Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, a partner at Hightower Solicitors and Advocates, has been named by Billboard magazine as one of the world’s most influential music lawyers for 2025.
The accolade highlights Ayinoluwa’s outstanding contributions to music law and his sustained advocacy for the rights of record producers and songwriters.
According to Billboard’s April 2025 edition, Hightower Solicitors, under Ayinoluwa’s leadership, recently brokered a major publishing agreement with Empire Music, a leading international label. The firm also represented Ragee, a prominent Afrobeats producer and co-producer of Chris Brown’s Sensational—a track nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
These achievements, the publication noted, underscore Hightower’s dedication to helping creatives build commercially valuable music catalogues.
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In an interview, Ayinoluwa expressed gratitude for the global recognition “I feel blessed to be acknowledged by Billboard as one of the most important music lawyers globally. I dedicate this honour to my late father, who taught me the discipline to remain committed, introduced me to the legal profession, and supported my passion for music.”
He recounted how his journey into music law began upon noticing the underrepresentation of producers and songwriters in the industry.
“As a young lawyer, I saw an opportunity to make a difference. For the past 13 years, I’ve been committed to advocating for record producers and songwriters. At the time, I was only three years into practice. Recording artistes already had access to legal counsel, while producers and songwriters were often overlooked.”
Ayinoluwa explained that his practice spans a wide range of clients including recording artistes, songwriters, producers, record labels, music investors, and talent managers.
“A key part of building lasting relationships with clients is understanding their vision and their challenges. Once that’s clear, it becomes easier to navigate the legal complexities with them.”
He identified inadequate compensation as one of the major challenges facing Nigerian record producers and songwriters.
“Being featured on this list motivates me to continue doing quality work and advocating for creatives. It also demonstrates that excellence exists in Africa. African lawyers are capable of delivering on a global stage.”
Looking ahead, Ayinoluwa revealed plans to launch a mentorship programme to support and train the next generation of Nigerian entertainment lawyers.
