Gibson Brands, Inc. Leads 50 Million Funding to Venue Group LLC

We represented Gibson Brands, Inc., an iconic American manufacturer of guitars and professional audio equipment based in Nashville, Tennessee in connection with their investment in Venue Group LLC.  Venue Group is a leading creator, developer and operator of music venues and hospitality offerings founded by Ben Lovett of Mumfod & Sons.

The $50 million financing was led by Nat Zilkha and Gibson Brands, with participation from the music industry including from C3 Presents, Irving Azoff and Oak View Group, Mike Luba and Don Sullivan, Justin Kalifowitz and Andrew Bergman, Coran Capshaw, Ron Laffitte, Lucy Dickins, Adam Tudhope and Tom Windish, and musicians Ryan Tedder, Maggie Rogers and Ted Dwane. With this funding Venue Group will be able to expand its team and venue portfolio in the United Kingdom and across the United States.

The team was led by Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys Tatjana Paterno and Davis Mello and included attorneys David Venturella (corporate); Tommy Gossett (real estate); Philip Lewis (tax); Lymari Cromwell (labor and employment); and Jason Lewallen (debt and finance).

The transaction was highlighted in several media outlets, including:

Venue Group creates hospitality concepts across the world that are built on the power of experience. Their spaces celebrate the boundary-pushing, genre-defying and one-of-a-kind by bringing culture and community together.

Bass, Berry & Sims has significant experience representing buyers and sellers in both public and private company strategic transactions, as well as extensive familiarity in structuring private equity acquisitions and financings. We have served as counsel to national, major middle-market private equity funds and portfolio companies in more than 100 transactions across a myriad of industries in the last two years. Our work has earned the firm honors in national industry outlets, including being named Law Firm of the Year in 2021 by The M&A Advisor. We’ve consistently been recognized by The M&A Advisor for our deal work, most recently winning the Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $100MM) and M&A Deal of the Year ($50MM to $75MM) in 2021. In addition, the firm has been listed in leading league tables, including being ranked as #15 Most Active in U.S. Private Equity and #5 Most Active in Healthcare PE (PitchBook 2021). To learn more about our team, industry experience and value-add, click here.

We represented Gibson Brands, Inc., an iconic American manufacturer of guitars and professional audio equipment based in Nashville, Tennessee in connection with their investment in Venue Group LLC.  Venue Group is a leading creator, developer and operator of music venues and hospitality offerings founded by Ben Lovett of Mumfod & Sons.

The $50 million financing was led by Nat Zilkha and Gibson Brands, with participation from the music industry including from C3 Presents, Irving Azoff and Oak View Group, Mike Luba and Don Sullivan, Justin Kalifowitz and Andrew Bergman, Coran Capshaw, Ron Laffitte, Lucy Dickins, Adam Tudhope and Tom Windish, and musicians Ryan Tedder, Maggie Rogers and Ted Dwane. With this funding Venue Group will be able to expand its team and venue portfolio in the United Kingdom and across the United States.

The team was led by Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys Tatjana Paterno and Davis Mello and included attorneys David Venturella (corporate); Tommy Gossett (real estate); Philip Lewis (tax); Lymari Cromwell (labor and employment); and Jason Lewallen (debt and finance).

The transaction was highlighted in several media outlets, including:

Venue Group creates hospitality concepts across the world that are built on the power of experience. Their spaces celebrate the boundary-pushing, genre-defying and one-of-a-kind by bringing culture and community together.

Bass, Berry & Sims has significant experience representing buyers and sellers in both public and private company strategic transactions, as well as extensive familiarity in structuring private equity acquisitions and financings. We have served as counsel to national, major middle-market private equity funds and portfolio companies in more than 100 transactions across a myriad of industries in the last two years. Our work has earned the firm honors in national industry outlets, including being named Law Firm of the Year in 2021 by The M&A Advisor. We’ve consistently been recognized by The M&A Advisor for our deal work, most recently winning the Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $100MM) and M&A Deal of the Year ($50MM to $75MM) in 2021. In addition, the firm has been listed in leading league tables, including being ranked as #15 Most Active in U.S. Private Equity and #5 Most Active in Healthcare PE (PitchBook 2021). To learn more about our team, industry experience and value-add, click here.