May 27, 2026

Power Players: Four Southwestern Alumni Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Legal Elite

Four Southwestern Law School alumni are featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s April 9, 2026, entertainment-law special issue. Jeff Hynick ‘06, Ryan LeVine ‘04, and Michael Mahan ‘07 were named to Hollywood’s 100 Most Powerful Lawyers, the publication’s annual roster of the industry’s top counsel. Concurrently, Tom Hoberman ‘75 was honored among the Legal Legends of 2026, a distinction reserved for those whose career-long contributions have fundamentally shaped the business.

Hynick, a partner at Jackoway Austen, was recognized for his recent work in talent representation. The Hollywood Reporter cited his deals for Nicole Kidman on Practical Magic 2, Discretion, and Scarpetta, and Jenna Ortega’s roles in The Gallerist, J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond, and Klara and the Sun. 

LeVine, also of Jackoway Austen, was recognized for work spanning film, television, and theater. The publication highlighted his representation of Isa Briones in The Pitt and Whitney Peak in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, as well as deals for writer-director JT Mollner, One Piece renegotiations for Iñaki Godoy and Emily Rudd, and Tim Federle’s stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman. 

Mahan, of Peikoff Mahan, was acknowledged for his work with clients including Cynthia Erivo, Sadie Sink, Nick Frost, and Ben Whishaw. Among the matters cited was Mahan’s negotiation of 23 roles for Erivo in a one-woman London production of Dracula. 

Hoberman, a partner at Hansen Jacobson and a member of Southwestern’s Board of Trustees, was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Legal Legends. The publication noted his more than 50-year career representing prominent entertainment clients, including Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Jason Bateman.

The recognitions continue over a decade of sustained acclaim for Southwestern’s entertainment law program in the publication. The Hollywood Reporter has consistently ranked the school among the nation’s elite, placing Southwestern at No. 6 in its 2024 top law schools for entertainment feature and naming it a premier destination to jumpstart a Hollywood legal career.