Sean McFarlane

Gibson Dunn advised Dextra Partners, a multi-strategy private equity firm focused on the middle market, as lead investor in a continuation vehicle for Ethos, a St. Petersburg, Florida-based provider of tech-enabled insurance claims investigation and medical management solutions. The continuation vehicle is managed by Carousel Capital, with Carousel Capital Partners VI providing a significant investment alongside Dextra Partners.~~Our corporate team was led by partner A.J. Frey and included partners Sean McFarlane and Edward Sopher and associates Nicolette Fata and Aidan McNamara. Partner Daniel Zygielbaum and associate Galya Savir advised on tax. Partner Bradley Smith advised on antitrust.~~Download PDF~~

Feb 4

1 min

Buyouts~~New York partners Shukie Grossman, Co-Chair of our Investment Funds Practice Group, and Sean McFarlane and associate Kate Timmerman participated in a keynote interview with Buyouts for its 2024 Secondaries Special Report and discussed the increasing popularity of the secondaries market—including current trends, challenges, and regulatory scrutiny—and shared their outlook for the short and long term.~~Shukie noted that “…because GP-leds have be­come so interesting, many sponsors that have traditionally focused on rais­ing buyout funds are now raising sep­arate funds dedicated to investing in these vehicles. That is testament to the popularity of GP-leds, and as we see more dedicated capital raised, we can look forward to deployment driving more activity in this area.”~~Regarding the evolution of GP-led secondaries transactions, Sean observed that “[w]here historically RWI only covered standard fundamental rep­resentations and maybe a few knowl­edge-qualified reps for portfolio com­panies, today’s buyers’ market has driven demand for better protections. Insurance has provided a solution to streamline processes.”~~“We expect the GP-led mar­ket to become busier after a volatile few years, with more players en­tering the market and doing more sophisticated deals, both in terms of deal constructs and the documentation required,” Kate predicted. The full article is available here [PDF].~~Download PDF~~

Jun 4

1 min

Gibson Dunn advised Thmanyah Publishing and Distribution Company (Thmanyah), a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group, on entering into a media rights agreement with the Saudi Professional League, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and the First Division League. The agreement will grant Thmanyah exclusive broadcasting rights for four sports tournaments — the King’s Cup, Saudi Pro League, Saudi Super Cup, and First Division League — and commercial exploitation across the Middle East and North Africa for a six-year term (2025–2031). The transaction is valued at SAR 2,320,000,000 (approximately $619 million USD).~~Our team was led by partners Sean McFarlane and Megren Al-Shaalan and included associates Lojain AlMouallimi, Charlie Peskowitz, and Sloane Ruffa.~~Download PDF~~

Mar 2

1 min

Lawdragon~~Lawdragon has named 18 Gibson Dunn lawyers to its list of 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers. The publication notes that as “Hollywood rearranges itself, athletes are becoming influencers and sports betting is butting up against regulations, lawyers are at the center of it all, protecting brands, advising on ownership rights and investments, and heading off legal and reputational risk for globally recognized individuals.”~~Congratulations to: Brian Ascher, Richard Birns, Ted Boutrous, Lee Crain, Stefan dePozsgay, Michael Dore, Sarah Graham, Taylor Hathaway Zepeda, Jillian London, Kevin Masuda, Sean McFarlane, Benyamin Ross, Ilissa Samplin, Matthew Schwartz, Orin Snyder, Maurice Suh, Katie Townsend, and Steve Tsoneff.~~Download PDF~~

Feb 20

1 min

Lawdragon~~Lawdragon named 16 partners to its inaugural 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers 2025 guide, which honors “lawyers at the forefront of one of the hottest practices around – advising those who shape what we view, read and admire.”~~The partners recognized are Brian Ascher, Richard Birns, Theodore Boutrous, Stefan dePozsgay, Sarah Graham, Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda, Jillian London, Kevin Masuda, Sean McFarlane, Benyamin Ross, Ilissa Samplin, Matthew Schwartz, Orin Snyder, Maurice Suh, Katie Townsend, and Steve Tsoneff.~~Download PDF~~

Mar 7

1 min