Brian Smith is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where he currently practices in the firm’s Corporate Department.
Brian received his law degree from UCLA School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the UCLA Law Review and advised filmmakers as part of the Documentary Film Legal Clinic. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tufts University. Prior to law school, Brian worked as a producer of Broadway shows, winning a Tony Award in 2013, and also as a writer and producer of independent films.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was an associate in the Corporate Department of Paul Hastings LLP with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures involving entertainment companies and talent representation across film, television, theater and music.
Representative Experience :
- RedBird Capital Partners, with respect to entertainment matters, in a number of significant transactions, including:
- RedBird IMI’s $1.45 billion acquisition of All3Media, the largest independent television production company in the UK.
- RedBird IMI’s investment in scripted production studio Media Res.
- RedBird Capital Partners investment in Hidden Pigeon Company, a joint venture with children’s book author Mo Willems and Stampede Ventures.
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*HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) in its reported $1 billion acquisition of Ithaca Holdings, a diversified media company founded by Scooter Braun.
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*Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global in their sale of a majority stake in the The CW broadcast network to Nexstar Media Group.
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*Fox Entertainment in its acquisition of MarVista Entertainment, a leading independent producer and worldwide distributor of television movies for over $100 million.
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Universal Pictures in its investments and partnerships with Amblin Partners.
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Main Street Advisors and its portfolio company NTWRK, a digital media and commerce company, in several transactions including NTWRK’s acquisition of the media company Complex Networks from Buzzfeed and Universal Music Group’s investment in NTWRK.
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SC Holdings in the merger of the Major League Pickleball and the Pickleball Professional Association Tour and SC’s concurrent investment in the combined company.
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*The Agency, a California-based global luxury real estate brokerage, in its acquisition of Triplemint, a New York-based online real estate brokerage.
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An international film studio in a talent profit participation dispute and settlement relating to a film produced by the studio that earned over $100 million in box office receipts.
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Veritas Capital and its portfolio company Frontgrade Technologies in Frontgrade’s acquisition of Aethercomm, an aerospace and defense designer and manufacturer.
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*The controlling stockholder of Dole Food Company in the merger of Dole with Europe’s largest fresh produce company, Total Produce, and concurrent initial public offering of the combined company with an approximate value of $2 billion on the New York Stock Exchange.
* Representations prior to Mr. Smith’s association with Gibson Dunn.
Capabilities
- Media, Entertainment, and Technology
- Intellectual Property
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Private Equity
- Royalty Finance
- Sports Law
Credentials
Education:
- University of California, Los Angeles - 2020 Juris Doctor
- Tufts University - 2007 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- California Bar