Professional Experience
Mr. Conner has more than 25 years of experience in the entertainment and media industries. He has served as chief outside entertainment counsel for several major film studios and television networks and numerous film and television production and distribution companies, and as lead counsel in several large finance, distribution, and M&A transactions for one of America’s largest financial institutions, and a major Wall Street hedge fund.
Mr. Conner advises clients through the entire life cycle of film, television and new media assets. Over the course of his career, he has restructured the production and distribution of a multi-billion dollar television franchise, closed half-billion dollar feature film finance/production/distribution deals and international television production and distribution deals, output and broadcast deals, as well as deals for the acquisition of companies and film and television assets.
Mr. Conner has represented film and television industry clients, as well as financial institutions and hedge funds, in equity and debt finance deals, licensing deals, and agreements with major talent, and has served as production counsel for a wide variety of feature films, as well as television series, specials, and longform productions.
Prior to joining Manatt, Mr. Conner was a partner at Dickstein Shapiro LLP, where he served as the head of the firm’s Entertainment Law Practice.
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1980.
Editor, Harvard Law Review.
Occidental College, M.A., 1978.
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., summa cum laude, 1976.
UCLA Student Body President
Representative Matters
Representation of America’s largest investment banking company in the structuring of its private equity division’s joint ownership of the "CSI" television franchise, and the transfer of international distribution rights and operations for this industry-leading TV franchise.
Representation of a major film studio in the structuring and negotiation of multi-film co-finance agreements, and international distribution agreements related to the co-finance structure.
Representation of a major television network in the structuring and negotiation of production and licensing agreements for the network’s late-night programming lineup.
Representation of America’s largest investment banking company in the structuring of its private equity division’s sale of the entity owning international distribution rights to a 7,500-title film and television library, including the option and share purchase agreement, as well as the original letter of intent and term sheet for the transaction.
Representation of one of the world’s five largest international independent film distributors in the negotiation of a 700-title film library distribution agreement, as well as a multi-year output and international distribution agreement.
Representation of a large film and television distribution company in the structuring of its investment in a film slate vehicle, its acquisition of important distribution rights in slate films, and the creation of a co-finance and co-distribution arrangement intended to cover a large and diverse assortment of feature films and television content.
- Representation of a large hedge fund in the restructuring of its mezzanine debt position in a film production company, including rights in film collateral and profits waterfalls from the films.
Memberships & Activities
Admitted to practice in California.
Member, Los Angeles Community College Board, 1981-1997.
President, California Community College Trustees, 1992-1993.
Honors & Awards
Profiled in Variety’s "2009 Dealmakers Impact Report," a prestigious annual feature that identifies 30 key dealmakers - studio executives, producers, managers, agents and lawyers - who are making things happen in the entertainment industry.