Hollywood dealmaker Tom Ara has left regulation agency DLA Piper after greater than six years for a brand new gig main Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ L.A.-based leisure, sports activities and media apply.

Ara’s apply focuses on home and worldwide transactions throughout leisure, sports activities and media, representing purchasers in M&A and financing transactions together with private-equity companies, traders, sovereigns, lenders and debtors. Moreover, Space has suggested leisure corporations worldwide on strategic offers and company and industrial transactions, representing billions of {dollars} of transactions for media properties and main sports activities media rights, amongst different offers.

“Tom brings excellent expertise counseling each main leisure and media corporations in addition to non-public fairness companies and different traders of their strategic ESM transactions,” Weil govt companion Barry Wolf stated in an announcement. Michael J. Aiello, chairman of Weil’s company division, added, “Tom is a results-driven lawyer with deep connections and expertise advising leisure and media purchasers in high-stakes transactions. His contributions will probably be important as we give attention to unlocking new alternatives for our purchasers on this dynamic house.”

Tana Ryan, managing companion of Weil’s L.A. workplace, stated about Ara, “His management will probably be instrumental in shaping the expansion of our ESM apply, guiding purchasers throughout movie, tv, music, publishing and sports activities transactions whereas increasing our capabilities in rising areas like gaming and digital media.”

At DLA Piper, Ara was international co-chair of the agency’s media, sport and leisure group. His purchasers included Apple TV+, TikTok and Korean online game maker Smilegate Holdings.

“I’m very excited to be becoming a member of Weil’s top-tier non-public fairness group because the agency continues to develop its presence in California and within the leisure, sports activities and media house typically,” Ara stated in an announcement. “Becoming a member of Weil is a novel alternative to mix my leisure, sports activities and media experience with the agency’s market-leading non-public fairness capabilities.”

Ara’s becoming a member of the agency comes on the heels of Weil’s hiring in February of sports activities, media and leisure lawyer Steve Argeris as a companion within the U.S. Non-public Fairness Group, based mostly in Weil’s Washington, D.C., and New York places of work.