Entertainment Finance

Music Industry Finance

We play a pivotal role in some of the most significant transactions in the music industry, including music catalog and record label financings, as well as music fund financing. We proudly represent leading agent banks in syndicated lending to music companies and were pioneers of the royalty advance loan—a groundbreaking financing product now widely used throughout the industry. Our team’s work has earned recognition from prestigious outlets such as Billboard, and we routinely handle deals ranging from $20 million to $600 million. Additionally, our attorneys possess a nuanced understanding of streaming royalties, copyright monetization, and mechanical rights, keeping our clients at the forefront of a rapidly evolving sector.

Television and Film Finance

Our attorneys have extensive experience in financing across the television and motion picture industries. We collaborate with some of the most active agent banks in syndicated financing, representing clients involved in film production, distribution, and TV content acquisition. We also advise financial institutions, private equity debt funds, and investors on complex, cross-border television and film transactions. From content financing for major studios, networks, and streaming platforms to structuring sports media rights deals, our team has the expertise to navigate the complexities of today’s entertainment finance landscape.

Intellectual Property (IP) Expertise

Integral to our practice is a robust understanding of intellectual property principles, especially as they relate to financing and acquisition deals in the entertainment industry. Our attorneys are adept in copyright law, IP-backed collateral, and royalty streams—all essential for structuring successful entertainment finance transactions. We offer counsel on IP enforcement, ownership issues, valuation, and monetization, ensuring our clients can leverage their intellectual property assets effectively while managing risk.

Our depth of experience and forward-thinking approach to media finance continue to attract clients from around the world, navigating the complexities of today’s ever-evolving media landscape. From acquisition and workout strategies to sophisticated financing structures, we are trusted advisors on some of the most pivotal entertainment deals globally.

Representative Work

• Advised a leading financial institution in connection with the financing of the acquisition of a major independent music catalog by a joint venture involving one of the world’s largest music companies and a private investment firm. The US$240 million transaction involved committed financing to support both majority and minority ownership interests in the target music rights portfolio
• Represented a national bank in a US$450 million revolving credit facility that enhanced a global music rights management company's ability to acquire and manage music copyrights and expand its catalog
• Advised a bank syndicate, led by a major financial institution, in a US$500 million debt refinancing transaction for a prominent music and entertainment group, supporting its ongoing growth and investment strategy
• Represented a global bank in a US$500 million credit facility to support an international music services company’s expansion of its artist advance and financing capabilities, further strengthening its position in the independent music sector
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$600 million production loan facility for a motion picture studio
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$300 million term and revolving credit facility for a film and television distributor
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$75 million revolving credit facility for a music performing rights organization
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$260 million syndicated multicurrency senior secured bank credit facility and intercreditor agreement for companion public note transaction. Borrower was a motion picture production company
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$750 million syndicated senior secured credit facility for a music publisher and owner of record labels
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a distressed US$325 million syndicated senior secured credit facility for a US-European motion picture production company and the ensuing foreign insolvency
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$550 million term loan and revolving credit facility to a music publisher
• Represented agent bank and lead lender in a US$185 million syndicated senior secured revolving credit facility to purchase movie rights from a motion picture production company in bankruptcy.
• Represented a private equity firm in a variety of bids and completed acquisition of motion picture and television assets
• Represented a specialist private equity fund in multiple acquisitions of libraries of music copyrights in the US and abroad
• Represented a private equity debt fund in multiple music financings
• Represented music rights owners in multiple music securitizations

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