{"id":85914,"date":"2025-04-26T06:12:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T11:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/?p=85914"},"modified":"2025-04-17T17:13:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T22:13:44","slug":"levi-mccathern-top-entertainment-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/levi-mccathern-top-entertainment-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Witness: Entertainment Lawyer Levi McCathern’s Rise to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most people imagine that entertainment lawyers spend their days negotiating recording contracts or reviewing movie deals. But for Dallas-based attorney Levi McCathern<\/a>, the job is much more straightforward: He solves problems. Big ones. The kind that could cost Jerry Jones the entire Dallas Cowboys franchise or that stripped a Heisman Trophy from one of college football\u2019s greatest running backs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\"SUCCESS<\/a>\n\n\n\n

From small-town preacher to big-city lawyer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

McCathern\u2019s path to becoming one of entertainment\u2019s most trusted legal minds started far from the bright lights of Hollywood or the NFL. After growing up in Snyder, Texas, with a preacher father and a teacher mother, he knew his future would involve public speaking<\/a>. \u201cThe only three occupations I could think of that did that were preaching, politics or being an attorney,\u201d McCathern says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a brief stint as a teenage preacher and ruling out politics due to his distaste for politicians, McCathern found his calling<\/a> in law. He completed both his undergraduate degree and law degree at Baylor University before landing at Godwin and Carlton, one of Dallas\u2019s largest firms, in 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case that changed everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

McCathern\u2019s entry into entertainment law came through an unexpected connection with Jerry Jones, Jr., son of the Dallas Cowboys owner. After becoming the youngest partner in his firm\u2019s history, McCathern started his own practice and initially served as local counsel for some Cowboys cases. But everything changed when Jones Sr. faced a potential judgment ranging from $225 million to $675 million\u2014more than the Cowboys were worth at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJerry lost and was very angry at the big national firm,\u201d McCathern recalls. \u201cHe called me and asked me who he should replace them with, and I said, \u2018Me.\u2019\u201d At just 28 years old, McCathern not only reversed the judgment but also secured a $1.6 million return for Jones. He\u2019s been the Cowboys\u2019 go-to attorney ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-stakes problem-solver<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, McCathern describes his practice with one simple phrase: \u201chigh-profile problem-solving.\u201d His client roster reads like a who\u2019s who of entertainment and sports, from singer Chris Brown to NFL star Reggie Bush. Each client comes with unique challenges that require creative solutions beyond traditional legal strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take his work with Chris Brown, for instance. When the singer faced allegations<\/a> about an altercation that followed a concert, McCathern\u2019s approach wasn\u2019t to prepare for a lengthy court battle\u2014it was to find a resolution that protected his client\u2019s interests while avoiding the spotlight of a public trial. Similarly, when band members from Journey needed legal intervention, McCathern\u2019s focus remained on solving the immediate problem rather than prolonging the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of lawyers think that the only solutions to problems are in a courtroom,\u201d McCathern says. While he acknowledges that sometimes the threat of litigation is necessary to encourage reasonable behavior, it often results in a lose-lose for everyone involved. His primary goal is always to find solutions before stepping foot in a courtroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach is particularly effective in the entertainment industry, where time is often as valuable as money to clients. \u201cThey need immediate answers,\u201d McCathern explains. \u201cIt needs to be dealt with right then on an expedited basis and not litigated over for three years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entertainment law difference<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Entertainment law isn\u2019t just about bigger names and higher stakes. McCathern notes that entertainers face more legal touchpoints than almost any other profession. For example, every single time a singer or band appears, there are dozens of contracts to contend with between the venue, other performers and merchandise sellers, to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the things that I think makes me different [from] a lot of attorneys, and what I think all entertainers look for, is kind of a point man,\u201d McCathern explains. \u201cI can direct them to all of the different folks if they have an intellectual property issue about their music. If you\u2019re an athlete [and] you got a personal injury\u2014sports-related or non-sports-related\u2014what are we going to do about that? If you\u2019ve got a litigation because they\u2019re high profile, there\u2019s a lot more fake allegations made against entertainers than against anybody else. And a lawyer can help you not only prepare to avoid those kind of situations but also resolve them when they have them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n