Matthew J. Bacal
Advises on a wide range of IP, tech, media, sports, data privacy and AI matters. Corporate lead of our Data Privacy & Cybersecurity and AI practices.
Matt advises clients on IP, technology, media and data privacy issues arising in their operations and strategic transactions such as licensing, outsourcing and supply agreements, M&A activities, JVs, financings, restructurings and capital markets offerings. He is also the corporate lead for our cross-disciplinary Data Privacy & Cybersecurity and AI practices.
Matt has extensive experience structuring, negotiating and drafting complex commercial arrangements across a range of industries, including with respect to media and sports rights, content distribution, data use and monetization, cloud services, branding, sponsorship, hardware, software and other technologies. A thought leader, he frequently counsels and presents on questions of copyright and data privacy law, as well as on issues arising in the development, use and commercialization of artificial intelligence.
In his pro bono practice, Matt provides IP and commercial advice to a variety of arts and education-focused nonprofits.
Experience
Tech, Media & Telecom
- Comcast and its subsidiaries on:
- Acquisitions of NBCUniversal, Sky and DreamWorks Animation
- The spinoff of Versant and pending spinoff of NBCUniversal
- The creation and operation of tech-focused JVs, including with Verizon, Charter, Liberty Global and Motorola
- Strategic commercial transactions with suppliers including Broadcom, Cisco, Intel, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Synamedia, Technicolor and TiVo
- Complex SaaS and PaaS arrangements with operators in the U.S. and abroad
- Advice on contract interpretation, copyright law, product design, data privacy and AI
AI & Data Privacy
- Anthropic on:
- A wide range of enterprise customer agreements
- Strategic compute initiatives, including hardware acquisition
- Its multi-gigawatt compute infrastructure partnership with Google and Broadcom
- The formation of Ode
- Its multi-billion senior secured revolving credit facility
- TWG Global on a JV with Palantir Technologies to redefine AI deployment in banking, investment management, insurance and other financial services
- A leading publisher on its licensing of content for AI training purposes
- A leading biopharma company on an AI development collaboration with a major research institution
- A leading provider of financial market data on its AI strategy and related transactions with vendors and customers
- A leading private equity firm on the negotiation of its services agreement with an AI platform provider
- Underwriters on SpaceX’s $75 billion IPO
- A wide array of clients on data privacy, data transfer and AI advisory matters, including the preparation of internal and external policies, DPAs and risk mitigation
Sports
- Comcast on the formation of its various RSNs and related media rights agreements with NBA and MLB franchises
- NBCUniversal on media rights arrangements with various leagues and other licensors
- The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the formation and operation of SportsNet L.A. and related commercial arrangements with Time Warner Cable, Charter and AT&T
- The Professional Women’s Hockey League on media rights and production arrangements for its inaugural season
- The owners of a basketball club on dealings with the NBA and certain NBA franchises
- Team sales and acquisitions, including the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Lakers
- TWG Ticketing (d/b/a RightsHelper) on ticketing services arrangements with various MLB and NBA franchises
- Learfield on its sale to TPG
Insights
News
Recognition
Chambers USA – Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets: Transactional, New York
Education
- Carroll G. Harper Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Intellectual Property Studies
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- magna cum laude
Qualifications and admissions
- State of New York