Ari Lanin is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Century City office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Private Equity practice group.  He advises companies and private equity firms across a wide range of industries, focusing on public and private merger transactions, stock and asset sales, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, and public and private (including Rule144A) capital-raising transactions.  Mr. Lanin also advises public companies with respect to securities regulation and corporate governance matters, including periodic reporting and disclosure matters, Section 16, Rule 144, insider trading and the implementation of Rule 10b5-1(c) plans.

Mr. Lanin is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets, Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance, and Media, Entertainment and Technology practice groups.

Recently, the Los Angeles Business Journal named Mr. Lanin as one of its “Leaders of Influence” for Private Equity. Mr. Lanin was also named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2019 and 2020 LA500 list. The LA500 lists the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles. Mr. Lanin was also named to the Daily Journal’s 2018 list of the ‘Top 100 Lawyers in California.’ From 2016 to 2020,  he was ranked by Chambers USA in the category of Corporate/M&A: Private Equity, where clients described him as “an emerging presence in the private equity market,” “outstanding from a technology perspective” and noted he “sees all the angles of risk and opportunity.”  Variety named Mr. Lanin to its Dealmakers Impact Report in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Variety also named him to its 2017, 2018 and 2019 Legal Impact Report, an annual list of the leading attorneys in the entertainment industry, and its “Hollywood’s New Leaders” list in 2012.  The Hollywood Reporter named Mr. Lanin to its 2017 Power Lawyers List, which features 100 of the entertainment industry’s most powerful attorneys.

Representative Transactions – Mergers and Acquisitions

• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition and subsequent disposition of DuBois Chemicals, Inc.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition and subsequent disposition of Industrial Container Services, LLC.
• WndrCo, LLC.  Organization and partnership with investors.
• Platinum Equity.  Acquisition and subsequent disposition of NILCO.
• Platinum Equity.  Acquisition of Interior Logic Group and Criterion Brock.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition of Pace Analytical Services.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition of Restaurant Technologies, Inc.
• Korn Ferry International.  Acquisition of Hay Group.
• The Chernin Group.  Partnership with KKR in CA Media and creation of Emerald Media.
• Otter Media.  Acquisition of a majority stake in Fullscreen, a multichannel network.
• RecoverCare, LLC.  Merger of RecoverCare, LLC and Joerns Healthcare, LLC.
• The Chernin Group.  Joint venture with AT&T to acquire, invest and launch online video businesses.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition of National Technical Systems, Inc.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition of Zywave, Inc.’s insurance division.
• Platinum Equity and The Gores Group.  Acquisition and subsequent disposition of Alliance Entertainment.
• The Chernin Group.  Partnership with an investor group including Providence Equity Partners and Qatar Holding LLC.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition of Market Track, LLC.
• Aurora Capital Group.  Acquisition and subsequent merger of RecoverCare, LLC and MedaSTAT, LLC.
• Bionics Trust.  Buyout of contingent consideration relating to merger agreement with Boston Scientific Corporation for $1.15 billion and related asset dispositions.
• K&F Industries Inc.  Sale to Meggitt-USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Meggitt PLC, for approximately $1.8 billion.
• Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.  Acquisition of Silvue Technologies Group, Inc.
• Infineon Technologies AG.  Acquisition of Primarion, Inc.
• Goldman, Sachs & Company.  As financial advisor to Genesis Microchip, in the sale of Genesis Microchip Inc. to STMicroelectronics for a total equity value of approximately $336 million.
• Korn/Ferry International.  Acquisition of Lominger Limited, Inc., Lominger Consulting and related intellectual property.
• IAC/InteractiveCorp.  Joint venture with Dow Jones to offer personal finance related web services.
• Hollywood Entertainment Corporation.  Advised the Special Committee of the Board of Directors in the sale of Hollywood Entertainment Corporation to Movie Gallery, Inc. for approximately $1.25 billion.  Advised the Special Committee in connection with the successful defense against a hostile takeover attempt by Blockbuster Inc.
• Helix Medical Inc.  Sale to Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership.
• PictureArts Corporation.  Sale to Jupitermedia.

Representative Transactions – Capital Markets

• Represented Barclays Capital as sole underwriter in connection with MGM Resorts International’s $512 million common stock offering and Tracinda Corporation’s $348 million secondary common stock offering.
• Represented Douglas Dynamics, Inc. in its initial public offering.
• Represented AECOM Technology Corporation in an at-the-market equity offering of up to four million shares of common stock.
• Represented Banc of America Securities LLC as lead underwriter in connection with a $750 million 13.00% senior secured notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. as lead underwriter in connection with a $750 million 7.50% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented Barclays Capital Inc. as lead underwriter in connection with a $750 million 7.625% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented Banc of America Securities LLC as lead underwriter in connection with a $250 million 6.875% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented American Tire Distributors Holdings, Inc. in its debt exchange offer and resale.
• Represented Deutsche Bank Securities as lead underwriter in connection with a $300 million 5.875% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented JPMorgan as lead underwriter in connection with a $450 million 5.875% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.
• Represented Morgan Stanley as lead underwriter in connection with a $450 million 5.875% senior notes offering by MGM Resorts International.

Additional Representations – Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance

• Korn/Ferry International
• Intel Corporation
• Mondelez International, Inc.
• Shea Homes
• Herbalife Ltd.
• Fluor Corporation

Publications

Mr. Lanin has authored publications and client memoranda on a variety of securities law and mergers and acquisitions related matters.

• “Equity Repurchase Provisions, Good Faith and Fiduciary Duties”, published in the Delaware Business Court Insider
• “SEC Staff Issues Updated Interpretive Guidance on Rule 10b5-1 Plans”
• “Mandatory Electronic Filing and Other Changes to Form D”
• “Chapter 14: Roles and Responsibilities of Non-Board Participants in Corporate Governance” in Corporate Governance: Law and Practice Treatise, LexisNexis/Matthew Bender Treatise
• “Cashing Out Company Stock Options in M&A Transactions,” December 2007 edition of Financier Worldwide magazine
• “Planning for Electronic Filing and Website Posting of Section 16(a) Reports”
• “SEC Requires Electronic Filing of Section 16(a) Reports”
• “SEC Proposes Rules Implementing Provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Requiring Companies to Reconcile Non-GAAP Financial Information, File Earnings Announcements and Releases on Form 8-K, Disclose Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements, Contingent Liabilities in Management’s Discussion and Analysis, and Prohibit Issuers, Directors and Officers from Trading During Pension Fund Blackout Periods”

Education

Mr. Lanin received his law degree in 2000 from the University of Southern California Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as a member of the Southern California Law Review.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, with a minor in music, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Brandeis University in 1997.