Once in a lifetime: a mock negotiation of the sale and purchase of a music publishing company

Posted on: 13 February 2015
By: wyattr1
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Filed under: Law and Popular Culture, Uncategorized

An entertainment law ‘dream team’ is to assemble at Westminster Law School on 18 March 2015, to conduct a mock negotiation of the sale and purchase of a music publishing company. All of the participants have worked with each other over many years on transactions totalling billions of dollars, and Westminster Law School is thrilled to be able to host them for this groundbreaking event. The participants are:

Fred Wistow

Fred Wistow is a consultant to and director of several non-profit organizations and a contributing writer to a periodical for therapists. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away he was the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Time Warner’s Music Group.

Fred will be the moderator of the session.

Evan Medow

Evan graduated from UCLA and was admitted to the California and Federal Bars in early 1968. He has represented clients as diverse as Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Music Publishing (now Warner Chappell Music Publishing), Colombia Pictures, Geffen Kaye Music Publishing, and Windswept Pacific Entertainment Co, as well as many successful songwriters, producers and record companies. In 1991, he took a position as the CEO of Windswept Pacific Entertainment Co. and subsequently, its successor entity, Windswept Holdings LLC.

Evan has a dual role in the negotiation as seller and M&A counsel.

Chris Ancliff

Chris Ancliff joined Warner Music Group in 2009 as General Counsel, International, WMG. In this position he has responsibility for all of the Group’s legal and business affairs activities outside the US, working closely with WMG’s recorded music and music publishing affiliates throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Prior to this, he was Vice President at EMI International, rising to the position of General Counsel, EMI Group, in 2007. During his eleven-year tenure at EMI, Ancliff eventually became responsible for all aspects of the company’s legal and business affairs activities including mergers and acquisitions, artist negotiations, litigation and industry issues.

Chris is acting as the buyer in the negotiation.

John Frankenheimer

John T. Frankenheimer’s practice is centred in the entertainment and media industries, with emphasis on both institutional and talent clients. He also represents writers, producers and directors in both film and television, as well as various technology and media companies. Mr Frankenheimer speaks frequently on topics related to entertainment law and has given presentations at numerous universities as well as numerous industry sponsored events and seminars.

John will be acting as the buyer’s M&A counsel.

Charles Bradbrook

Charles Bradbrook has been advising clients in the media and entertainment sector for over 30 years. He is currently a partner in SRLV, a media specialist accountancy practice, prior to this he was a partner in Deloitte. Charles has advised on a number of transactions involving the purchase, sale and restructuring of a wide range of independent recording and publishing companies. This has made him an expert on the issues that affect the owners of those companies both from a commercial and tax perspective.

Charles will be undertaking financial due diligence and providing tax advice where necessary.

Robert Allan

Robert is an Associate Fellow at Westminster Law School and was a partner in the Commercial Group at Simkins LLP. During the first 20 or so years of practice Robert was a music talent lawyer specialising in the negotiation of recording music publishing and management contracts on behalf of his artist clients as well as the internal legal organisation of the bands that he represented. During those years Robert represented many household names, including America, Mike Oldfield, Dire Straits, Wham, The Average White Band and The Scorpions. More recently, Robert’s clients have included EMI (who he represented on a number of transactions including the acquisition of Chrysalis Records), Filmtrax, Virgin Records and Virgin Music Publishing. Robert also worked in connection with the proposed – but ultimately aborted – merger between EMI and Warner Music Group. He represented EMI in respect of many complex corporate issues following the acquisition of Terra Firma by EMI.

Robert will be undertaking copyright and contractual due diligence.

Robert also undertook the enormous task of organising the event, and without him this would never have happened!