Linda Giunta Michaelson

Linda Michaelson is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and served as the Practice Group Leader for more than five years. She serves on the firm’s Executive Committee, and is based in the firm’s Century City office. Linda spent two years in the firm’s London office, from 2011-2013. 

Areas of Practice

Linda's practice focuses on the representation of companies involved in corporate transactions primarily in the entertainment and media, technology, fashion and apparel, renewable energy, and healthcare industries. Linda represents major motion picture studios, television networks, independent production companies, media companies, investors and other institutional entertainment, media and convergence clients in strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and other corporate finance transactions around the world.

Linda represents public and private companies in a variety of corporate transactions including formation planning, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, public and private equity and debt offerings, corporate governance, executive employment and compensation structures, and relationships among shareholders, among other general corporate matters. Linda's clients range from individuals and privately held companies to publicly-traded corporations.

Activities

Chair of the Board of Bet Tzedek (April 2022-2024)

Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Bet Tzedek, a pro bono legal services organization (2011-present)

Member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Transactional Law and Practice at Emory University School of Law (2018- present)

Member of the Diversity Committee of Sheppard Mullin (2007-2018); Member of the Century City Office Diversity Committee (2019-present)

Member of the Compensation Committee of Sheppard Mullin (2006-2013)

Experience

Representative Transactions

Represented Playground Productions as an investor in Range Media Partners latest funding round. The investor group, which was led by Forest Road Asset Management LLC and accompanied by Playground’s investment, includes Liberty Global affiliates and an investment fund advised by Wildcat Capital Management, as well as Rick Hess.

Represented Sony Pictures Entertainment in the joint venture between its subsidiary Pure Flix and Great American Media.

Representing Lions Gate Entertainment in the acquisition of the film and television business of eOne.

Represented Crunchyroll LLC, an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., in its acquisition of anime online superstore Right Stuf.

Represented Sony Pictures Television in its acquisition of Industrial Media, one of the foremost independent nonfiction production companies whose portfolio includes “90 Day Fiancé,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol.”

Represented Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. its acquisition of the Pure Flix SVOD service.

Represented Lions Gate Entertainment in connection with its acquisition of the vast majority of Spyglass Media Group’s feature film library of approximately 200 titles and 20% investment in Spyglass.

Represented Media Services in its sale to Cast & Crew.

Represented The Works Entertainment (producers of The Illusionists) in its sale to Cirque du Soleil.

Represented 101 Studios in its formation and financing.

Represented Lakeshore Entertainment in the sale of the film library of Lakeshore Entertainment Group to Vine Alternative Investments.

Represented The Immigrant in an investment by Fremantle Media and Bron Ventures.

Represented the entity formed by Robert Attermann, Neal Altman, Brian Cho, and Adam Bold in its acquisition of Abrams Artists Agency.

Represented Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF) in its joint venture with Point Grey Pictures, its acquisition of Good Universe Media, its acquisition of an equity stake in Pilgrim Media Group, LLC, its acquisition of the Modern Entertainment library of film rights and its acquisition of Artisan Entertainment.

Represented Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. in its sale of certain Southeast Asian networks, in the sale of a majority interest in Crackle, Sony Pictures Television’s online video-on-demand (VOD) platform, to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and the creation of a new streaming video joint venture Crackle Plus, and its acquisition of Embassy Row, LLC.

Represented Levity Entertainment Group in its acquisition of interests in the comedy club brand, The Improv.

Represented TBS in a joint venture with Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and Team Coco, with respect to television, digital and other media.

Represented Redone, LLC in the sale of a minority interest to Style Capital S.g.R.

Represented Cavalry Media in its formation and financing.

Represented Starlings Capital in its formation and financing.

Served as U.S. counsel to Kew Media Group in its acquisition of Content Media Corporation, and Essential Quail Media Group.

Represented Tang Media Partners in its acquisition of a majority interest in IM Global, LLC.

Represented The Gymboree Corporation in the sale of its Play & Music business to Zeavion Holding PTE Ltd.

Represented VPD, IV, Inc. in its sale to Ingram Entertainment.

Represented Edelman in its joint venture with United Talent Agency to form United Entertainment Group.

Represented Relativity Media in its joint ventures with EuropaCorp Films and  B4U.

Represented Asylum Entertainment in its acquisition by Legendary Entertainment.

Represented Elder Statesman in its sale of equity to an affiliate of Chrome Hearts.

Represented Banijay Entertainment SAS in its acquisition of a majority stake in Stephen David Entertainment LLC.

Represented dick clark productions inc. in its joint venture with The Miss America Organization.

Served as US counsel to Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment plc in the sale of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (World Poker Tour) to Our Game International Holdings Limited.

Represented MicroFocus International plc in its acquisition of certain assets from Progress Software.

Represented Booster Media in its acquisition of the Hallpass Media web game network firm SGN Games, Inc.

Represented a joint venture of media and technology companies formed to develop and deliver video on demand and interactive services.

Represented Splash News & Picture Agency in the sale of its assets to Corbis Images.

Served as Entertainment counsel to Comcast in connection with its multi-billion dollar acquisition of NBC Universal.

Honors

Top Dealmakers of 2023, The Hollywood Reporter, 2023

Top 100 Lawyers, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2023

Women of Influence: Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2021

Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2020

Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2019-2025

Named in Variety's Dealmakers Impact Report, 2018, 2016, 2019, 2021-2022, 2024

Top Entertainment Attorney, Variety's Legal Impact Report, 2017, 2019-2021

Named in Variety’s Women's Impact Report, 2016, 2022

Media, Technology and Telecoms, Legal 500, 2017-2024

Mergers and Acquisitions, Middle Market, Legal 500, 2016, 2018, 2020-2023

Mergers, Acquisitions and Buyouts, Legal 500, 2014

Named a "Best Lawyer" for Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures & Television, Best Lawyers of America, 2018, 2022

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, “Venture Capital in Entertainment: Exploring Innovative Features and Trends,” Trusted Advisor LA Technology Summit, Los Angeles (June 2023)
• Moderated panel on Digital Media Investing, Presented at Digital Entertainment World (February 2011)
• VC Funding - The Inside Scoop on the Valley, presented at Bootlaw in London (October 2012)
• New York Fashion Week - "Fashionable Mergers: What you need to know about Mergers and Acquisitions" (February 2011)
• Moderated panel on digital distribution at Winston Baker Film Finance Forum on March 3, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA (March 2010)

Events