Latham & Watkins Advises KKR in US$1.1 Billion Acquisition of Kobalt Capital’s Music Rights Portfolio

KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Kobalt Capital Limited (Kobalt Capital or KCL) have announced that KKR, together with its co-invest partner, Dundee Partners, the investment office of the Hendel family, have purchased the KMR Music Royalties II portfolio (Fund II or the Portfolio) from KCL for approximately US$1.1 billion. The Portfolio is comprised primarily of music publishing copyrights for established works and includes a diverse collection of over 62,000 copyrights by highly acclaimed artists and songwriters across Pop, Rock, Dance, Hip Hop, Country, and other genres. Kobalt Music Publishing will continue to administer and service the works in Fund II under a multi-year agreement.

Latham & Watkins LLP represented KKR in the transaction with a cross-border corporate deal team led by New York partner Justin Hamill, London partner Kem Ihenacho, and Chicago partners Jonathan Solomon and Nathan Davis, with associates Julian Azran, Anika Amin, and Amrita Ahuja. Advice was also provided on structured finance matters by New York partner Kevin Fingeret and Chicago partner Ellen Marks, with associate Maeve Chandler; on entertainment, sports & media matters by Century City partner Jonathan West and London partner Lisbeth Savill, with associate Rachael Astin; and on tax matters by Bay Area partner Katharine Moir.