Simpson Thacher is representing Sony Music Publishing in its acquisition of the complete music rights portfolio of Recognition Music Group from funds managed by Blackstone. The deal is in partnership with the investment venture announced earlier this year between GIC and Sony Music Group, on which Simpson Thacher also advised, focused on acquiring and growing high‑quality music catalog assets across genres and international markets.
The transaction will see Sony Music Group acquire Recognition’s entire catalog of works, encompassing over 45,000 songs performed by many of the world’s most renowned artists, including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Chic’s “Good Times,” Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This),” Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” among many others.
The Simpson Thacher team includes Keegan Lopez, Marni Lerner, Jack Larkin, Natasha Kandi and Kaitlyn Greening (M&A); Alec Jarvis and Joana Li (Tax); Niels Jensen, Ben Persina, Jordan Holtz, Jesse Feng and Benjamin Woollett (Credit); Alysha Sekhon, Isabella Gonzales and Margerite Blasé (Intellectual Property); and Jeannine McSweeney and Joshua Stephens (Executive Compensation & Executive Benefits).