August 17, 2026
Willkie partners Steve Hurdle, Ray LaSoya, and Stephen Lee have been recognized as "2026 Private Equity and M&A Business Visionaries" by LA Times Studios.
Steve Hurdle, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department and the Entertainment Transactions Practice, was recognized for his experience advising celebrities and entertainment companies through business formation, fundraising, and business combination transactions. LA Times Studios highlighted his representations of 32 Flavors and founder Alex Baskin on the sale of a majority stake to Sony Pictures Television; Ben Affleck's AI company InterPositive in its sale to Netflix; and Shadow Lion, the entertainment and marketing studio co-founded by Tom Brady, in its investment from Fox Sports.
Ray LaSoya, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, was recognized for more than three decades of advising private equity investors and portfolio companies on acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, and recapitalizations. LA Times Studios showcased Ray's role in growing Willkie's West Coast private equity practice as the first private equity partner in LA. The profile noted his representations of Shamrock Capital Partners on its merger of CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor and its portfolio company Nth Degree's acquisition of INVNT; Platinum Equity on its acquisition of Czarnowski Collective; and Tru Fragrance & Beauty on its acquisition of Lake & Skye.
Stephen Lee, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, was recognized for his work advising private equity funds, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients on mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, and leveraged buyouts across the aerospace, software, and medical device industries. He regularly represents buyers and sellers in cross-border transactions, including complex acquisitions and divestitures for global private equity funds. LA Times Studios spotlighted his active involvement as a board member and former president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.
View LA Times Studios’ “2026 Private Equity and M&A Business Visionaries” here.
Steve Hurdle, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department and the Entertainment Transactions Practice, was recognized for his experience advising celebrities and entertainment companies through business formation, fundraising, and business combination transactions. LA Times Studios highlighted his representations of 32 Flavors and founder Alex Baskin on the sale of a majority stake to Sony Pictures Television; Ben Affleck's AI company InterPositive in its sale to Netflix; and Shadow Lion, the entertainment and marketing studio co-founded by Tom Brady, in its investment from Fox Sports.
Ray LaSoya, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, was recognized for more than three decades of advising private equity investors and portfolio companies on acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, and recapitalizations. LA Times Studios showcased Ray's role in growing Willkie's West Coast private equity practice as the first private equity partner in LA. The profile noted his representations of Shamrock Capital Partners on its merger of CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor and its portfolio company Nth Degree's acquisition of INVNT; Platinum Equity on its acquisition of Czarnowski Collective; and Tru Fragrance & Beauty on its acquisition of Lake & Skye.
Stephen Lee, partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, was recognized for his work advising private equity funds, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients on mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, and leveraged buyouts across the aerospace, software, and medical device industries. He regularly represents buyers and sellers in cross-border transactions, including complex acquisitions and divestitures for global private equity funds. LA Times Studios spotlighted his active involvement as a board member and former president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.
View LA Times Studios’ “2026 Private Equity and M&A Business Visionaries” here.
