Practices
Industries
Education
- J.D., University of Southern California, 1978
- S.B. (Computer Science and Engineering), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975
- S.B. (Management), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975
- S.B. (Mathematics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975
Admissions
- California
Overview
Thomas Leo is a partner in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in the firm's Century City office.
Areas of Practice
Mr. Leo focuses on entertainment finance, secured transactions and commercial law.
Mr. Leo has extensive experience representing motion picture studios, production companies, distributors, lenders and cofinanciers in all types of motion picture and television financing transactions, including multipicture production, financing and distribution arrangements; revolving credit production finance facilities; rights acquisition financings; complex secured distribution arrangements; television license financing and securitization facilities; entertainment-related merger and acquisition financings and working capital lines of credit; complex intercreditor and interparty arrangements; and entertainment finance generally.
Mr. Leo also represents corporate clients outside the entertainment industry in their borrowings under syndicated secured and unsecured credit facilities.
Honors
- Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers, 2007-2019
- Southern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2006-2018
- Top Leading Media and Entertainment Lawyers, Chambers & Partners, 2006-2015
- The U.S. Best of the Best: Technology, Media and Communications, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
Experience
Transactional Experience
Syndicated secured and unsecured credit facilities regarding clients both within the entertainment industry and in other industries as borrowers, ranging from $100 million to $500 million.
Film fund transactions representing U.S. major studios, senior lenders, mezzanine financiers and film funds
Multipicture production, financing and distribution arrangements between production companies and distributors (including major U.S. studios), with production funded through bank funding, distributor funding and various combinations of the two, including related financing, secured transactions and intercreditor arrangements
Financings of mergers and acquisitions of entertainment companies through senior bank debt, issuances of senior notes and other financings
Production financing revolving lines of credit for film production companies
Rights analyses for acquisitions of major motion picture rights
Commercial law aspects of strategic entertainment transactions
Thought Leadership
Articles
- An Economic OverviewJUST, November 1, 2009
- Chain-of-title issues that may arise in the acquisition of rights for the production or development of a motion picture, video game or work dependent upon rights in copyright.Daily Journal, September 29, 2009
- Chain-of-title issues that may arise in the acquisition of rights for the production or development of a motion picture, video game or work dependent upon rights in copyright.Daily Journal, September 22, 2009
- July 20, 2006
Media Mentions
- Corporate Counsel, September 4, 2015
- January 27, 2003
Speaking Engagements
- Panel Presentation: Entertainment and Intellectual Property Issues in Bankruptcy Beverly Hills Bar Association, June 25, 2015 (Speaker)
- "An Overview of Motion Picture Co-Production Deals: China-Korea Co-Production Treaty," Busan International Film Festival, October 5, 2014
- 2014 Bloomberg International Film & TV Finance Summit Los Angeles, CA, March 19-20, 2014 (Conference Co-Chair, Panel Moderator, Presenter)
- 2013 Bloomberg International Film & TV Finance Summit New York, NY, December 2-3, 2013 (Conference Co-Chair, Panel Moderator, Presenter)
- 2013 Bloomberg International Film & TV Finance Summit Los Angeles, CA, March 21-22, 2013 (Conference Co-Chair, Panel Moderator, Presenter)
- 2012 Bloomberg International Film & TV Finance Summit Los Angeles, CA, March 22-23, 2012 (Conference Co-Chair, Panel Moderator, Presenter)
Events
- Intellectual Property Issues in Bankruptcy: Assumption and Assignment, Distinctions Between Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks, Distressed Acquisitions and How to Protect Your IPSheppard Mullin New York, June 11, 2013