Media & Entertainment: Corporate: New York

THE FIRM The media and entertainment practice at Cravath has been increasingly present on some of the biggest deals in the space. The team is split between London and New York, which allowed it to be perfectly placed to represent BSkyB in connection with News Corporation’s proposal to take it over. The group has an excellent reputation in the film industry for its investment work.

Sources say: "A top-notch firm, working on top-notch deals." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Faiza Saeed is a reputable and esteemed M&A lawyer, with a particular focus on the media space. Dreamworks, Viacom and Time Warner are among clients.

THE FIRM Debevoise & Plimpton houses a widely applauded media and entertainment practice with an international reach.  The team has been active working across a range of industries, including cable, online, and music. It is admired for its corporate prowess, offering advice and representation on M&A, debt restructuring, debt issuance, and societary issues.

Sources say: "We find Debevoise to be a very professional and resourceful group. The team comes with creative solutions and is full of excellent negotiators."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Richard Bohm is recognized for his broad and deep expertise and clients appreciate his creative problem solving and commercial approach. One source stated that "he is intelligent, insightful and honest," adding: "He keeps a steady hand in difficult times."

Michael Gillespie is known for his work with Latin American investors in this field. He recieves praise for his negotiation skills and media industry knowledge. One client acknowledged that "he is very talented, very engaging and knows how to get the job done."

Kevin Schmidt recently assisted GE in the repurchase of a $5.8 billion interest in NBCUniversal. 

THE FIRM This firm represents a broad range of clients across the media and entertainment space. The team handles transactions  in a variety of industries, including television, film, music, theater and publishing. The group gains significant acclaim for its acquisition work and recently represented longstanding client Times Warner its $3 billion acquisition of Insight Communications.

Sources say: "Paul Weiss is very good – among the best for acquisitions."

KEY INDIVIDUALS  Robert Schumer is a corporate lawyer with a focus on media and entertainment. He is deemed "first rate" for his M&A work.

James Schwab heads the media and entertainment group and is named a "confident and solid lawyer." He acted for Apollo Global Management in a leveraged acquisition of CKx, which co-owns the rights to American Idol; the deal was worth $560 million.

THE FIRM Hogan Lovells remains attractive to clients who appreciate its international reach. The media and entertainment team has been advising on a significant amount of international film development, financing and distribution matters. The group continues to undertake a significant amount of work for News Corporation, including advisory work on the majority of its US and cross-border M&A activities.

Sources say: "A very big global practice."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Mark Weinstein remains a reputable and dominant name for tax work. Deemed "a very shrewd tax lawyer," he represents media companies around the world.

Alexander Johnson has recently been advising IGN Entertainment on the acquisition of  the entertainment company UGO.

THE FIRM This group is renowned for its superior and legendary M&A practice. The media and entertainment team primarily advises on transactional matters, but also offers litigation expertise. The firm has covered a broad spectrum over the past year, from content work and distribution deals to working with clients in radio, TV and news gathering. The group has been assisting News Corporation on high-profile matters, including the $11.5 billion aborted acquisition of BSkyB.

Sources say: "They are great." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Lou Kling is a highly respected M&A lawyer with a primary focus on news in the media space. One source noted that "he is very solid and practical."

THE FIRM This group continues to thrive in media and entertainment. The team has been working on high-end deals in the TV sector, where it is increasingly assisting on Latin American deals, such as advising DIRECTV on its purchase of an additional stake in SKY Brazil. It handles a range of work, including cross-border transactions, IP issues and restructurings.

Sources say: "Weil has a nice position in media."

KEY INDIVIDUALS  Howard Chatzinoff is recognized by clients as "easy to deal with, practical and solid." He worked with NBCUniversal on a $37.5 billion joint venture with Comcast for ownership of both the companies' cable channels and regional sports networks.

THE FIRM Baker Botts continues to work on a range of issues for longtime client Liberty Media. The team has found its practice broadening to cover a variety of matters, such as privatization procedure, financings, and patent-related disputes. Other clients include QVC, Mediacom, and Ascent Capital Group.

KEY INDIVIDUALS  Robert Murray is a key contact for corporate media and entertainment work.  

THE FIRM Davis Polk remains at the forefront of corporate matters both across the nation and internationally. The media and entertainment group prides itself on its quality over quantity approach, with a concentrated effort for fewer but more high-profile clients, such as NBCUniversal. The team offers assistance across the spectrum, from M&A and commercial agreements to regulatory and public policy matters.

Sources say: "They do very high-end corporate work." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Caplan is a key contact at the firm.

THE FIRM This 20-strong team is a one-stop shop for a range of clients with media and entertainment corporate needs. It has a bi-coastal reach and vast experience in the TV and film industry. The group was recently retained by Yahoo! in a multimillion-dollar interactive advertising deal with CBS Outdoor.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The team is led by Daniel Schnapp, who is based in New York.

THE FIRM The media and entertainment group at Morgan Lewis has a split focus on M&A and finance. The team is experiencing an increase in work in the private equity space and with growth-stage media technology companies. It is also dealing with a surge in investment in digital media and managing portfolios around that. The firm services an array of industries, including film, television and music.

Sources say: "They are extremely prompt and easy to work with being a large, full-service firm. Not only do they provide legal expertise, but also practical experience and the ability to say how other clients have handled similar issues."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Charles Engros advised Daily Mail & General Trust on the $173 million sale of George Little Management to Providence Equity Partners. One client described him as "a tireless worker who responds extremely quickly with detail and depth," adding: "He always gets to the bottom line."  

THE FIRM Shearman & Sterling assists a wide variety of broadcasting and digital media clients with matters relating to film, music, gaming and internet services. The group receives particular recognition for its work with Viacom, which it recently advised on a $2 billion unsecured revolving credit facility arranged by JPMorgan.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Christa D’Alimonte is a contact partner in the New York office.