Sidley Represents Dwayne Johnson in Securing a TKO Group Board Seat and Gaining Full Ownership of “The Rock” Trademark

Sidley represented Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in joining the TKO Group board — the publicly traded company comprised of the WWE and the UFC — and entering into an overall agreement under which, among other things, Johnson gained full ownership of “The Rock” trademark, which had previously been owned by WWE. The name “The Rock” is derived from his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who was the first Black champion in WWE history.

The Sidley team was led by Entertainment, Sports and Media (ESM) co-chair Matt Thompson, and included partners Emily Zipperstein (ESM/M&A) and Vijay Sekhon (Private Equity), along with senior managing associate Felipe Ruiz Ricagni (ESM/M&A) and managing associate Tracy Smith (ESM/M&A).