Lee Kolodny’s practice is focused on corporate law, with a concentration in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships, development and construction projects, strategic alliances, project finance, finance, securities and cross-border transactions.

Mr. Kolodny has experience representing sovereign, publicly held and privately held clients in a wide variety of transactions over a wide range of industries, with a focus on media and entertainment, development and construction projects, resort and hospitality, gaming, and consumer products.

Mr. Kolodny’s transactional experience includes representations involving mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, development and construction projects, live events, production agreements, television rights agreements, content distribution agreements, debt and equity offerings, joint venture agreements, credit facilities, construction financing, venture financing, talent agreements, licensing and sponsorship agreements and a wide variety of other corporate and commercial contracts and relationships.  He also advises clients in connection with corporate governance, securities laws and general corporate matters.

His recent representations include advising—

• a California Indian tribe in its $300 million restructuring of Rule 144A bonds
• the developer of a hotel and gaming resort in the Southeast United States it its $50 million senior secured project financing
• a California Indian tribe in connection with refinancing a $75 million senior secured credit line
• an Arizona Indian tribe in connection with its $30 million tax exempt bond offering to improve and expand infrastructure projects  
• a consortium of private equity funds in the restructuring of over $300 million of debt issued by a California Indian tribe
• a sovereign investment fund in a $100 million investment in a global entertainment company
• the acquirer of interest in an international entertainment and sports production company in a transaction valued at over $3 billion  
• a Southern California based solar energy developer in its restructuring and the negotiation of a $10 million minority investment
• the manager of a an international motorsports venue in connection with the development and construction of the venue and the promotion, production, hosting and implementation of numerous international motorsports and other live events
• the owner/developer in a $100 million waterfront development project in the Middle East
• a government entity in a $4 billion infrastructure project for the provision of national defense systems in the Middle East
• an event promotion and production company based in the Middle East in the negotiation of corporate, vendor, partnership and service agreements and talent agreements with world-class, international artists
• a government cultural and heritage institution based in the Middle East in the negotiation of event production, television production, concert production, sponsorship and advertising agreements
• a United States event promotion company in a joint venture with an entity based in the Middle East  for the establishment of a yearly music festival featuring world-class, international artists
• a publicly traded national radio and broadcast company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in a leveraged buyout valued at US$27 billion
• a major movie studio in the structuring and documentation of a US$2 billion public securities offering
• investment banks and private equity funds in over US$1 billion of securitized film slate financings for major movie studio and the negotiation and documentation of the related senior, mezzanine debt and equity investment instruments
• a private equity fund in connection with a $80 million mezzanine debt facility to a Washington Indian tribe
• a private equity fund in connection with a $50 million subordinated notes offering to a Washington Indian tribe
• a California Indian tribe in its $145 million tax exempt bond offering and $50 million credit facility to finance the expansion of its hotel and resort property
• a New Mexico Indian tribe in its $200 million Rule 144A bond offering and $50 million bridge loan to finance the construction of a hotel, casino and resort property
• a New Mexico Indian tribe in its negotiation of a $30 million federally guaranteed loan
• an Oklahoma Indian tribe in a $70 million placement of senior secured notes to finance the construction and opening of an initial gaming facility
• an Oklahoma Indian tribe in its $40 million credit facility to construct a gaming facility
• sovereign issues in over US$750 million of lending transactions, including senior secured credit facilities, mezzanine loans, equipment loans and bridge loans
• sovereign issuers in over US$500 million in 144A and tax exempt offerings to finance construction of casino and resort properties
• a consumer services company in its US$500 million sale to a private equity fund listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
• a major movie studio in the sale of its 50% interest in a cable network for US$225 million and the negotiation and structuring of a joint venture with the purchaser
• a major movie studio in a US$150 million joint venture with four other major movie studios to form a company delivering on-demand movies over the Internet
• an acquisition corporation in its tender of a publicly traded personal computer manufacturer in a transaction valued at US$140 million
• a private equity fund in its US$130 million mezzanine and subordinated notes investment in a sovereign borrower
• an entertainment production company in its negotiation of a US$100 million credit facility to finance the acquisition and production of motion picture and television programs
• an entertainment services company in its US$60 million sale to a private equity purchaser
• an entertainment services company in its US$30 million sale to a publicly traded strategic purchaser listed on the New York Stock Exchange
• an entertainment production company in its US$25 million credit facility to finance the acquisition of motion picture, television and music revenue participations
• a publicly traded quick-service restaurant company in its US$31 million sale of a national fast-food franchise owned by a consumer services company listed on the New York Stock Exchange
• the audit committee of a national radio broadcast company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr. Kolodny taught Mergers and Acquisitions as an adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School for a number of years and is a frequent panelist and speaker on a wide variety of topics, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, financing transactions, Indian gaming and the representation of sovereign entities. Mr. Kolodny dedicates a substantial portion of his time to pro bono efforts.  Mr. Kolodny currently serves on the board of directors of Upward Bound House, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit founded in 1991 to eliminate homelessness among low-income seniors and families with minor children. 

Mr. Kolodny serves as the hiring partner for the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Mr. Kolodny is a member of the State Bar of California.