Nancy Barker

Nancy Barker counsels clients in the media and entertainment industries regarding the production, financing, distribution and licensing of film, television, music and other intellectual property assets.

Ms. Barker has extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions in the entertainment sector, as well as on equity and debt financings, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, investments and transactions involving the use of intellectual property and other media assets across platforms. In addition, she counsels industry clients regarding day-to-day corporate and compliance matters as well as regulatory and labor and employment issues.

Notable transactions include:

• Embracer Group, a video game and entertainment conglomerate, in its acquisitions of:
  • the intellectual property rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, including related movie, TV, video game and ancillary rights
  • Dark Horse Media, one of the largest independent comics companies in the U.S.
• AGBO, the production company of Joe and Anthony Russo, in the sale of a major stake to gaming company Nexon at an enterprise value of $1 billion and several follow-on equity financings
• United Talent Agency and Klutch Sports Group in the acquisition of REP 1 Baseball
• United Talent Agency in its acquisition of The Curtis Brown Group, a U.K.-based literary and talent agency
• 300 Entertainment, a music label representing artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Gunna, in its sale to Warner Music Group
• Athletes First, a sports management firm, in the sale of a majority stake to MASTRY Ventures and General Catalyst
• PLBY Group, the owner of the Playboy brand, in its acquisition of Dream, a social content platform

She maintains an active pro bono practice and also serves as chair of the Los Angeles Immigration Impact Project, where she assists on asylum applications, U Visa and T Visa cases and employment authorizations, among other immigration-related matters.

Additionally, Ms. Barker represents Skadden’s Asian and Pacific Islander Affinity Network on the Los Angeles office’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee.