Andrew Schmerzler

Representative Matters

• Represented a major media and entertainment company in connection with the sale of its studio production facility in Studio City, California, a transaction involving the highest sales price for a studio production facility to date in the United States
• Represented a major media and entertainment company in a series of related transactions involving the exchange of two iconic studio properties, the sale of three office buildings, and the long-term leasing of 800,000 square feet of newly constructed Frank Gehry-designed office buildings, all located in Burbank, California
• Represented the owner of the former Technicolor studios in Hollywood, California in connection with its sale of that property
• Represented a major subscription streaming service and production company in connection with the negotiation of numerous office and production leases, including the largest office lease in Los Angeles County in 2020
• Represented the subsidiary of a public REIT in the negotiation of a joint venture with its investor, a sovereign wealth fund, entered in connection with its acquisition of an oceanfront multifamily project in Santa Monica, California
• Represented a national home builder in the acquisition and development of numerous properties in California and in the negotiation of joint ventures with developers, private equity funds, and investment management firms, representing a total of approximately $750 million in value
• Represented the operator of an entertainment retail center located on the Las Vegas Strip in various matters, including negotiation of amendments to its existing ground lease with the property owner (a major casino operator) and negotiation of numerous subleases with restaurant, bar, entertainment venue, and retail operators
• Represented a major media and entertainment company in numerous transactions, including the acquisition, leasing, and sale of one of its studios and related office facilities in the United States; the sale of its amusement park in Germany; and its retail leasing operations
• Represented a real estate investment fund and an investment advisor in the acquisition and sale of numerous assets in the western United States, including office buildings, multifamily residential developments, and mixed-use developments, for an aggregate transaction value in excess of $850 million
• Represented a global financial services firm in connection with the closing, servicing, and/or workout of numerous debt and equity financings of residential and golf course developments in southern California and Nevada
• Represented motion picture theater exhibitors in the acquisition, leasing, development, and disposition of movie theaters and movie theater chains throughout the United States, including the acquisition of what, at the time, was the highest-grossing theater in the United States, and the disposition of the iconic Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood
• Represented a regional residential homebuilder in Georgia and South Carolina in the sale of its business to a national homebuilder
• Represented the owners of numerous law firms, accounting firms, and other professional service firms in connection with the negotiation of partnership, management, and related agreements

Education

• J.D. UCLA School of Law 1989
• B.A. with honors University of Pennsylvania 1986

Bar Admissions

• California

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association 
• Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association 
• Served as hiring partner and chairman of the Hiring Committee for Venable’s Los Angeles office

• Los Angeles Times, Commercial Real Estate Visionary, 2023
• The Best Lawyers in America, 2023 – 2024
• Legal 500, Real Estate, 2013 – 2016
• Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated

Volunteerism

• Former member, board of directors, The Wonder of Reading
• Former member, board of trustees, Echo Horizon School