Ogier's Corporate team advises Fortress on Vice Media acquisition

Ogier has advised Fortress Investment Group on its acquisition of Vice Media Group in a deal valuing the high-profile media company at $350 million.

Fortress led a consortium of lenders, including Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital, in a court-sanctioned asset purchase after Vice filed for bankruptcy in May 2023. The digital media group's assets include Vice News, Motherboard, Refinery29 and Vice TV.

Ogier's Corporate team advised on Jersey and BVI law aspects of the deal. The team was led by Corporate and Finance partners Simon Dinning and Oliver Richardson and included senior associate Chloe Watson-Hill and associate Gayoung McLellan on the Jersey side, and senior associate Robin Burkill on the BVI side. The team also included partners James Angus and Oliver Passmore from Ogier's Restructuring and Corporate Recovery team, while counsel Will Austin-Vautier provided employment law support.

"We were very pleased to advise Fortress on its acquisition of Vice, one of the most iconic brands in news and entertainment. Our team in Jersey was able to provide legal advice covering multiple jurisdictions from the same time zone, and we were able to draw on the experience and knowledge of our colleagues from across disciplines to provide Fortress with a seamless, integrated service," said Oliver Richardson.

Ogier's top-tier Corporate team is renowned in the market for its ability to work on big ticket, complex transactions requiring cross-border expertise. This transaction also demonstrates Ogier's ability to seamlessly provide top level BVI law advice from the European time zone concurrently with Jersey advice.