Entertainment Tax Today: Catalogs, Compensation & Compliance

Shane Nix, a partner in Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s Tax Department and the Entertainment Transactions Practice, counsels companies and individuals on various business transactions, with an emphasis on transactional tax matters relating to the acquisition, disposition, and restructuring of businesses, corporations, and partnerships. Shane’s practice primarily focuses on the entertainment industry and is comprised of a wide array of clients including songwriters, recording artists, record labels, actors, producers, directors, athletes, public personalities, influencers, novelists, comic book creators, and other celebrities. A trusted advisor to the entertainment industry, Shane was named among Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers in 2022-2025; and Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report in 2022 and 2023.

Prior experience in Silicon Valley and a strong understanding of complex copyright and business issues enable him to serve as a bridge for clients between entertainment and technology as the two industries converge.

Shane often acts as general outside tax counsel to business management firms and entertainment law firms, and periodically services as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine teaching entertainment industry taxation.

Bob Jason is an internationally recognized Tax expert who has advised many of the world’s most famous celebrities, as well as businesses from startups to public companies. He has lectured all over the country, including multiple times at Harvard Law School, the USC Tax Institute, and the Cal CPA Entertainment Industry Conference. Bob has also published numerous tax articles that he is pretty sure no one has ever read.

Bob graduated with honors from Harvard College, where he was a math major, and Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Bob has been a member of the Board of Contributing Editors of Entertainment Law & Finance since 1995, and he is also a longtime member of the Motion Picture and Television Tax Institute.

Jonathan Kalinski specializes in both civil and criminal tax controversies as well as sensitive tax matters including disclosures of previously undeclared interests in foreign financial accounts and assets and provides tax advice to taxpayers and their advisors throughout the world.  He handles both Federal and state tax matters involving individuals, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and trusts and estates.

Mr. Kalinski has considerable experience handling complex civil tax examinations, administrative appeals, and tax collection matters.  Prior to joining the firm, he served as a trial attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel litigating Tax Court cases and advising Revenue Agents and Revenue Officers on a variety of complex tax matters.  Jonathan Kalinski also previously served as an Attorney-Adviser to the Honorable Juan F. Vasquez of the United States Tax Court.