Power Lawyers 2012

Elkin rocked the industry by winning a July 11 ruling denying an injunction against Barry Diller's TV-streaming service Aereo that had been sought by the major TV broadcasters. And it's not the first time he has stuck it to the entertainment industry: He defeated the RIAA in a 2010 suit brought against Launch Media over whether the Internet radio service needed licenses from labels and repped video-sharing site Veoh in its 2011 win over Universal Music Group on charges of copyright infringement. "We seem to be in the vanguard of the court's decisions between Hollywood and digital media companies," says the married father of three daughters, who splits his time between Manhattan and Hermosa Beach.

➻ My legal philosophy After 20 years representing studios, record labels and artists, 10 years ago he switched sides. "I thought I could be useful to Silicon Valley, educating them about the needs of the content community. Each side needs each other."

LIST: THR's Power Lawyers 2012

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