Matthew Syrkin is a partner and the global chair of Hughes Hubbard’s Media, Technology and Commercial Transactions Group, and co-chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Group.

Recognized by Chambers, Legal 500, Law360 and other leading publications, Matthew provides strategic business counsel and commercial/corporate transactional support for clients in the technology, media, fintech, entertainment, consumer retail, e-commerce, transportation, gaming and hospitality industries.

Matthew has repeatedly been named by Variety Magazine as one of the top “Elite Dealmakers” and "Impact Lawyers" in the country in the media and technology industry for his work advising industry-leading businesses, including matters for Ernst & Young, Daimler, Bumble, Roku, CBS, The Madison Square Garden Company (NY Knicks and Rangers), WarnerMedia, Infosys, Condé Nast, AMC Networks, HBO Latin America, MGM, EPIX, Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) and John Varvatos Enterprises.

Matthew also specializes in cross-border commercial transactions, with a particular focus on Latin America and East Asia. He holds a degree in East Asian Studies and Languages, and speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. During his significant time abroad in East Asia, he attended the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing and Keio University in Tokyo.

Prior to joining Hughes Hubbard, Matthew worked on technology transactions in the legal departments at Major League Baseball, News Corporation and TiVo, Inc. While at Hughes Hubbard, he was seconded to Viacom to handle interactive entertainment and e-commerce transactions as lead counsel for Viacom affiliate, MTVGames/Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., developer of the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” franchises. In that role, he negotiated complex licensing, manufacturing, payment and technology partnerships with Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony Electronics, Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Matthew is a globally-recognized practitioner and frequent speaker, lecturer and author on the business and legal aspects of disruptive technologies, digital platforms and complex commercial transactions. He has authored books on technology transactions, contributed articles to major publications and been quoted on the front page of the New York Times as an expert on technology law.

A member of the planning committee for the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. since 2007, Matthew has been the keynote speaker at several industry conferences, including the Global Latin America Marketing Summit and DCM East and has both moderated and served on high-profile industry and university panels dealing with OTT television disruption, dynamic advertising solutions, crypto currency, cloud-based entertainment and online payment systems.

Recent Awards and Recognition

Ranked and Awarded, Variety’s “Legal Impact” Report, Variety Magazine, April 2021
Ranked and Awarded, Chambers USA 2020 in New York, Media & Entertainment, Chambers and Partners
Ranked and Awarded, The Legal 500 USA 2020 in New York, Media and Entertainment, Legal 500
Ranked and Awarded, Variety's "Impact Dealmaker" Report, Variety Magazine, December 2020
Ranked and Awarded, Variety's "Legal Impact" Report, Variety Magazine, July 2020
Ranked and Awarded, The Legal 500 USA 2019 in New York, Media and Entertainment, Legal 500
Ranked and Awarded, Chambers USA 2019 in New York, Media & Entertainment, Chambers and Partners
Ranked and Awarded, Variety's “Impact Dealmaker” Report, Variety Magazine, December 2019
Ranked and Awarded, Variety's “Dealmakers Elite New York” Report, Variety Magazine, September 2019
Awarded, "Most Innovative Deal of the Year", The Deal Awards Short List, June 2018
Featured Profile,Law360 - “3 Reasons Attorneys Should Learn a Foreign Language”, Law360, August 2018
Ranked and Awarded, The Legal 500 USA 2018 in New York, Media and Entertainment, Legal 500
Ranked and Awarded, Chambers USA 2018 in New York, Media & Entertainment, Chambers and Partners
Ranked and Awarded, Variety's “Impact Dealmaker” Report, Variety Magazine, September 2017
Ranked and Awarded, The Legal 500 USA 2017 in New York, Media and Entertainment, Legal 500
Ranked and Awarded, Chambers USA 2017 in New York, Media & Entertainment, Chambers and Partners

Areas of Concentration

Information Technology. Information technology products, services, systems, applications, hardware and solution-driven hosting, development, monetization, leasing, support, licensing and distribution arrangements across cloud, virtual, mobile, remote and emerging platforms.
Fintech, Payments and Blockchain. Financial services-driven products, offerings and solution licensing, development and distribution arrangements, including online banking, travel booking, merchant, gateway, settlement, payment and e-commerce solutions (blockchain, distributed ledger, crowd-funded), money wire and funds transfer, point of sale, card industry standards (PCI) and fraud detection solutions and agreements.
Interactive Entertainment, AI and Games. Augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, interactive entertainment, video game, casino and land-based gaming development, e-sports partnerships, brand licensing, publishing, distribution, sales, marketing and merchandising arrangements across mobile, console, online and Smart TV platforms.
Digital TV, Film and Entertainment Content. Film, television, program, event and performance licensing, distribution production, affiliate, carriage and syndication initiatives with cable networks, cable operators, distributors, programmers, MVPDs, wireless carriers, device manufacturers, content aggregators and OTT platform operators.
Outsourcing and Managed Services. Cross-border outsourcing, professional, master and managed service agreements for complex IT (software and platform development, hosting and support), financial, accounting, assurance, advisory, call center, customer support, back office, CRM, product manufacturing and data analytics-based services and platforms.
Advertising Technology and Digital Content Solutions. Advanced digital marketing and “ad tech” solutions, including dynamic ad insertion, automatic content recognition, OEM integrations, video/audio fingerprint, identification and recognition technology, measurement and metadata analytics/metrics, DSP solutions, digital ad purchase, publishing, syndication and distribution arrangements, and traditional and online contest/sweepstakes administration.
IoT, Hardware and Manufacturing. Retail and industrial product and equipment manufacturing, sourcing, distribution, procurement, import/export, logistics, warehousing, storage, packaging, transport, carriage, tracking and shipping transactions, including IoT integrations, next generation technologies, product warranty and safety documentation, instruction and product manuals and legal and regulatory compliance review.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity. Data privacy, IT and cybersecurity matters, including customer data collection, use, processing, transfer and disclosure requirements, alternative data licensing, analytics, monetization, sourcing and warehousing arrangements, internal and consumer-facing privacy policies and regulatory compliance review and diligence.
Retail, Brand and Consumer. Apparel, electronics, home furnishings, food/beverage, books, toys and retail product development, distribution, manufacturing logistics and sales arrangements, brick and mortar store establishment, franchise and trademark licensing, commission, consignment, agent and dealer agreements, product sales and warranty items.
Corporate and Strategic Alliances. Joint ventures, strategic alliances, share and asset transactions, mergers, business combinations, security and credit agreements, co-branding and collaboration agreements, real property/leasing transactions, executive compensation, employment and independent contractor agreements and other corporate arrangements.

Speaking Engagements, Publications and Lectures

Featured Profile, Law360 - "3 Reasons Attorneys Should Learn a Foreign Language", August 2018
Writer, "Drastic Shifts Seen in Endorsement Deals Between Celebrities and Fashion Labels", California Apparel News, February 15, 2018
Speaker, "2018 Latin America Marketing Summit", February 7-8, 2018
Mentioned, "Netflix's First Acquisition: 'Kingsman' Comics Publisher", Hollywood Reporter, August 2017
Mentioned, "Netflix's First Acquisition: Boosts Comics Portfolio", The Deal, August 2017, and "Netflix’s First Acquisition: Boosts Comics Portfolio", Amazon News, August 2017
Mentioned (Espanol), "Netflix cierra su primera compra: Acuerdo con el editor de cómics Millarworld", The Daily Television, August 2017
Mentioned,"MSG Makes First Outright Acquisition With Entertainment Tech Firm Obscura", TheStreet, November 25, 2017
Author, “U.S. Television on the Internet and the New “MVPDs”, digitalhhr.com, October 2015
Author, “The Streaming Revolution in the Entertainment Industry”, 2015 ed.: International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, IAEL Publishing Company, August 2015
Author, “The Battle for Cloud City: Aereo Continue to Push Disruption to the Supreme Court”, digitalhhr.com, October 2013
Author, “Understanding Developments in Cyberspace Law”, 2013 ed.: Leading Lawyers on Analyzing Recent Trends, Case Laws, and Legal Strategies Affecting the Internet Landscape (Inside the Minds), West Publishing Co, August 2013
Quoted, "Real and Virtual Firearms Nurture a Marketing Link", New York Times (Front Page), December 31, 2012,
Speaker and Moderator, "Television and Disruptive Technologies: Copyright’s New Frontier", Copyright Society of the USA, December 11, 2012, presentation video online
Keynote Speaker, Chair and Moderator, “Microtransactions in Gaming”, DCM East (Gaming Summit), June 2012
Speaker, “Crossing the Digital Border: Exploiting Digital Content and Devices Overseas”, HHR Continuing Legal Education Seminar, May 1, 2012
Author, “Cloud Computing, Digital Lockers and Copyright: The Cloudification of Entertainment”, digitalhhr.com, September 14, 2011
Presenter, “Copyright and Content in the Cloud”, Copyright Society of the U.S.A., September 2011
Speaker, “App-endectomy: Removing the Mystery from the App Ecosystem”, HHR Continuing Legal Education, April 2011
Speaker, “Forecast: Entertainment in the Cloud”, HHR Continuing Legal Education, December 2010
Presenter, “Beg, Borrow, or Steel? Exploring Practical Solutions to the Music Sampling Debate”, Copyright Society of the U.S.A., October 2010
Author, “ivi TV Update: ivi Files Complaint for Declaratory Judgment”, digitalhhr.com, September 2010
Author, “ivi TV: Live Network Television on the Net Without Negotiation?”, digitalhhr.com, September 2010
Speaker, “Whose Data Is It Anyway? Privacy & Data Security in a De-Centralized World”, HHR Continuing Legal Education, September 2010
Panelist, “Internet Rights And Technology: A Practical Legal Guide To Doing Business On The Internet”, New York City Bar, September 2010
Author, “Social Networking Games, Sweepstakes, Promotions and the New Apps: Developing the Fine Line of Legality”, digitalhhr.com, June 2010
Speaker, “TV Everywhere…Is It Everywhere You Want It to Be?”, HHR Continuing Legal Education, March 2010
Author, "United States: Dance Dance Copyright Revolution: Interactive Gaming’s Upcoming Copyright Conundrum", Mondaq, January 2010
Speaker, “Legal, Business & Operational Issues in Interactive Games Initiatives & Transactions”, HHR Continuing Legal Education, September 2009
Author, “Lessons from the NFL: The Importance of Scope and Duration in Drafting Intellectual Property License Grants”, digitalhhr.com, August 2009
Author, “You (Publicly) Play, You Pay: ASCAP After Ringtone Money and the Impact on Your Deals”, digitalhhr.com, June 2009
Author, “In-Game Placement: Guns, Guitars and Gadgets: Think Again Before You Depict Something You Don’t Own or License in Your Video Game”, digitalhhr.com, June 2009
Author, “Note to Digital Content Owners: Time to Master Fair Use”, digitalhhr.com, December 2008
Author, “Copyright Royalty Board Establishes First Time Mechanical Rates for Ringtones and Ad-supported Streaming Music”, digitalhhr.com, November 2008
Author, “Publishers Driving the Copyright Royalty Board Bus (PART II)”, digitalhhr.com, September 2008
Author, "The Current Trends and Challenges for Digital Media in Latin America", Latin Lawyer Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 8, August 2008
Author, “Publishers Driving the Copyright Royalty Board Bus (PART I)”, digitalhhr.com, July 2008
Author, “A Congressional Foray Into the Net Neutrality Debate”, digitalhhr.com, February 2008
Speaker, “Copyright and Patent Drive By”, New York University, Tisch School (Telecommunications Graduate Program), November 2007
Presenter, “Introduction to Music Publishing”, Copyright Society of the U.S.A., October 2007
Presenter, “Secondary Liability in a Perfect 10 World”, Copyright Society of the U.S.A., April 2007