Most significantly, however, is how much the digital media landscape has changed this past year. Think about it. Not a week goes by without some massive billion dollar plus deal (or rumored deal) in the world of convergence -- where the promise of content meeting technology to create “magic” is finally coming of age. Facebook/Oculus Rift. Disney/Maker Studios. Apple/Beats. Google/Twitch. Yahoo!/RayV.
Who has time to sleep?
But, that’s the point! All of us in the midst of this maelstrom should feel energized to be in the midst of it all -- not knowing exactly where it is going, but adding our own individual ingredients to push it slightly more this way than that.
We are in the midst of transformative engagement.
That’s our Year 1.
So, it's not so much that we are celebrating ourselves (although, it’s always good to fete landmark occasions). Rather, think of it more like we are celebrating the fast-transforming eco-system all around us. The transformative eco-system that, yes, can be daunting at times -- but which, at the same time, is full of massive opportunity with active engagement, experimentation and good old-fashioned creativity, innovation, tenacity and hard work.
(But, for those of you who want a more “traditional” Year 1 anniversary pronouncement, here it is ....)
MANATT DIGITAL MEDIA MARKS FIRST YEAR WITH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, ENGAGEMENTS WITH LEADING INNOVATORS, EXPANDED BUSINESS CONSULTING TEAM AND RECOGNIZED THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
· Firm Emerges as Innovative Market and Recognized Thought Leader in Providing Diversified Professional Services and Deep Industry Connections With Growing Client Base of Innovators
· Manatt Digital Media Demonstrates Industry Expertise and Commitment With Significant Strategic Investments And Leadership in Prominent Digital Media Events
LOS ANGELES, CA — May 21, 2014 — Manatt Digital Media, a fully-integrated professional services division within Manatt, Phelps & Philips, LLP, today announced that within its first year, it has established itself as a leader in digital media and technology through the growth of its client base, strategic expansion of its business consulting team, and by providing overall thought leadership and connections in the worlds of media, entertainment, advertising and technology.
Since May 2013, Manatt Digital Media has engaged with and invested in high-visibility digital media and technology companies, including leading multichannel network DanceOn; innovative content-driven and social media-focused companies MovieLaLa, If You Can and Vadio; market-leading ad-tech companies Ninja Metrics, Trailerpop, StrikeAd and eXacly.me; and data-driven company Adomic.
“Manatt Digital Media is servicing players who are redefining the space through innovative technology and entirely new digital media business models,” said T. Hale Boggs, chairman of Manatt Digital Media. “We are gratified that in the course of a single year, Manatt has built a strong name for itself and emerged as a formidable influential player in Los Angeles — the entertainment and digital media center of the world — as well as other key digital media and investment hubs, such as New York City, San Francisco and Palo Alto.”
“Our aim is to disrupt the traditional professional services approach to bring differentiated real-world entrepreneurial and operational digital media and technology insights to our clients through our wealth of expertise, relationships and venture capital experience,” said Peter Csathy, CEO of Manatt Digital Media. “We embrace disruptive new technologies and seek to empower our clients to be market leaders who further differentiate themselves from competitors by leveraging their innovative ideas as significant new business models and revenue streams.”
Key to its innovative approach, Manatt Digital Media has built a uniquely diversified team to provide its clients the industry’s most comprehensive and meaningful digital media professional services. As one example, the firm recently deepened its business consulting team by hiring leading consulting expert Eunice Shin, who brings more than 18 years of experience and deep relationships and connections in the media and entertainment industries. The firm’s expertise in content and intellectual property at the heart of digital media also separates it from all other consultancies, along with its unique combination of expertise in social media policy, privacy and data security.
“Today’s digital media world is interconnected and incredibly fast-paced, and it demands a bold and creative approach to professional, business consulting and legal services,” said Boggs. “With the growth of our client portfolio and the widely specialized executive team across legal, business and venture capital, we are building on the firm’s recognized legal experience to offer a full spectrum of world-class professional services, and we’ve seen that model benefit our clients of every size and every stage of development. We are not aware of any other organization that coherently ties together these capabilities in the digital media, entertainment or tech worlds.”
In addition to its growing team and clientele, Manatt Digital Media is widely recognized by top-tier media for its thought leadership and industry expertise. The company has hosted a number of high-level industry meet-ups and participated in several key industry events in the past year:
· Manatt Digital Media Meet-Up — As part of Manatt Digital Media’s focus on supporting innovative entrepreneurs in digital media companies big and small, elevating new ideas, and creating a network of beneficial relationships in the digital media industry, the company hosted a number of exclusive Digital Media Meet-ups in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The events brought together a select mix of entrepreneurs, media company executives, artists, financiers, and key industry press and thought leaders.
· UCLA Entertainment Symposium — Csathy participated as a moderator at the March 2014 UCLA Entertainment Symposium on its multichannel networks panel in the days preceding the recent acceleration of M&A activity in that space. The panel, titled “Multi-Channel Networks & Other New Premium Video Players — Their Impact on (& Opportunity for) Hollywood,” featured high-level executives of major players in the field, including Machinima, ICM Partners, Fox Networks and YouTube.
· Siemer Summit— In October 2013, Manatt Digital Media sponsored the Siemer Summit, an invitation-only event that drew more than 500 of the most influential leaders in digital media and emerging technologies from around the world. Manatt Digital Media also provided joint funding to the winning startup of the Siemer WaveMaker Award’s Best in Show, which awarded the startup with the most innovative platform that was most poised for growth. The company will return as a leading sponsor in 2014.
· Digital Entertainment World Expo — Manatt Digital Media sponsored Digital Entertainment World Expo in February 2014. The company served as the main sponsor of the 2014 DEW Startup Competition. Of the total prize, the winner received a $25,000 investment from Manatt Digital Media in the form of a convertible note, as well $25,000 of professional and business services from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.
“Our active involvement in the digital media space keeps us attuned to the leading ideas and technologies that drive the industry forward,” Csathy added. “As we continuously deepen our relationships among key digital media players and develop, sponsor and participate in major events — not just at the heart of content creation in Los Angeles, but around the world — we are ensuring that our clients are the first to know about critical trends and disruptive, innovative technologies and how they can positively impact their business.”
About Manatt Digital Media
Manatt Digital Media is a full-service digital media platform created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, whatever the size or stage of the company, from startup to growth-stage to mature public companies. Manatt Digital Media uniquely offers a one-stop shop of professional services that is grounded in the legal and business experience of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, one of the world’s most respected law firms in the media, entertainment and advertising industries. Manatt Digital Media offers its clients differentiated value and impact in multiple forms and across the life span of their companies — from venture capital to strategic relationship building and artist access to business consulting and creative deal-making, including content licensing, distribution and M&A. For more information, visit www.manattdigitalmedia.com.
About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation's leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.
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