Overview
Ken Deutsch is Global Co-Chair of the Entertainment and Media practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Century City office. He represents a broad array of operating entities in the entertainment and media industries, including film and television studios, streaming platforms, and independent media companies, advising on their most significant corporate transactions as well as on a variety of film, television, and other commercial ventures.
Mr. Deutsch also routinely represents financial institutions, investment funds, high-net-worth individuals, and other media and content financiers in evaluating and executing on investment and acquisition opportunities in the entertainment space. He has particular experience in structuring complex equity and debt financings, content funds, and strategic joint venture arrangements.
Mr. Deutsch, who has been referred to as a “Hollywood Heavyweight” by The American Lawyer, is recognized as one of the few Band 1 leading lawyers for Media & Entertainment: Transactional in California by Chambers USA, where clients note that he is a “very well-respected deal maker with great industry understanding and commercial instincts” and is “deeply knowledgeable” with a “fantastic ability to handle complex transactions.” He is also recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” for Media and Entertainment: Transactional by The Legal 500 US and is routinely recognized by a number of industry publications, including Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders,” “Dealmaker Impact Report,” and “Legal Impact Report,” and The Hollywood Report’s “Power Lawyers.”
Recognitions
- Forbes, America’s Top 200 Lawyers List (2024)
- Chambers USA, Band 1, California Media & Entertainment: Transactional (2023-2024)
- Chambers USA, Band 2, California Media & Entertainment: Transactional (2015-2022)
- The Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer, Media and Entertainment: Transactional (2021-2023)
- Variety, Legal Impact Report (2018-2023)
- Variety, Dealmakers Impact Report (2015-2023)
- The Hollywood Reporter, Power Lawyer (2018-2023)
- Super Lawyers, California “Super Lawyer” (2016-2019)
- Super Lawyers, California “Rising Star” (2012-2013)
- Hollywood Law: Up Next, “The Best and Brightest”
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D.
- Columbia University, B.A.
Representations
- Indian Paintbrush owner Steven Rales in the acquisition of SVOD platform and classic film distribution companies, Criterion and Janus Films
- Charles King’s Macro Media in its US$90 million minority equity private placement led by Blackrock Alternatives
- New Republic Pictures in its multi-picture film slate financing deal with Paramount Pictures, providing co-financing for, amongst others, Top Gun: Maverick and various Mission Impossible and Transformers franchise pictures
- A24 Films in its US$225 million equity private placement and various film output deals and joint ventures
- Jon Favreau and his various corporate entities across entertainment projects, real estate, employment, trademark management, and other practice areas
- Content Partners in various film library and other asset acquisitions
- Stampede Entertainment in various joint ventures, including HappyNest, a joint venture with United Talent Agency, and Hidden Pigeon, a joint venture with Redbird Capital and children’s author Mo Willems
- City Hill Arts, a film production company, in its structured equity film fund and single-picture equity financings
- Dans Le Cinema, a private equity investor, as the anchor equity financier in Rob Reiner’s relaunched Castle Rock Entertainment
- Katz Group, an entertainment/sports equity investor, in its oversight and management of its investment in Silver Pictures
- Deviation Games, a video game company run by Call of Duty creator Dave Anthony, in its game development / publishing deal with Sony Playstation
- Leviathan Productions, a film production company, in its formation and equity capitalization
- Keshet Studios in its debt financing for an episodic series produced for AppleTV+
- Hammerstone Studios in its equity investment in a video game company
- Sierra Pictures, a film sales and production company, in its sale to Entertainment One
- Netflix in its acquisition of Millarworld Limited, the comic book publisher behind Kick-Ass, Kingsman and Wanted, in Netflix’s first strategic acquisition
- MGM in structuring its multi-year joint venture with Annapurna Pictures for the domestic distribution of MGM films
- Brad Weston in the formation and capitalization of Makeready, a content production company with backing from Entertainment One and worldwide distribution by Universal Pictures
- Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America, Avengers: Infinity War) in their partnership with China's Huayi Brothers Media Corp. to form film and content company, AGBO
- Verizon Corporate Services Group in connection with its acquisition of equity stakes in AwesomenessTV and Complex Media
- Bank of America in providing revolving, secured senior debt facilities to RatPac Film Fund and WWE Studios
- Univision Communications in the formation and capitalization of the El Rey and Fusion television networks and in the financing and distribution arrangements for the television series From Dusk Till Dawn
- Participant Media in connection with the structuring, formation, and maintenance of its US$250 million leveraged film fund with ImageNation Abu Dhabi
- Spyglass Entertainment in connection with the restructuring of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the structuring and negotiation of its US$400 million leveraged financing of United Artists Entertainment
Matters may have been completed before joining Paul Hastings.