December 15, 2023
Four Willkie partners have been recognized among Variety’s “Dealmakers of 2023” for successfully guiding several of the entertainment industry’s notable transactions.
A multidisciplinary team of four transactional lawyers in Willkie’s Los Angeles office have been named to Variety’s list of the top attorneys and executives who helped drive the year’s most significant deals:
- Alan Epstein, Chair of the Entertainment Transactions Practice
- Sid Fohrman, Chair of the Music and Digital Media Practice
- Shane Nix, partner in the Tax Department and the Entertainment Transactions Practice
- Caleb Vesey, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department
They are among the dealmakers selected for their proven ability “to negotiate the partnerships, create the wealth and harness the synergies necessary for the industry to overcome whatever economic challenges lie ahead.”
The publication noted the team’s busy year handling deals for powerhouse production companies, A-list actors and iconic recording artists, among others. Variety highlighted their work representing Brillstein Entertainment Partners in its acquisition by Wasserman Media Group, Ryan Reynolds in the sale of Mint Mobile to T-Mobile, and Plan B Entertainment, the production company founded by Brad Pitt, in the sale of a majority stake to Mediawan. It also highlighted the team’s role advising former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung and the estate of Joe Cocker in the respective sales of their music catalogs.
In addition, Andrew Kramer, Chair of Willkie’s Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Finance practice group, was quoted in an accompanying article in Variety about the current dynamics of the streaming industry and emerging dealmaking trends.
View the Willkie team’s profile in Variety’s “Dealmakers of 2023” here.
