Finsbury and Sard Verbinnen & Company are working PR for BMG Rights Management’s acquisition of Bug Holdings, a Nashville music publisher with rights to legendary collections and up-and-comers like Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and Kings of Leon.
The parties did not disclose the terms of the deal but Reuters pegged it around $300M.
BMG, a joint venture of Bertelsmann AG and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, tapped Finsbury’s New York office, while Los Angeles-based Bug Holdings’ co-owner Spectrum Equity Investors works with Sard’s San Francisco office.
BMGRM CEO Hartwig Masuch noted Bug’s “vast collection of evergreen and contemporary compositions” in praising the deal.
Bug’s catalogs also include Willie Dixon, Woody Guthrie, Ryan Adams and Iggy Pop. The company also has a joint venture to develop music and writers with songwriter and former “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi.