Stephen M. Fronk, Richard S. Petretti, Matthew C. Thompson and Russell (Rusty) G. Weiss were named to Variety’s 2019 “Dealmakers Impact Report.” The annual report spotlights the top lawyers in the entertainment business, including litigators, transactional lawyers cutting the deals that shape Hollywood as well as in-house counsel at agencies, studios, networks and streamers. Sidley’s Media and Entertainment lawyers have been recognized every year since 2016.
Stephen was recognized for his representation of Twitch in its US$90 million licensing deal with Activision Blizzard for worldwide streaming rights of all live matches and related content for Overwatch esports league. Richard received praise for working with banks such as J.P. Morgan and City National to craft deals with “innovative financing structures,” including a nine-figure senior revolving credit facility for an independent production company to finance TV and streaming content. Variety commended Matt for advising key eOne Entertainment management in eOne’s US$4 billion acquisition by Hasbro, while Rusty was lauded for representing Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Creative on its Under Armour campaign.
Sidley has a long tradition of helping media and entertainment clients navigate the legal and business complexities of content creation, aggregation, distribution and disposition. The team’s lawyers are strategically located in industry hubs around the world and assist with a wide range of issues, including M&A transactions, financings and cutting-edge distribution deals, among others.
