Three Firms Help Launch $1 Billion Music Rights Firm HarbourView

DLA Piper and Sidley Austin are advising HarbourView Equity Partners, a new global alternative asset manager launched by entertainment and media investor Sherrese Clarke Soares, whose mantra is “content is queen.”

Paul, Weiss said it is advising Apollo Global Management, Inc., Apollo clients and funds, which together will serve as lead investors in Newark, N.J.-headquartered HarbourView. The new company is starting with more than $1 billion under management, according to its website.

Soares, a former Morgan Stanley managing director and recently founder and CEO of Tempo Music, will also lead HarbourView. She said in a statement announcing the launch that the company will invest in music copyrights and other media assets, with a focus on content creators.

“At HarbourView, we believe the creators of premier content deserve a seat at the table, creatively and economically, to own their narrative and maximize value for all,” Clarke Soares said.

Bret Leas, Apollo senior partner and global head of structured corporate credit and asset-backed securities, said the investment helps Apollo and its clients make meaningful commitments to growth-oriented intellectual property in the entertainment space.

“Technology platforms continue to democratize content creation and increase consumption, and this momentum creates a new wave of investment opportunities that we think HarbourView will be well placed to capitalize on,” Leas said.