EFA Partners/Union Entertainment deal
Cosying up to offer industry consulting and finance advice.
NEW YORK/ATLANTA/LOS ANGELES - February 16, 2010
EFA Partners, an entertainment financial advisory firm based in New York and Atlanta comprised of three former top executives of GE Capital’s entertainment group, announced a strategic alliance with Union Entertainment, a videogame talent management and production company based in West Hollywood, CA.
The EFA/Union alliance expands the reach and capacity of each company. As the videogame industry grows, videogame developers and publishers, movie studios, licensors and others in the business of creating and exploiting games will be seeking experienced financial advisors and capital sources who understand the industry. The EFA/Union partnership is intended to help connect Union’s extensive network of established and emerging game business clients and contacts with EFA’s broad spectrum of financial services, acumen and relationships.
The videogame business thrives on highly skilled and creative people driven by their desire and ability to create games and to see them successfully distributed. The shared goal of EFA and Union is to help videogame developers, publishers and others to identify capital and investment sources, to maximize cash flow, and to increase overall efficiency in the game development, marketing and distribution process.
“In the always-expanding range of game platforms, distribution channels and consumers, EFA provides truly valuable assistance to videogame-related companies on such matters as positioning within the market, tailored financing solutions, and more”, says EFA co-founder, Kenny Favre. “The game world, like other highly competitive entertainment sectors, can only benefit by expanding its financial arsenal and we have the experience and the contacts to help make that happen.”
“EFA’s expertise in creating presentations that detail investment opportunities, building comprehensive cash flow models and negotiating key financing documentation terms, coupled with Union’s comprehensive knowledge of the game business, creates a formidable combination and a unique opportunity for Union to expand its range of services to its clients,” says Union President and founder, Richard Leibowitz.
About EFA
EFA Partners is an advisory and financial consulting firm focused on providing highly specialized financial services to middle-market and emerging companies in select entertainment sectors. The group’s focus is on providing advice related to raising capital, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and general business strategy. EFA’s offices are located in New York and Atlanta. EFA was founded by Ralph Willis, Brandt Gully and Kenny Favre, three former executives of GE Capital’s entertainment group, who collectively have over 40 years of experience in the field and have closed and/or managed more than $3 billion in entertainment transactions.
About Union Entertainment
Founded in 2003, Union Entertainment is a talent management and production company specializing in videogames. Based in West Hollywood, CA, Union has been instrumental in designing, packaging, writing, developing, and/or producing for commercially and critically successful videogames that span all platforms and genres, including Tony Hawk Ride, Wanted, The Darkness, Real Heroes: Firefighter, The Red Star, Dead to Rights and many more. Union is also a producer of feature films, including two in development at Fox and one at Lionsgate.
Ralph Willis, Partner, EFA Partners, LLC
Office: (646) 216-2042
Cell: (203) 451-9313
Richard Leibowitz, President, Union Entertainment, LLC
Office: (310) 274-7040
Cell: (310) 980-6426