Overview
Sean Monroe is a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Entertainment & Media practices, based in the Century City office of Paul Hastings. Mr. Monroe's experience is in complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity, and corporate finance transactions, including fund formation and investments, portfolio company acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures and restructurings, venture capital and early-stage formation and investment transactions, and executive employment and compensation structures. He has particular expertise in advising entertainment and media clients in all aspects of transactions in these industries, including motion picture financings, television business acquisitions and investments, digital and new media venture formations, and other investment, disposition, and licensing matters involving these businesses.
Mr. Monroe has been recognized as a Hollywood Power Lawyer by The Hollywood Reporter, has been featured in Variety’s Legal Impact Report, and was named among the Top Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
His entertainment and media clients include motion picture and television studios, entertainment finance companies, high-net-worth investors, producers, and executives in the entertainment, media, and sports industries. In addition, he frequently represents producers, financiers, and distributors of digital content, private equity and hedge funds, and early-stage and venture-backed companies and startups. His non-entertainment clients include global financial services providers, mid-stream energy operators, real estate development and acquisition companies, family offices, and investment advisors providing third-party fairness and solvency opinions.
Ancillary to his core practice, Mr. Monroe also has extensive experience with federal and state securities laws and regulations, state corporate laws, and general corporate matters and corporate governance, with related experience in tax, intellectual property, employee benefits, ERISA, environmental, and bankruptcy practice areas.
Recognitions
- Named among the Top Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2020
- Named to Variety’s Legal Impact Report, 2020
- Named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyers list, 2019
- Named a Variety Dealmaker, 2018-2020
- Recognized by The Legal 500 US in the area of Sports, Media, Technology, and Telecoms: Telecoms and Broadcast, 2012, 2019-2020
Education
- Berkeley Law, University of California, J.D., 1996; Articles Editor, California Law Review
- Georgetown University, B.A., 1992
Representations
- Represented The Friedkin Group in its controlling stake acquisition of the professional Italian football club AS Roma
- Advised 30WEST, a leading-edge investment and advisory company focused on film, media, and other areas of popular culture, in its acquisition of majority ownership in NEON, a theatrical marketing and distribution company in the independent film space
- Represented Zenith Energy Terminals in its acquisition of three interconnected terminals in greater Los Angeles from Plains All American Pipeline
- Advised Endeavor in its acquisition of branding and marketing firm 160over90
- Represented Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd. in its purchase of a minority stake in Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Pictures production company
- Co-Counsel to Charles King and MACRO in the launch of MACRO, King’s groundbreaking new media company targeting the multicultural market
- Counsel to Participant Media in numerous M&A transactions involving entertainment and media businesses, including:
- Its acquisition of an equity stake in the Evolution Media Capital Growth Fund sponsored by TPG Growth, the tech-media focused growth equity investment platform of global investment firm TPG
- Its acquisition of Documentary Channel, Inc. and Halogen Networks, and the negotiation of affiliation agreements with DirecTV and DISH Networks
- Its investment in Cineflix Media, a Canadian television production and distribution company
- The sale of its equity position in Summit Entertainment to Lion’s Gate Entertainment
- Advised Shine Limited in (i) its $125 million acquisition of the Reveille independent television production business, (ii) multiple executive employment matters and litigation, and (iii) Shine’s $675 million sale to News Corporation
- Advised Global Icons in its acquisition of iconic L.A. retailer Fred Segal
- Advised Legendary Entertainment in its acquisition of Asylum Entertainment, and in other corporate, refinancing, and M&A matters
- Advised ConAm Management Corporation in the formation of the ConAm Muiltifamily Acquisition Fund, and ConAm’s real-estate joint venture, financing, and property acquisition matters
- Represented Cerberus Capital Management in its investment in Spyglass Entertainment and its subsequent sale to Metro Goldwyn Mayer in a pre-packaged bankruptcy
- Represented Berkeley Valuation Services, Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, Houlihan Lokey and other financial advisors in their role providing fairness and solvency opinions in public and private transactions
- Represented Goldman Sachs in the structuring and closing of its US$7.5 billion flagship private equity fund
- Represented Caltius Private Equity Partners in the sale of the Davexlabs hair-care business to Westview Capital Partners
Engagement & Publications
- Interviewer, NBA Commercial Law Section 34th Annual Corporate Counsel Conference, 2021
- Panelist, "A Year in Review: Amateur and Professional Sports," Sixth Annual Berkeley Law Sports and Entertainment Conference, 2020
- Presenter, "Media, Entertainment and Technology; Los Angeles’ Dynamic Business and Legal Ecosystem," The National Bar Association Corporate Leadership Forum, 2015
- Moderator, "Mergers & Acquisitions: Trends and Developments in 2013" panel, The Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention, 2013
- Co-Author, "Critical Issues in Entertainment M&A Due Diligence," Corporate Counsel, 2013
- Co-Author, "A Vehicle for Doing Good: Will Adopting California’s Flexible Purpose Corporation Offer a Legal Framework for Aligning Business and Social Interests?" Bloomberg Law Reports, 2010
Involvement
- Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary, The Weingart Center, 2016 - present