Alan Epstein is a partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department and chair of the firm’s Entertainment Transactions Practice. Alan focuses on business transactions for public and private companies principally in the entertainment and media industry, including mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, joint ventures, licensing matters and executive compensation. He also represents production companies and studios, celebrities, professional athletes, musicians, content creators, public personalities and influencers in connection with their business activities and transactions.
Experience
- Legal 500 U.S., Recommended Lawyer, Media, Technology and Telecoms - Media and Entertainment: Transactional, 2024
- Chambers USA, Media & Entertainment: Transactional (Band 3), California, 2023-2024
- Best Lawyers in America
- Entertainment Law –Motion Pictures and Television, 2021-2024
- Entertainment Law – Music, 2025
- Super Lawyers, Southern California Super Lawyer, 2015-2023
- Variety
- Dealmakers Impact Report, 2018 - 2023
- Legal Impact Report, 2016 - 2023
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Power Lawyers, 2017 – 2019, 2022-2024
- Power Dealmakers, 2018, 2022, 2023
- Board Member, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- Board Member, Children of Heroes
- Member, Advisory Board, Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology; Sports Law, UCLA School of Law
- Member, Young Presidents' Organization, Angeleno Gold
- Co-Chair and Board Member, Alliance for Children's Rights
- Moderator, “Entertainment Industry Hot Topics,” Tax Institute, USC Gould School of Law (January 22, 2024)
- Panelist, “Anatomy of Sweat Equity Deals,” CalCPA’s Entertainment Industry Conference (June 22, 2023)
Alan advised on the following significant matters:
- Hyphenate Media Group on its investment in GloNation Studios
- Create Music Group, a music and entertainment company, in connection with a $165 million investment by Flexpoint Ford
- REP 1 Football in its sale to Excel Sports Management
- Brillstein Entertainment Partners in its acquisition by Wasserman
- Ryan Reynolds in the sale of Mint Mobile, in connection with T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile and one other brand for up to $1.35 billion
- Plan B Entertainment, the production company founded and led by Brad Pitt, in the sale of a majority stake to Mediawan
- Spyglass Media Group in connection with the 2021 sale of over 200 feature film titles to Lionsgate and the creation of a strategic content partnership.
- Ryan Reynolds’ creative marketing agency Maximum Effort Marketing in connection with the 2021 sale to performance television platform Mountain Digital (MNTN).*
- Ryan Reynolds in connection with the 2020 sale of Aviation Gin to Diageo.*
- Joopiter, Inc., a global digital-first auction house and content platform founded by Pharrell Williams, in connection with seed financing from Lightspeed Venture Partners
- Numerous high profile celebrities, musicians and influencers in connection with complex business transactions, including sweat equity partnerships, brand ambassador and endorsement deals, financing transactions and the launch of consumer facing brands, across a variety of industries including cosmetics/beauty, apparel, distilled spirits and tech platforms.
- Numerous prominent producers and directors of entertainment content in connection with financing transactions and mergers and acquisitions with entertainment studios and streaming platforms.
- Numerous songwriters and musicians in connection with the sale of music publishing catalogs, and companies acquiring music libraries and other intellectual property assets.
- Numerous talent management companies in connection with complex business transactions, including the representation of management and production company 3 Arts Entertainment in the sale of a controlling interest to Lionsgate in 2018.*
*Alan advised on these matters prior to joining Willkie in September 2021.
Credentials
Education
UCLA School of Law, J.D. (Order of the Coif), 1987 University of Wisconsin, BBA, 1982