Luke R. Ashworth

• ZMC, a leading private equity firm focused on media, entertainment, communications and technology, in various transactions, including:
  • The acquisition of Wpromote, an independent digital marketing agency.
  • The acquisition of Resonate, a provider of A.I.-powered consumer data and intelligence.
  • The acquisition of Simpler Trading, a platform providing interactive online education for individual traders and investors.
  • The acquisition of ITRenew, Inc., a provider of lifecycle management services specializing in data center decommissioning, data erasure and security services.
  • The acquisition of CMI Marketing, Inc. (AdThrive), a leading ad monetization platform for high-quality, mid-sized digital publishers.
  • The sale of ITRenew, Inc. to Iron Mountain valued at US$925 million.
  • The sale of 9 Story Media Group to Scholastic, valued at US$186 million.
  • Various “bolt-on” portfolio company acquisitions, including for AdThrive (Topic / Chia Labs, Inc. and Slickstream), ITRenew (eSISO, LLC and Splitted-Desktop Systems (SDS)), and Simeio (PathMaker Group (PMG)).
• Warner Music Group and its affiliates in various media and entertainment transactions including:
  • The formation of a joint venture with Elliot Grainge’s label, 10K Projects, whereby 10K Projects and its roster of artists (including Trippie Redd and Ice Spice, the latter in partnership with Capitol Records) became a standalone label within the WMG ecosystem.
  • The acquisition of 300 Entertainment and its roster of artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, and Gunna.
  • The acquisition of Doug Morris’ 12Tone Music and its roster of artists.
  • The acquisition of Artist Partner Group and its roster of artists.
• Universal Music Group in various media and entertainment transactions.
• HarbourView Equity Partners, a global investment firm focused on investment opportunities in the entertainment and media space, in its efforts to acquire BET from Paramount Global pursuant to an auction process, including related equity and debt financing matters.
• Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, a portfolio company of The Raine Group, in its sale to Fertitta Capital and certain related transactions.
• The Raine Group, an integrated merchant bank advising and investing in high-growth sectors of technology, media and telecommunications, in the formation of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, including:
  • The acquisition of SuperJacket Productions (“Ridiculousness,” “The Dude Perfect Show,” “Rob & Big,” “Rob Dydrek’s Fantasy Factory,” etc.).
  • The acquisition of Street League Skateboarding, one of the world’s premier street skateboarding competition leagues.
  • The merger into the group of Nitro Circus, one of the leading action sports live event producers in the world.
  • An equity raise led by Causeway Media Partners, a leading growth venture firm.
  • A debt raise led by MidCap Financial, an Apollo affiliate.
• Siris Capital, a leading private firm focused on data, telecommunications, technology and technology-enabled business services companies, in various transactions including the sale of Pulse Secure, LLC to Ivanti, Inc.
• Z Capital Partners, the private equity arm of Z Capital Group, a leading privately held asset manager, in various transactions including:
  • The acquisition of Techniks Tool Group, a leading provider of tool holding and workholding products.
  • The acquisition of CTM Group, Inc., a leading global provider of managed entertainment and souvenir solutions.
  • The acquisition of the NitroSteel and Atmosphere Annealing assets of an affiliate of Gerdau S.A.
• Fundamental Advisors, a leading alternative asset manager dedicated to municipal, public purpose and community assets, in its take-private acquisition of MMA Capital Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMAC) for US$161.7 million.
• EW Group GmbH, a strategic holding company based in Germany, in its acquisition of Hygiena, a leader in food safety and environmental testing solutions, from Warburg Pincus LLC, a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing.
• Shamrock Capital Advisors and its affiliates in various media and entertainment acquisitions and dispositions.
• Entertainment One Limited in the acquisition of unscripted television production company Blackfin.
• Warner Gaming on the sale of its one-half joint venture interest in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City to Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.
• The founders of the Lagunitas Brewing Company in connection with the sale of their remaining equity stake to an affiliate of Heineken N.V.
• GRF Management Company, LLC in the acquisitions by Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLC of substantially all of the assets of WG&S, LLP, Flynn Family Office LLC and Skeet Kaye Hopkins LLP.
• Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman LLP in connection with the sale of substantially all of its assets to a newly created affiliate of Focus Financial Partners as well as its entry into a management arrangement with such affiliate in connection with the sale.
• Advatech Pacific, Inc. in connection with its sale of substantially all of the assets of its Electronics and Communications division to General Dynamics Mission Systems.
• Pacifica, a natural makeup, skincare and perfume purveyor, with a sale of a minority interest to Alliance Consumer Growth.
• General Electric Company and Synchrony Financial in GE’s approximately US$20 billion offer to exchange Synchrony Financial’s common stock for GE’s common stock to complete the separation of Synchrony Financial from GE.*
• Atos S.E. in its US$1.1 billion acquisition of the information technology outsourcing business of Xerox Corporation.*
• Capstone Logistics, a portfolio company of investment funds affiliated with The Jordan Company, in its acquisition of Pinnacle Workforce Logistics.*
• H&R Block, Inc. in a US$1.5 billion modified “Dutch” auction common stock tender offer.*

*Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.