Four DLA Piper lawyers named to Variety's 2021 Dealmakers Impact Report

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Tom Ara, Katherine Imp, Alexander Steinberg and Robert J. Sherman have named to Variety’s 2021 Dealmakers Impact Report in recognition of their contributions to entertainment deal making in 2021.

Ara, co-chair of the firm’s Entertainment Transactions and Entertainment Finance practices; Imp, a Los Angeles-based associate; and Steinberg, a New York-based of counsel, were recognized as a team for their representation of TikTok on the launch of its first-ever non-fungible token (NFT) collection and Coupang Play in a number of streaming distribution initiatives. Variety also highlighted Ara’s role advising ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corp. on its acquisition of Lomotif, a Singapore-based video-sharing social networking platform, among a number of other key transactions.

“When we talk about the metaverse and Web3, I see that as nothing but green fields for entertainment lawyers because everything in the metaverse somebody has to create,” Ara told Variety.

Sherman, co-chair of the firm’s Entertainment Finance practice, was recognized for his representation of Concord Music in multiple high-value financings, as well in its acquisition of Downtown Music’s portfolio of 145,000 owned and co-published music copyrights. Variety also noted Sherman’s representation of HarbourView Equity Partners, a global alternative asset manager focused on investment opportunities in the media and entertainment space, in its recent launch.

DLA Piper's market-leading international team of media, sport and entertainment lawyers, located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, advise on finance, borrowing, investment, M&A and corporate matters as well as development, production and distribution matters across media sectors, including film, TV, music, interactive and new media, staging and exploiting live sports and other events, intellectual property protection and enforcement, regulatory and administrative issues, antitrust and competition law, stadium and arena development and on the resolution of disputes.