07 May 2026
Barnes & Thornburg Bolsters Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice With Three Partner Hires
"Christina S. Chang, Carron Joan Mitchell and Farrah Usmani have joined Barnes & Thornburg as partners in its Entertainment, Media and Sports practice, working from the Los Angeles and Nashville offices."
Christina S. Chang joins Barnes & Thornburg’s Los Angeles office as a partner, arriving from Nixon Peabody where she was also a partner. Her practice is focused on the creator economy and she advises multi‑hyphenate digital creators, emerging media companies, brands, sports teams, advertising agencies, nonprofits and entrepreneurs on brand development, intellectual property ownership, content monetization and complex commercial partnerships. She was recently recognized in Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2026.
Carron Joan Mitchell joins the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner, also arriving from Nixon Peabody where she served as a partner. Her practice spans entertainment, sports, media, intellectual property and corporate work, with particular depth in the music industry. She represents recording artists, music producers, songwriters, actors, athletes, content creators and entrepreneurs, and regularly advises emerging entertainment platforms and companies, including businesses in short‑form and micro‑drama content. She is a recurring honoree on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list (2022–2025), on Variety’s Legal Impact Report (2022–2025) and was recognized as a Women Behind the Music honoree by ASCAP.
Farrah Usmani joins Barnes & Thornburg’s Nashville office as a partner, having been a partner at Nixon Peabody. Her practice represents performing artists, songwriters, producers, promoters, venues and festivals, and spans recording, publishing, distribution and asset purchase agreements, as well as executive employment and new business formation. She is a Chambers USA‑ranked attorney (2023–2025) and a recurring honoree on Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list (2023–2025), and she speaks regularly at industry conferences including SXSW and the Americana Music Festival.