Charles W. Hamilton and Scott McDowell
© Nabil Elderkin*As King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano expands its team of transactional music lawyers, the Los Angeles-based firm has added Scott McDowell and Charles Hamilton as partners.
McDowell, who has appeared on Billboard’s list of top music lawyers, joins from Warner Chappell Music, where he was executive vp/head of legal and business affairs. Before that, he was director of legal and business affairs for Warner Records.
The Chicago-Kent College of Law graduate’s client base includes songwriters, recording artists, producers, estates, heirs and boutique music companies.
Hamilton comes to the firm from Saban Music Group, where he was head of business and legal affairs. Prior to Saban, he was senior vp of business and legal affairs at Warner Records, where he negotiated recording agreements, joint venture label deals and brand partnerships.
The Tulane University School of Law graduate is a board member of Redeemed, which pairs creative writers with lawyers to advocate for clemency and records clearance for the formerly incarcerated.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have brought Scott and Charles aboard,” King Holmes managing partner Howard E. King said in a statement. “Their depth in music publishing and recorded music enhances our ability to serve our clients innovatively and with the highest quality. Having them both join us now is an incredible coup.”
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso honored Shyne with a key to the city during a ceremony held at the East Flatbush Young Men’s Mentorship Expo on Saturday. The recognition highlighted both his influence in hip hop and his contributions as a public figure and advocate. Reynoso also declared April 25, 2026 as “Shyne Day” in Brooklyn.
“Shyne embodies what is possible when a community believes in its young people, and the magic that can happen when young people are given the resources they need to thrive. East Flatbush raised Shyne, and it only made sense to present him with the Key to Brooklyn as we team up to deliver hope and opportunity to dozens of young men today,” Reynoso said at the event, as caught by BK Reader.
Shyne also addressed the crowd. “This is the community that raised me, and it’s important for me to pass that love forward,” he said. “There couldn’t be a better way to celebrate this milestone than coming back home and pouring into the next generation.” He also revealed that everyone in attendance would receive complimentary tickets to his 25th anniversary concert on May 2 at the Kings Theatre.
The show will mark 25 years since the release of his self titled debut studio album, which arrived on September 26, 2000. Even while Shyne was incarcerated at the time, the project debuted and reached number five on the Billboard 200 chart. It moved close to 160,000 units in its opening week.
Earlier this week, Shyne posted a video of himself standing outside the Kings Theatre on Instagram while promoting the upcoming performance. "Can’t wait to see you this Saturday, May 2 @kingsbklyn as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Shyne Album…..the celebration will continue @crownhilltheatre where I will meet, take pictures and party with you, my loyal supporters, who’ve made Shyne a Rap Legend," he captioned the post. Fans filled the comments with fire emojis in response.
