Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP today announced that Michael Kuh and Eric Geffner have joined, and Matthew Carpenter-Dennis will join, as Partners in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Mike and Eric will serve as Co-Heads of the Firm’s Sports group as part of its Sports, Media and Entertainment Practice.
“The sports landscape continues to evolve, and we are seeing significant momentum from our alternative asset manager clients who are expanding their investments into multi-club platforms, real estate and infrastructure assets, and adjacent experiential businesses,” said Alden Millard, Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “Mike, Eric and Matt are well known for their industry and business expertise spanning game-changing deals involving alternative asset managers. We are excited to welcome them to the Firm.”
“Sports has become an increasingly active frontier in M&A, and this team will provide clients with unparalleled insight into the commercial, operational and investment dynamics shaping the global sports industry, as well as seamless transactional execution,” said Eric Swedenburg, Global Head of Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. “Mike and Eric have quarterbacked several prominent and complex sports transactions from private practice, while Matt brings an insider edge honed through his years at the NBA, making them ideal additions to our preeminent global M&A team.”
“Today’s sports deals require more than just traditional league navigation. They require a sponsor’s mindset and the ability to stitch together multi-asset solutions and related financing,” said Mike Kuh. “Simpson Thacher’s renowned M&A, funds, financing and tax capabilities, combined with its premier alternative asset manager client base made joining the Firm an easy decision.”
“Rising valuations and an active sponsor landscape are fueling strong interest in a rapidly evolving sports industry that has considerable room to run. I am excited to join the Firm and help clients achieve their business goals within the sector,” said Eric Geffner.
Matt Carpenter-Dennis said, “During my time at the NBA, I have witnessed first-hand the unprecedented growth and increasing complexity of the sports industry. Simpson Thacher’s collaborative culture and enterprise mindset make it the ideal platform to help clients pursue opportunities across the industry—where the best outcomes demand creativity, strategic vision and sector-savvy execution.”
Michael Kuh, who is based in New York, advises corporate clients, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals, venture capital firms, financial investors, emerging companies and principals on high-stakes mergers, acquisitions, investments and divestitures, as well as operating and commercial matters, across the sports and entertainment industry. He is the go-to counsel for some of the world’s most prestigious sporting organizations, including teams, leagues, national and international governing bodies of sport, and multinational competitions.
Eric Geffner, who is based in Los Angeles, advises private companies and investors in M&A, dispositions, co-investments, joint ventures and other corporate matters, with a focus on sports, entertainment and media. His work includes representing professional sports teams with day-to-day business operations, equity financings, sponsorship deals, licensing deals and stadium and practice facility deals, among other matters. He also represents individuals, groups and private equity firms on investments in, and acquisitions of, major professional sports teams around the world, including expansion teams.
Matthew Carpenter-Dennis, who will be based in New York, brings more than a decade of experience at the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he most recently served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. He has overseen NBA team ownership transactions, capital structuring, arena financings and arena lease negotiations and played an important role in drafting the rules to allow private equity investors to take stakes in NBA teams. He was also responsible for managing the legal affairs of the NBA’s strategic and corporate development initiatives, including the establishment of the Basketball Africa League and NBA 2K League and the formation of NBA Investments, the NBA’s corporate venture capital arm. He served as Secretary for NBA Africa, the NBA Foundation and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.
For decades, Simpson Thacher has been a trusted advisor on many of the most significant sports, media and entertainment transactions. The Firm’s Sports, Media and Entertainment Practice draws on its market-leading M&A, debt and equity finance, investment fund, intellectual property, regulatory and litigation teams to deliver comprehensive, industry-focused counsel. Repeatedly recognized around the world by Chambers, Legal 500, The American Lawyer, Law360 and many others, Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice is an industry leader unrivaled in its reputation and unique in its breadth. The team has advised on many of the most prominent U.S. and international transactions of the past several decades as well as on deals with an aggregate value of nearly $2 trillion since 2020 (Bloomberg).
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