LA Times Names Three Akin Partners Among ‘Banking and Finance Visionaries’
(Los Angeles) – Akin Gump is pleased to share that three of its media & entertainment partners have been recognized by Los Angeles Times in its Banking and Finance Visionaries feature.
Marissa Román Griffith and Alissa Miller repeat their 2022 recognition by the newspaper, and Vanessa Roman joins them among the “experts who have demonstrated continued successes and many accomplishments in the last 24 months, as well as leading their organizations.”
Marissa is noted as one of the few female partners and even fewer senior Latina attorneys specializing in media and entertainment transactions and is characterized as a “recognized groundbreaker and an influential player in the industry.” She is noted as “regularly handling multimillion-dollar deals for financiers, borrowers, distributors, and others involved in various aspects of the production, financing, and distribution of film, television and digital content…” Marissa is also spotlighted as a leader in Akin’s L.A. office, where she sits on the office hiring committee and has served as a senior mentor to the office’s summer associates for more than 20 years.
Alissa, L.A. Times writes, is someone “consistently regarded as being among the entertainment industry’s top lawyers and dealmakers,” recognized both for handling “some of the industry’s highest-visibility deals between independent movie production companies and financial institutions, as well as for her innovative media and entertainment-focused pro bono practice.” She is described as a leader with the firm and industry, taking on the role of partner in charge for the firm’s L.A. office and serving as a “committed advocate for the entertainment industry” during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she led the firm’s cross-practice assistance of a coalition of more than two dozen independent production companies seeking government assistance to counterbalance shutdowns and their effect on the independent content production industry.
Vanessa is noted as an “impactful player” on the firm’s media & entertainment team and throughout the entertainment industry, with seasoned professionals seeking her guidance and advice in finalizing their deals. L.A. Times notes that she has, in the last 18 months, advised clients such as Comerica Bank; MUFG Bank, Ltd.; East West Bank; and Bank of America regarding financing for multiple single-project loans for film and TV projects. Vanessa is also noted as sitting on the board of Female Executives in Media and Entertainment, a nonprofit focused on connecting top businesswomen in media and entertainment with their peers and on mentoring emerging talent.
