Ben Ross is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  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 companies in a broad array of industries ranging from consumer products to energy, 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 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.  In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Variety named Ben on its Legal Impact Report, an annual list of the leading attorneys in the entertainment industry.  Ben has also been named to the Variety’s 2019 Dealmakers Impact Report, which profiles the entertainment industry’s top attorneys, executives, managers, and financiers, and to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list, which features 100 of the most influential entertainment attorneys in the industry.  Recently, Ben was ranked as a “Next Generation Lawyer” by Legal 500 for Media and Entertainment.  The honor recognizes “up-and-coming” partners who have demonstrated significant expertise handling complex and notable transactions.

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.

Ben is currently serving a second term on the Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California.

Selected Transactions

• WndrCo in:
  • its formation of NewTV, a short-form premium content distribution platform, including the raising of $1 billion of capital commitments
  • its formation, organization and partnership with investors
• Backstage, an online marketplace for talent and content creators, in its sale to Ridgemont Equity Partners
• Levity Live, an operator of live comedy venues in the United States, in the sale of a majority ownership stake to AMC Networks
• 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
  • an investment 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
• Universal Pictures in its partnership with Blumhouse Productions
• 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, a membership shoe club
• 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-Spectacor
• 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 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