Latham & Watkins partner Bruington is a finance attorney specializing in entertainment, sports and media transactions. Her clients include Hollywood financial investors, producers, distributors and networks, completion bond companies and guilds.
Her recent deals have included advising Content Partners LLC on the financing aspects of its January 2017 acquisition of Revolution Studios from Fortress Investment Group for nearly $400 million and longtime client Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. last year in its five-year, $1 billion revolving credit facility arranged by JPMorgan Chase & Co. with a syndicate of lenders.
"The deal gave MGM a huge infusion of available capital for them to be able to execute on their strategic initiatives," Bruington said.
Evolving technology platforms have changed the landscape for entertainment companies and their investors, meaning attorneys like Bruington need to stay on-trend to help clients assess risk.
"The changing delivery of long- and short-form content on mobile devices is the most significant trend we're seeing," she said. "We need to see how the traditional investors in the space can get comfortable. We have the opportunity to do a deal that's never done before."
Bruington has been with Latham & Watkins since 2014, after eight years in the entertainment, sports and media group at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, the last two and half years as a partner. A graduate of Cornell Law School, she shifted her practice area from traditional corporate finance to media financing after a move from New York to Los Angeles.
It was a chance to practice law in an area she found interesting as a consumer of TV and movies and an avid sports fan, she said.
"I think it's a cliché that if you love your job you'll be good at your job," she said. "I didn't set out to be an entertainment lawyer, but I followed my interests and it's led to a very satisfying career. Everyone's path is very different."
- Jennifer McEntee
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