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Peter Zern

Partner

Washington +1 202 662 5679

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Peter Zern’s practice focuses on the sports industry where he represents clients in a wide range of matters including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings and media, sponsorship, naming rights, apparel and other commercial matters. Peter also has extensive experience in negotiating and structuring mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financings outside of the sports industry.

    Within the sports industry, Peter regularly counsels sports leagues and governing bodies such as MLB, the NBA, NFL, NHL and UFC, the US Olympic Committee, the American Athletic Conference and a range of others in connection with acquisitions and other team transactions, debt and equity financings, stadium construction and renovations and a range of governance matters. In addition, Peter regularly works with these clients on media rights and sponsorship transactions as well as a host of other commercial transactions.

    In addition to league work, Peter also regularly advises teams, team owners and prospective owners and investors in connection with acquisitions and divestitures, financings, media rights and commercial matters. He represents both lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured financings.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Represented Steve Ballmer in connection with his acquisition of the Los Angeles Clippers, and represented Christopher Cohan in connection with the sale of the Golden State Warriors NBA franchise.
    • Represented the RAINE Group in connection with its structuring and creation of the “Reigning Champs” investment platform, and represented Reigning Champs in a range of acquisitions and related matters in the youth athletics space.
    • Represented the National Football League in connection with various league and team financings, including its league-wide term note and revolving credit facility programs and in its “G-3” and “G-4” stadium funding programs.
    • Represented a major New York-based mezzanine finance institution in the structuring and negotiation of a range of mezzanine financing transactions and in the acquisition of the name and likeness rights to a major soccer star, and represented a separate New York-based bank in connection financings to professional NBA franchises and arena companies.

    • Represented MLB, the NBA, the NHL, the USOC, the American Athletic Conference, the Atlantic 10 Conference and others in connection with the negotiation of their national media rights agreements, and represented Turner Sports in connection with its acquisition of rights to the NCAA “March Madness” men’s basketball tournament in partnership with CBS.
    • Represented Major League Baseball in the launch of The MLB Network, including the negotiation of joint venture arrangements with distributors for ownership of the channel and with WWE in the launch of its “over-the-top” network offering.
    • Represented the NHL in connection with the license of its digital rights and related properties to MLB Advanced Media
    • Represented Contech Engineered Solutions (formerly Contech Construction Products) in its recent recapitalization, including implementation of new equity ownership and long term financing of both first lien and second lien debt, and in a number of M&A transactions, including its acquisitions of Imbrium Systems Corp., Thompson Culvert Company, Plateau Pipe Company and the Hanson Company.
    • Represented JLG Industries, Inc. in its $3.2 billion merger into Oshkosh Truck Corporation, its acquisition of Omniquip and Delta Manlift, its disposition of Gradall Industries, a public offering of $125 million of common stock, private placements of $125 million senior notes and $175 million senior subordinated notes and its $200 million senior secured credit facility.
    • Represented Avid Technologies in negotiation of multiple financing arrangements, Joy Global, Inc. in negotiation of multiple terms and revolving credit facilities as well as an acquisition finance facility, collectively totaling over $1 billion in debt, and represented Patagonia in negotiation of its current credit facilities.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1998
        • magna cum laude
        • Order of the Coif
    • Dartmouth College, A.B., 1995
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    Pro Bono
    • Representation of an Independent Advisory Committee, chaired by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, in connection with its examination and recommendations regarding the governance of the US Olympic Committee.
    Accolades
    • Chambers USA, Sports Law (2008-2021)
    • Best Lawyers in America, "Washington Sports Lawyer of the Year" (2014, 2016)
    • Best Lawyers in America (2012-2022)
    • LawDragon 500 Leading Lawyers (2013-2014)
    • Law360, Rising Stars (2013)
    • Legal 500 US, Sports (2014-2017) and M&A/Corporate and Commercial (2015)  
    • Washington DC Super Lawyers, Entertainment & Sports (2014-2020)
    • Washington DC Super Lawyers, "Rising Star" (2013)
    • SportsBusiness Journal
      • Power Players: Outside Counsel” list in its highest tier, “Chairman’s Club” (2016) 
      • Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame (2012)
      • Forty Under 40 (2008-2009, 2012)
    • Washington Business Journal, 40 Under 40 (2010)

    Areas of Expertise

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