John Frankenheimer
Partner/Chairman Emeritus
Loeb & Loeb, Music Industry Group
Twitter: @Loeb_LoebLLP
POWER MOVE: Helped launch “Nashville” TV series; sale of Criterion Music; sees private equity moves in 2013.
THE RUNDOWN: An attentive fly on the wall of John Frankenheimer’s Los Angeles office would likely learn enough to get a juris doctorate in business law. As founder of Loeb & Loeb’s Music Industry Group, Frankenheimer represented clients across the spectrum — from tiny tech startups and indie imprints to performing legends and major labels.
After spending the last two decades building the practice for Loeb, Frankenheimer and his colleagues aren’t narrowing their diverse range of deals, as evidenced by the Criterion Music sale, launching Gaylord Entertainment’s “Nashville” TV series and the expansion of Bonnaroo producer Superfly Presents. In addition, Frankenheimer himself continues to represent heavyweights Quincy Jones, Warner Music Group and independent label Glassnote Records.
What’s next for 2013? “Renewed interest in the private equity world in the music business,” Frankenheimer says, hinting at another busy year for his firm. “The interest goes in cycles. It got frothy a few years ago, but the high valuations led to a pullback. Now, both institutional investors and wealthy individuals are quietly coming back into the market . . . The more interesting work will be the smaller deals, the rollups and venture funding — there’s a lot of opportunity for people to build viable and important companies.”
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