Sara Landry’s company sues former management in U.S. trademark case involving her name and Hekate Records

After working with The Night Department since 2023, Sara Landry ended the relationship last year. The split later developed into legal disputes on both sides of the Atlantic. Landry IP LLC has now filed a new lawsuit in the United States against The Night Department and affiliated company Prepare to Flash. The case centers on alleged trademark use involving Sara Landry’s name and Hekate Records.

What Sara Landry’s Company Is Alleging

Landry IP LLC filed the lawsuit on October 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The case names Night Night Ltd, which operates as The Night Department, and Prepare to Flash as defendants. According to the filing, Landry IP LLC owns the trademarks connected to Sara Landry and Hekate Records.

The complaint says the management relationship had ended by late October 2025. It alleges that the defendants continued using the trademarks in music distribution and their management business afterward. Landry IP LLC argues that this could have suggested The Night Department still represented Sara Landry and Hekate Records. The conflict also extended to Hekate Records’ distribution account with Believe, which Prepare to Flash allegedly refused to transfer when Sara Landry’s representatives sought control.

The Dispute Goes Back To Music And Label Ownership

Tensions around ownership had already developed before the U.S. trademark case. According to the complaint, the former management team sought 50% ownership of Sara Landry’s music and 50% ownership of Hekate Records. Her side argues that those interests were sought without appropriate payment and conflicted with her intention to retain control of both.

The Night Department disputes the wider account of the split and says the relevant ownership provisions appeared in the management agreement. Sara Landry’s side has also alleged problems involving communication, touring support and management of Hekate Records. The Night Department has denied doing anything that justified ending the agreement.

The Legal Fight Is Also Playing Out In The UK

Before Landry IP LLC filed the U.S. lawsuit, The Night Department had already taken Sara Landry to court in the UK. Filed in July 2026, that case accuses her of breaching the management agreement by ending the relationship without sufficient grounds. Sara Landry later responded with counterclaims of her own.

The two cases cover different parts of the same dispute. The UK proceedings focus on whether Sara Landry had the right to terminate the management agreement. The U.S. case focuses on alleged trademark use after that relationship ended. Neither court has reached a final judgment.

Sara Landry Puts Artist Ownership At The Center

As the legal fight has developed, Sara Landry has framed the wider issue around an artist’s control over their name, music and career. In a statement reported by Billboard, she said ownership and artists’ rights remain deeply important to her. She also said she intends to continue advocating for artists to control their work.

Through the U.S. lawsuit, Landry IP LLC is seeking to stop the alleged unauthorized trademark use and recover profits or damages connected to it. No specific dollar amount has been disclosed publicly. The dispute is unfolding shortly before Sara Landry releases her second studio album, Divine Intervention, on October 16, placing the legal battle alongside another major period in her career.

Armin van Buuren announces two-day ASOT LA festival for June 2027, marking the first two-day A State of Trance event in the U.S.

For more than 25 years, A State of Trance has grown from Armin van Buuren’s weekly radio show into a global trance platform. Its events now span Europe, Asia and the Americas. Armin van Buuren has now announced its next major chapter in Los Angeles. The city will host the first two-day A State of Trance festival in the United States on June 11 and 12, 2027. The event will bring ASOT back to California on a larger scale, with further festival details still to come.

A State Of Trance Expands In Los Angeles

Armin van Buuren shared the news on October 8 during ASOT LA Unfiltered, an intimate pop-up in Downtown Los Angeles. Organisers invited a small group of attendees to the previously unannounced event. There, Armin van Buuren played a two-hour set before revealing plans for the 2027 festival at ACE*MISSION Studios.

While A State of Trance has held events in California before, including editions in Oakland and Los Angeles, 2027 will mark a first. It will become the first two-day ASOT festival in the United States. The format follows the larger editions already established elsewhere and gives the U.S. event two full festival dates.

A State Of Trance Hotel Joins The Weekend

Alongside the shows at ACE*MISSION Studios, the Los Angeles weekend will also include an A State of Trance Hotel. Previous editions have offered activities around the main festival. These have included pool parties, pre-parties, dedicated hotel events and early access for guests.

A State of Trance has not yet confirmed the exact package or activities planned for Los Angeles. Registration for A State of Trance 2027 tickets and hotel packages is already open. Lineup and further ticket information will follow.

A State Of Trance Celebrates 25 Years

The Los Angeles festival forms part of A State of Trance’s 25th anniversary, adding another major edition to the celebrations. Armin van Buuren launched the weekly radio show in 2001. Over the following two decades, it expanded into compilations, international events and large-scale festivals while remaining closely tied to trance music.

In May 2026, Armin van Buuren released A State of Trance 2026, the 23rd annual installment in the compilation series. The album features three mixes titled Pulse, Frequency and Energy. Artists across the project include Argy, Andrew Bayer, Joris Voorn, Amy Wiles, Farius, KI/KI and Lilly Palmer. ‘Always You’ by Armin van Buuren, Richard Durand and Dicosis also became the official anthem for the 25-year celebrations.

The anniversary celebrations have also extended to Ibiza. A State of Trance began a five-date residency at [UNVRS] in September 2026, running every Monday from September 7 to October 5. Armin van Buuren plays a five-hour extended set on each date alongside invited artists and collaborators. The accompanying A State of Trance, Ibiza 2026 compilation features Andrew Bayer, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Matt Fax, Solarstone, MaRLo, BLR and Richard Durand.

 

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ASOT Continues Into 2027

Before attention turns to Los Angeles, A State of Trance will return to Rotterdam on February 26 and 27, 2027. The event continues the two-day format already established in the Netherlands. Registration for the next Rotterdam edition is already underway as the anniversary celebrations continue into another year.

Four months later, Los Angeles will become the next major stop on the ASOT calendar. Several important details, including the lineup and individual day schedules, have yet to be announced. More information about the A State of Trance Hotel will also follow. Those reveals will complete the picture before the first two-day U.S. ASOT festival begins at ACE*MISSION Studios on June 11 and 12, 2027.

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