BCLP advises EEP on investment in Venezia Football Club

BCLP advised Entrepreneur Equity Partners (EEP) on the upsizing of its investment in VFC NEWCO 2023, LLC, which owns the Venezia Football Club (VFC), an Italian professional football (i.e., soccer) club based in Venice. VFC currently competes in Italy’s top division, Serie A. The additional investment was completed on May 1 and makes EEP’s investment vehicle the largest outside shareholder of VFC.  

EEP is led by principals Tim Leiweke, Francesca Bodie and Keegan McDonald. Bodie was named the club’s first female president and becomes the only woman to hold that position currently in Italy’s top division, Serie A. 

Widely viewed as a leading figure in international sports, Leiweke has overseen championship-winning teams in MLS, the NBA and the NHL and has been instrumental in creating several of the world’s top sports and entertainment destinations.  

Bodie is an experienced sports and entertainment executive who previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Oak View Group, where she led global venue development, investment and strategic partnership initiatives, bringing significant expertise in infrastructure and growth strategies. 

McDonald is a sports finance executive who previously served as President of M&A and Development at Oak View Group, where he led strategic investments, capital raising and transaction execution, supporting EEP’s investments through his experience in complex, global sports transactions. The invested funds will be used for growth across the new stadium construction in Bosco dello Sport and provide increased investments in players.  

This is the most recent high-profile deal handled by members of the firm’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Group.  BCLP is one of three law firms in the world recognized by Chambers & Partners as leaders in sports law in both the US and the UK. 

BCLP represents 31 NHL teams, over 20 Premier League, La Liga, Championship and other international football (soccer) clubs across seven countries, and various teams in Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL and Major League Soccer. The group has handled some of the largest naming rights and sponsorship deals in history, top sports and event financing deals, significant M&A transactions, high-stakes litigation and arbitrations and various stadium, arena and mixed-use venue development matters for sports clients.  

EEP’s legal advisory team is led by Kaley A. Rickert (Corporate Transactions & Sports, Media and Entertainment, Denver). The BCLP deal team advising EEP on its investment in VFC was led by Aaron M. Lang (Corporate Transactions, Los Angeles/New York), Robert M. Crea (Fund Formation, San Francisco), Rickert and Grant Atwood (Corporate Transactions, St. Louis).