Celebrating One Year at Adwar Ivko
Dear Clients and Colleagues,
Happy New Year!
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the merger that created Adwar Ivko, we are filled with gratitude and pride. Over the past year, we’ve worked together to achieve meaningful milestones that reflect the strength of our partnership and the trust our clients have placed in us. None of this would have been possible without your support and our talented team.
As we reflect on 2024, we’re excited to share some of the highlights that have defined this incredible year.
Industry Recognition: Adwar Ivko was recognized as the top firm in Media & Entertainment by Chambers and Partners and ranked in Copyright Law (Tier 3) by Best Lawyers. Polina Ivko and Stephanie Adwar were honored as top lawyers in Entertainment by Super Lawyers.
Client Successes:
Structured the artist-endowed foundations of two renowned artists, securing their legacies and supporting future generations.
Successfully defended multiple museum and collector clients in cultural property repatriation disputes involving objects from Italy, Nepal, Nigeria/Benin City, Korea, Greece, India, Mexico, and more, resolving all matters quietly and amicably to avoid litigation and negative press.
Client Sal Litvak (“The Accidental Talmudist”) published Let My People Laugh: Greatest Jewish Jokes of All Time.
Supported the formation and inaugural operations of Borshch of Art, a charity dedicated to educating the public about American artists of Ukrainian heritage.
Achieved favorable settlements for collectors with prominent auction houses, ensuring positive outcomes while preserving key relationships.
Guided breakout recording artists: Paytra, Fake Dad (2025 SXSW Showcase Artist), and Jess Meilman, (Suki Waterhouse tour, securing sync representation with United Masters, Sony Sync, and Blue Buddha).
Supported Aldís Amah Hamilton’s standout achievements, including starring in Hallmark’s The Christmas Quest, co-writing and starring in Black Sands, and earning BAFTA long-list recognition for her role in Microsoft’s Hellblade II.
Served as production counsel for the award-winning film Sallywood (39 film festival awards) and The Prank, starring Rita Moreno, now streaming.
Secured the dismissal of a client from an ongoing, high-stakes, multi-party arbitration in the music industry, removing them from a complex commercial dispute with millions of dollars at stake.
Achieved high-value settlements in intellectual property disputes and breach of contract cases, including a favorable settlement for an independent record label, a high six figure settlement for the owner of misappropriated intellectual property, and a larger settlement for a NYC art dealer.
Negotiated and drafted numerous agreements and managed clients’ intellectual property.
Expanding Practice Areas: Our beauty and design practices have grown significantly, now representing many influencers, celebrities, publishers, jewelry, fashion, beauty brands, agencies, architects, and design professionals.
Thought Leadership: Polina and Stephanie enjoyed many speaking engagements for Amsterdam Dance Event, American Bar Association, UCLA, Dallas Bar Association, The Price of Business Podcast, University of Texas Law, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and other organizations.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited for what’s to come. Both partners have major cases and deals underway, with more speaking engagements already on the calendar.
We thank our team and you for your continued trust and partnership and look forward to accomplishing even more together in the year ahead.
Warm regards,
Polina & Stephanie
P.S. Please enjoy this hand painted postcard, a modern secular embodiment of a Ukrainian winter decoration traditionally prepared from the fall harvest of wheat and grain stalks which symbolizes the spirit of our ancestors and good fortune for its recipients. This work was prepared for the firm by Mila Knezevic, an American-Serbian artist.