Overview
David Sunkin is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm's Century City office.
Areas of Practice
David practices general corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, SEC related matters and frequently advises boards on corporate governance. He advises clients ranging from start-ups to large public companies, including representing purchasers, sellers, and financial advisors in various public and private transactions.
As Co-Leader of the firm’s Sports Industry Team, David has extensive experience in representing clients involved in all aspects of sports related matters. David represents owners of sports franchises, including owners of MLB and NFL teams in various transactional matters that include the sale of controlling and noncontrolling ownership interests. David also represents clients involved in providing venues for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games such as UCLA, USC and the City of Pasadena/Rose Bowl Operating Company. David represents the Rose Bowl Operating Company in its venue use agreements with UCLA to host UCLA football games and The Tournament of Roses to host the annual Rose Bowl Game and CFP Playoff Games, as well as assisting the Rose Bowl Operating Company with its media rights deal with IMG College and its multiyear agreement with AEG Live to host the Arroyo Seco Music and Arts Festival and related festivals and special events that occur at The Rose Bowl Stadium. David also represents various clients in their media rights, branding and sponsorship deals.
Before joining Sheppard Mullin and for 10 years, David was vice president and general counsel of a publicly traded national automotive service retailer, where he was responsible for all of the company's legal and business affairs, strategic planning and acquisitions and divestitures. In light of this experience, David acts as outside general counsel to many of his clients in a wide variety of industries.
Experience
Experience
Representative Transactions
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Represented Relativity Media and its affiliates in a variety of domestic and international debt and equity financings.
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Represented Relativity Media in separate joint venture transactions with B4U, a leading Bollywood film and television network, and EuropaCorp Films USA, Inc.
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Represented a shareholder in the redemption of her shares in The McGraw Company and Western Service Co.
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Represented Douglas Steel Supply Company in the sale and leaseback of real property and the acquisition of all of the outstanding capital stock of H&R Sales, Inc.
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Represented Morley Builders, Inc. in the repurchase of shares of its common stock from its majority shareholders.
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Represented Relativity Sports in their acquisition of a professional sports management agency.
- Represented Bio Cybernetics International, Inc. in its sale to Ottobock Healthcare North America, Inc.
- Represented the successful bidder of the assets of Syntax-Brillian (Olevia brand electronics) in Delaware Bankruptcy Court.
- Represented The Viamedia Group of Companies in its sale to Lake Capital Partners.
- Represented the City of Pasadena/The Rose Bowl in the negotiations of long term revenue contracts with the Regents of the University of California and the Tournament of Roses, and the media rights agreement with IMG/Legends in support of the City's 2010 $156 million bond offering, as well as in its follow-on $30 million private bond offering in 2013.
- Represented the LA Marathon in its sponsorship and strategic partnerships.
- Represented an investor group in the acquisition of the assets of Golf Gear International in Nevada Bankruptcy Court.
- Represented ARTISTdirect, Inc.(OTC: ARTD) in its acquisition of MediaDefender, Inc.
- Represented Ventura Distribution, Inc. in its Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors and the sale of substantially all of its assets to First Look Studios.
- Represented Ashley Furniture in its acquisition of Furniture Home Stores in Southern California.
- Represented Arrowhead Brass & Plumbing, LLC and Alhambra Ave. Real Estate, LLC in the purchase of assets from California Assignment, LLC.
- Represented Bio Cybernetics International in the sale of its military division to Pyng Medical.
- Represented Vision Capital Advisors as the lead investor in a PIPE investment in BPO Management Services, Inc. (OTCBB:BPOM.OB).
- Represented the seller (former Chairman and CEO) in the sale of 10% of the common stock in Obagi Medical Products, Inc. (NASDAQ) to Fundamental Investment Group, a fund managed by UBS AG.
- Represented Earl Scheib, Inc. in its merger with Kelly Capital.
- Represented Earl Scheib, Inc. in the acquisition of certain assets of ElectroBake Enterprises of Florida.
- Represented Innovative Micro Technologies in its going private transaction.
- Represented Riverside Construction in its acquisition of substantially all the assets of Bonadiman McCain.
- Represented the Campbell Companies, in connection with the sale of substantially all of its assets to a subsidiary of Building Materials Holding Corporation (NYSE: BLG).
- Represented Fantatech, Inc. in its SEC deregistration and subsequent sale of substantially all of its assets to Shenzhen Youshun Investment Co. Ltd.
- Represented FreeFi Networks, Inc. in a licensing transaction with Buena Vista Video on Demand, Inc., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co.
- Represented Standard Brands Paint Company (NYSE) in its Chapter 11 reorganization and later sale to Corimon S.A.C.A. (NYSE).
- Represented The Art Stores in its sale to an investor group.
- Represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Salick Health, Inc. (NYSE) in its sale to Zeneca Group (NYSE).
- Represented The Cheesecake Factory (NYSE) in its initial public offering.
- Represented The Foothill Group (NYSE) in its acquisition by Norwest Financial (NYSE).
- Represented The Del Monte Group in its financial restructuring.
- Represented The Bank of New York in the foreclosure and later sale of its intellectual property rights to the Skechers and Karl-Kani trademarks to a private investor group.
Honors
Honors
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating, 2022-2023
Mergers and Acquisitions, Legal 500, 2015-2016
Recognized by Daily Journal as "Top 100 Lawyers in California," 2014
Insights
Articles
- Review D&O Liability Insurance Before Bankruptcy To Ensure Its Adequacy, Bowne Digest, February 2004
- Director/Officer Liability in Event of Bankruptcy, ACC Docket 21, no. 10, November/December 2003
Corporate and Securities Law Blog Posts
- "How High Can It Go? What Private Equity Needs to Know about How Professional Sports Leagues’ Rules Impact Sports Franchise Valuations," October 4, 2023
- "Coronavirus and Considerations for Publicly Traded Companies," March 6, 2020
Covering Your Ads Blog Posts
Media Mentions
Practices
Industries
Education
J.D., Loyola Law School, 1992
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1989
Admissions
- California