winter emerge onto the global stage, one of the most exciting New York stories in a generation. Helping truly original artists that break through without compromising who they are is one of the most rewarding parts of this profession.”
What is the greatest threat to the music industry at the moment?
“It’s easy to say A.I. which, sure, will remain an existential concern forever. But honestly I’m much more concerned with the continued commodification of the art itself and great albums, artists, and careers being reduced into an endless stream of fragmented content optimized as social media fodder for algorithms and short attention spans; it’s brutal. The music industry has always thrived when it invests in vision, originality, and cultural impact. We should be building ecosystems that reward artists for creating meaningful bodies of work, not forcing them to compete in an infinite content cycle. Most of the important music in history would never have survived today’s demand for constant engagement and click bait.”
What can music attorneys do to make the industry, as well as the world, a better place?
“Maintain integrity, particularly when there are incentives not to, and have the courage to think long-term. Great art of any kind rarely develops on an industry’s preferred timeline.
“Music attorneys sit at the intersection of art and commerce, but our job isn’t simply to get transactions done — it’s to help artists build meaningful, sustainable careers and protect the things that make them one of a kind. We’re in the culture business, and if we consistently prioritize culture over commodification, the business tends to take care of itself.
“The greatest careers in music are not built through a single deal. They’re built through hundreds of decisions made with patience, discipline, conviction, and an unwavering belief in the artist.”
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