Aliya J. Nelson

Aliya Nelson is a Partner and Co-Chair of Music Transactions and Licensing at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP. She has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of law, business, and the music, entertainment, and media industries, including senior executive roles in marketing, advertising, and sports. Aliya has built her practice on supporting organizations at all stages, from start-ups to large-scale organizations, in navigating complex transactional matters, as well as managing and providing counsel on litigation. Named to Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers list in both 2024 and 2025, she is a recognized legal voice for artists, labels, publishers, and entertainment companies navigating today’s rapidly evolving landscape. 

Aliya’s clients include creators, founders, independent record labels, music publishers, film and TV distribution companies, technology firms, private investment firms, and cannabis companies. She counsels music industry clients, including labels, publishers, and creators, on recording and publishing agreements, licensing, and catalog transactions, and advises a broader range of clients on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity financings. As the industry evolves, she also advises clients on the implications of artificial intelligence for copyright, licensing, and media transactions. She frequently serves as outside general counsel for labels, publishers, and technology companies on matters involving digital audio and digital rights. Prior to joining CDAS, she was a partner at two national law firms. 

Before practicing law full-time, Aliya held senior executive roles, including CEO of a national experiential marketing agency that had partnerships with Disney, Jr. NBA, FIBA, and USA Swimming, and Managing Director of both a multicultural advertising agency and a sports consultancy. 

Aliya served as Adjunct Professor at New York University and The College of New Rochelle, is the former Chair of the Sports, Media and Entertainment Committee of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association, and is a longtime member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association. She was named a Notable Woman in Law by Crain’s in 2022, honored by the Kingsbridge Chapter of the NAACP in 2023, and serves on the Advisory Board of Cardozo School of Law’s Fashion, Arts, Media and Entertainment Law Center. 

She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.