Richard Petretti is a Partner in the Firm's Los Angeles and San Diego offices and a member of the Commercial Finance practice group. Mr. Petretti counsels clients on a broad range of financing transactions, with a particular emphasis on the media and entertainment industry. His extensive experience includes handling syndicated loans, leveraged acquisition financings, recapitalizations, DIP financings, exit financings, and a broad array of other financial and capital markets products, such as letters of credit, repurchase agreements, forward purchase contracts and secured notes. He also has experience representing debtors, creditors, agents for lender syndicates, and investors in complex restructurings, workouts, bankruptcies and acquisitions of troubled companies.

Mr. Petretti's media and entertainment experience includes secured and unsecured film, television and music financings, production and acquisition facilities for slates and single-pictures, library financings, music catalog financings and financings for companies providing services to the entertainment industry in lending, debt restructurings and corporate matters. Mr. Petretti advises banks and other major financial institutions as well as major studios, mini-majors, independent film companies, joint ventures and special purpose entities.

His finance practice also extends beyond the entertainment world, with extensive experience representing clients across a broad range of other industries and asset classes, including financial services, healthcare, satellites, undersea fiber optic cables, hospitality, aviation, shipping, energy, chemicals and infrastructure. Transactions often involve complex Intercreditor or cross-border issues. Mr. Petretti has always enjoyed new product development.

Prior to practicing law, Richard did graduate work focusing on the Law of the Sea and the interplay between ocean policy and the law, as well as working briefly with a consulting environmental engineering firm.

Bar Admissions
California

New York

Education
New York University School of Law, J.D.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, S.M. in Ocean Engineering

Princeton University, B.S.E. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences, cum laude

"The Reel Deal: Film Financing Legalities and Challenges,"