Ben Ross is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Co-Chair of the firm’s Media, Entertainment & Technology Practice Group.  He advises companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and high net-worth individuals in mergers and acquisitions, equity investments, joint ventures, restructuring transactions and general commercial agreements.  Ben works with clients in a broad array of industries, and has extensive experience working with media, entertainment and technology companies.

Recognized for regularly handling corporate transactions in the technology, media and entertainment industry, Ben was recently named to Lawdragon’s guide for the top 500 Leading Dealmakers in 2021.  He was also named as an Up and Coming lawyer by Chambers USA, a publication that ranks top lawyers and law firms across the US.   Since 2013, Ben has been named one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars” or a “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine and Southern California Super Lawyers – Rising Stars Edition.  On multiple occasions, Variety has named Ben on its Legal Impact Report and on its Dealmakers Impact Report, which profiles the entertainment industry’s top attorneys, executives, managers, and financiers.  Ben has also been named on The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list, which features 100 of the most influential entertainment attorneys in the industry.  Ben has also been ranked as a “Next Generation Lawyer” by Legal 500 for Media and Entertainment.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Ben clerked for Chancellor William B. Chandler III, of the Delaware Court of Chancery.  Ben received his law degree from New York University School of Law in 2004, where he received the Vanderbilt Medal and the President’s Service Award for achievements and public service.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude.

Selected Transactions

• Candle Media, a Blackstone-backed media company led by Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, in several transactions including:
  • its acquisition of Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s production company
  • its investment in Westbrook Inc., Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s production company
  • its acquisition of The Home Edit, the producers of the eponymous household organizing television show and brand
  • its acquisition of Faraway Road Productions, the company behind the TV series “Fauda” and “Hit & Run”
  • its acquisition of socially progressive media company ATTN:
• Save Live in its investments from Shamrock Capital and other investors, to be used to fund acquisitions of small-capacity live music/entertainment venues
• Jen Atkin, celebrity hairstylist, in the sale of her haircare brand, Ouai, to Procter & Gamble
• Fandango Media in its acquisition of Vudu from Walmart
• Universal Pictures in its investments and partnerships with:
  • Amblin Partners
  • Will Packer Productions
  • Blumhouse Productions
• WndrCo in:
  • its formation, organization and partnership with investors
  • its investment in Aura, a digital security company, and related roll-up acquisitions
  • its formation of Quibi, a short-form premium content distribution platform, including the raising of $1.75 billion of capital commitments
• Backstage, an online marketplace for talent and content creators, in its sale to Ridgemont Equity Partners
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in its production film financing arrangements with The Seelig Group
• Levity Live, an operator of live comedy venues in the United States, in the sale of a majority ownership stake to AMC Networks
• DZ Bank, the second largest bank in Germany, in its production film financing arrangements with Constantin Film AG
• Oak View Group, an entertainment and sports facility company, in:
  • its redevelopment of KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, which will double the size of the KeyArena and preserve the arena’s historic roof
  • investments by Silver Lake Partners
• Huda Beauty in an investment by TSG Consumer Partners
• The Chernin Group in:
  • the formation of Otter Media, a joint venture with AT&T to acquire, invest in and launch over-the-top video services
  • the sale of Chernin Group’s interest in Otter Media to AT&T
  • its partnership with Providence Equity Partners, Qatar Holding, and other investors
• That’s It Nutrition, maker of ‘That’s It’ fruit bars and other health food products, in an equity investment by Opus Bank
• CBS Corporation, in its investment in and strategic partnership with Kapital Entertainment, a television production company
• Technicolor, in the sale of the movie streaming service M-GO to NBCUniversal
• Otter Media, a joint venture between The Chernin Group and AT&T, in:
  • its acquisition of a majority stake of Fullscreen, a multichannel network
  • its formation and funding of digital studio Gunpowder & Sky
• THQ, a developer and publisher of video games, in the chapter 11 sale of substantially all of its assets to various buyers, including Take-Two Interactive, Sega Corporation, Koch Media and Ubisoft
• Cadence Design Systems in its acquisition of Tensilica, a provider of customizable dataplane processors
• Aurora Capital Partners in:
  • its acquisition of Zywave, a provider of insurance brokerage software solutions
  • its acquisition of Market Track, a provider of marketing and promotions intelligence services
• Nordstrom, Inc. in its acquisition of HauteLook, an online private retailer, and its related spin-off and investment in Sole Society
• Riot Games, a developer and publisher of online video games, in its acquisition by Tencent
• School-Link Technologies, a cafeteria technology services provider, in its acquisition by Heartland Payment Systems
• Ameron International Corporation, a producer of highly engineered infrastructure products, in its acquisition by National Oilwell Varco
• Saban Capital in its acquisition of Paul Frank Industries, an apparel and accessory designer and retailer
• Live Nation Entertainment in its sale of Paciolan, a provider of ticketing software solutions, to Comcast Venues
• Ducommun Incorporated in its acquisition of DynaBil Industries, an aerospace parts manufacturer
• Geolo Capital in its acquisition of Joie de Vivre Hotels, a boutique hotel operating and management company
• Fleetwood Enterprises in the chapter 11 sale of its IT operations to En Pointe Technologies
• Advanced Bionics Corporation in the unwinding of its merger with Boston Scientific Corporation
• Time Warner Cable in its joint bid with Comcast to acquire the assets of Adelphia in a chapter 11 sale
• Acumen Fund in various venture capital investments, including in:
  • Kopa Gas, a Tanzanian-based company bringing efficient liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to low-income households
  • Esoko, a Ghanaian-built technology platform that connects African farmers to markets via mobile phones
  • Husk Power Systems, a provider of renewable energy in India
  • Sanergy, a provider of waste management services in East Africa