Nine Paul Hastings Partners Recognized in 2022 Variety Legal Impact Report

Century City – Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm’s Entertainment and Media practice was recognized for significant contributions to the entertainment industry in the recently released Variety Legal Impact Report.

Nine Paul Hastings partners were profiled in teams that focus on Entertainment and Media talent representation, transactional work, and litigation:

Talent: Erik Hyman and Craig Emanuel

Variety noted Erik Hyman for representing “Wandavision” showrunner-creator Jac Schaeffer in her Marvel Studios deal and Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights”) starring in the latest “Transformers” movie. Craig Emanuel was noted for his representation of mega-producer Ryan Murphy with his overall Netflix deal and Fox Entertainment, and Robert Rodriguez, the writer, director, and producer, in an agreement with Solstice Studios for a project entitled “Hypnotic”  that is now in production starring Ben Affleck and Alice Braga.

Erik Hyman noted that Hollywood always has shifting business models, but is now experiencing change with streaming, social media and podcasting all popping at once.

Transactional: David Hernand, Susan Williams, Mickey Mayerson, and Sean Monroe

Variety noted the firm’s Entertainment and Media Transactional team for several significant industry matters, including:

• David Hernand and Susan Williams representing Fox Entertainment on its purchase of MarVista Entertainment and advising South Korea’s HYBE investing in Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings
• David Hernand representing Morgan Stanley and LionTree on MGM Studios’ $8.45 billion sale
• Susan Williams representing MidCap Financial in a loan to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSSE), a publicly held entertainment production and distribution company
• Mickey Mayerson representing Indian Paintbrush in its recently concluded production agreement with Netflix for Wes Anderson’s latest picture Henry Sugar
• Sean Monroe representing AT&T and WarnerMedia on the sale of TMZ

Content production “makes Hollywood very attractive for financing,” said Susan Williams. “It’s a tremendous wave of opportunity” for financiers.

Litigation: Steven Marenberg, Tamerlin Godley, and Bo Pearl

Variety noted that Paul Hastings’ trio of Entertainment and Media litigators represent major studios and clients in some of the industry’s most notable lawsuits and investigations. Steven Marenberg was noted for representing ABC Television and Disney over challenges to their COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and for advising Pixar over defense of fraud and breach of contract claims regarding “Onward.” Tamerlin Godley was noted for having represented Warner- Media in the second phase investigation of the alleged misconduct on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Bo Pearl was noted as a “go-to First Amendment attorney,” having led a team that advised Activision in defamation-related lawsuits and with Steve Marenberg managed a team that gained a full dismissal of antitrust claims relating to the Steam videogame platform.

“Our practices overlap and then we all have areas of emphasis,” said Steven Marenberg. “The three of us have a lot of knowledge together and when cases come in we think about how to handle them and collaborate.”

Paul Hastings’ Entertainment and Media practice is recognized as among the most notable in the market by Chambers and Partners and is routinely lauded as among the most influential in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Paul Hastings initially established its U.S.-based Entertainment and Media Transactional practice in 2018. In 2020, the firm launched its Entertainment and Media Litigation practice, further expanding the range of counsel and services the firm provides to clients across the industry.

Based in Century City, the firm’s interdisciplinary team is at the forefront of the market, with savvy, deeply experienced advisors who work closely with clients to develop innovative solutions for financing, corporate, capital, employment, and distribution and cross-border transaction matters. Paul Hastings also provides a full breadth of talent representation in film, television, and digital media. With entertainment and media industries undergoing rapid transformation as new entrants and disrupters upend the traditional business landscape, our practices focus on the unique issues surrounding the intersection of new technologies and entertainment.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.