Steven E. Hurdle Jr.
Partner, Corporate & Financial Services
Steve Hurdle is a partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department and the Entertainment Transactions Practice. Steve advises investors and companies on mergers and acquisitions, strategic relationships and joint ventures, and equity offerings at all stages. Steve’s practice crosses a wide variety of industries, including media, entertainment and technology; real estate; food and beverage; consumer products; aerospace and defense; and professional services.
Among the other industries in which Steve advises clients, he has developed particular experience helping celebrities, entertainment companies and sources of capital in business formation, fundraising, investing, and business combination transactions. He has represented television production companies, film studios, digital and post-production companies, content distributors, music publishers, talent management firms, talent agencies, business management firms, influencers, professional athletes, musicians and other public personalities, and regularly provides cutting-edge counsel to clients at the forefront of the entertainment industry.
Steve also advises innovative technology startups and their founders and investors, and has extensive experience working with entrepreneurs creating new digital media technologies that disrupt the way content is created, consumed and monetized.
Experience
- Variety
- Dealmakers Impact Report: 2018, 2021-2022
- Legal Impact Report: 2021-2023
- Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2022-2024
- Daily Journal, Top 40 Under 40, 2019
- Legal 500 US, M&A: Middle-Market, 2019-2021
- Super Lawyers,
- Southern California Rising Star, 2014-2022
- Southern California Super Lawyers, 2024
Prior to joining Willkie, Steve was a partner and deputy chair of the Capital Markets & Corporate Department at Loeb & Loeb LLP.
His experience includes the following representative transactions*:
- Represented Talespin, a spatial learning company, in its sale to Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in learning and talent experience solutions.
- Represented ACF Investment Bank in its sale of a majority stake to The Forest Road Company.
- Represented Sister, a global content production and development company, in its minority investment in Unanimous Media Holdings, the production company founded by Stephen Curry.
- Represented Nintendo voice actor Charles Martinet in connection with his appointment as Mario Ambassador
- Represented Jeremy Renner in connection with his acquisition of an ownership interest in Sweet Grass Vodka
- Represented North Road Company, a global content studio founded by Peter Chernin, in the acquisition of leading Turkish film and TV producer Karga Seven Pictures
- Represented the producers and principals of Venture 10 Studio Group in connection with the roll up of Venture 10 Studio Group into V10 Entertainment, Inc., a newly formed company backed by Clarion Capital Partners, and the acquisition of a majority stake in Vin Di Bona Productions and Fishbowl Worldwide Media, the producers of the America’s Funniest Home Videos franchise.
- Represented Natalka Znak, a multi-award winning TV producer who has created some of TV's biggest hits such as Hell's Kitchen, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and international hit format Love Island, in the sale of her reality TV production company, ZnakTV
- Represented Station 6 Productions in connection with its partnership with Blue Ant Studios to develop and produce non-scripted series and premium documentaries
- Represented Sneaker Con, a leading sneaker authenticator, in the sale of its sneaker authentication business to eBay
- Represented Benny and Rafi Fine, the founders of React Media, whose popular YouTube franchises built around reaction videos include React, People vs. Food (formerly Replay) and Try Not To, in the sale of React Media to Electric Monster Media
- Represented ReserveBar, the established leader in premium spirits ecommerce, in its acquisition of Minibar and related capital raising transactions
- Advised M ss ng P eces in its sale to Tribeca Enterprises, the parent entity of the Tribeca Film Festival
- Provided transactional advice and guidance in connection with Element Partners, LLC’s acquisition of the poker-related business and assets, including the entities comprising the World Poker Tour, from Allied Esports Entertainment
- Represented media executive David Nathanson in connection with his investment in Game Taco, a premier skill-based mobile platform that enables gamers to compete for fun and cash prizes, and Game Taco’s acquisition of WorldWinner, a pioneer in skill-based offerings
- Advised SuperDraft, Inc. in its common stock investment from Caesars
- Represented Kyocera Corporation, one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers and mobile phones, in its acquisition of SLD Laser
- Represented media mogul Elisabeth Murdoch in her launch of Sister, a global production and development company
- Advised Sister, an independent global studio, in connection with investments in SpingHill Entertainment, Zando, Artists, Writers & Artisans, among other companies
- Represented Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, creators of groundbreaking television series “Black Mirror,” and their company, Broke and Bones Studios, in a transaction with Netflix
- Represented unscripted television producer Blackfin in its sale to Entertainment One
- Represented investors in a $46 million financing round for video game developer Cloud Imperium Games
- Represented David Raysse, founder of athletic footwear company BRANDBLACK, in the acquisition of the assets of BRANDBLACK from Skechers
- Represented New York-based nonscripted production company Big Fish Entertainment, creator of Live PD, in its sale to MGM
Credentials
Education
University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, J.D., Editor, UCLA Law Review, Managing Editor, Journal of Law and Technology University of Southern California, B.S. (summa cum laude)