Steve Scharf is a partner in O’Melveny’s Century City office and transactional co-head of the Firm’s Entertainment, Sports and Media Practice. Steve focuses on entertainment and media finance, production and distribution of motion pictures, the purchase and sale of entertainment companies and the formation and capitalization of entertainment companies. A substantial part of his practice involves motion picture financing transactions including banking transactions, joint ventures, securitizations, structured financings, tax shelter financings, and equity investments.
In the debt and equity areas, Steve represents both lenders and borrowers, investors and offerors in transactions for the financing of studios, partnerships, film slates, and individual motion picture productions. Steve has represented studios, investment banks, mezzanine lenders, hedge funds, and offerors in connection with a number of motion picture structured financing transactions.
Steve has also negotiated a number of multiple-picture and single-picture distribution agreements as well as the purchase and sale of a number of film and television libraries. Steve regularly works on a number of international motion picture financing transactions in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and China.
Professional Activities
Law Clerk, Honorable Fred J. Cassibry, US District Court, District of New Orleans
Lecturer, "Entertainment Industry Transactions," Stanford University Law School (1984-1991)
Speaker, Inaugural Film Finance Forum China, Shanghai (June 2013); "Working on Co-Production and Co-Financing Partnerships in Asia," International Film Finance Forum, Singapore (June 2011); "Changing Dynamics of Film Financing and Production," MBA Media & Entertainment Conference, New York (February 2011); "Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose - Will International Finance or Something Else Replace Wall Street Film Investment," 33rd Annual UCLA Entertainment Law Symposium, Los Angeles (March 2009); "Motion Picture Finance & Private Capital Markets," International Film and TV Finance Summit, Los Angeles (February 2008)
Honors, Recognized by The International Who’s Who of Sports & Entertainment Lawyers as one of the “Most Highly Regarded Individuals” in the area of Sports & Entertainment (2013); named to the Daily Journal's Top 100 Leading California Lawyers (2012); named by Variety as one of “50 Game-Changing Entertainment Attorneys” (Legal Impact Report, June 2012); named "Leading Lawyer in Media" by Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Media Lawyers (2012); named one of "Southern California's Best Lawyers" (2012); named a "Power Lawyer" by The Hollywood Reporter ESQ (2007 - 2014); named a Legal500 recommended lawyer for Finance: Bank Lending – National (2008, 2009); named a "Super Lawyer" in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published in Los Angeles magazine (2005 - 2014); named one of America's leading 25 individual's in EuroGuide's Best of the Best USA (2009); named a leader by Chambers in Entertainment and Media Transactional Law (2007 - 2014); named "Leading Lawyer in Media" by Guide to the World's Technology, Media & Telecommunications Lawyers (2008); named in Best Lawyers in America—Entertainment Law (2010 - 2015); named a Variety Dealmaker (2009, 2010, 2011)
