Overview
Nate Sussman is a transactional attorney who advises companies and well-known individuals on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters.
Nate’s wide-ranging practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, securities regulation, debt and equity financings, and intellectual property transactions. His clients have included Berkshire Hathaway, Intel Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Universal Music Group and Oaktree Capital Management. He also serves as trusted counsel to several of the world’s most notable founders, investors, entrepreneurs and executives for advice on business, philanthropic and personal matters.
In addition to his broader practice, Nate advises clients on the diverse array of legal issues that arise in connection with artificial intelligence. He serves as co-chair of Munger, Tolles & Olson’s Generative AI Task Force and is a frequent public commenter on AI and the law.
Before joining MTO, Nate worked in the Business Affairs Department of Warner Bros. Television Studios and in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s Cyber Crime Division.
Nate graduated first in his class from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where he also served as executive articles editor on the Southern California Law Review. During law school, Nate completed an externship with the Honorable George H. Wu of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and participated in USC Gould’s Small Business Clinic.
Capabilities
Experience
Mergers, Acquisitions, Investments and Joint Ventures
Intel Corporation in the $9 billion sale of its NAND memory-chip business to SK Hynix.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in its multi-staged acquisition of Pilot Flying J, then one of the largest private companies in the United States.
Sean Parker in his transformative investment in Stability AI, a pioneering creator of generative AI models.
A subsidiary of Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A. de CV (FEMSA) in a number of strategic acquisitions.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company in its $973 million sale of transmission tower wireless licenses to SBA Communications.
An investment partnership in its acquisition of a significant ownership stake in a Major League Baseball team.
A social media company in its entry into a joint venture to develop and scale AI-driven products and services.
Corporate Governance and Securities Regulation
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in a range of public-company governance and securities law matters.
Jack Dorsey in Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, Inc.
KB Home in a range of public-company securities law matters.
The James Campbell Company, a real estate company created by the heirs to the Estate of James Campbell, in governance matters.
Numerous well-known founders and executives in connection with complex public-company governance, capital structures, disclosure matters and succession planning.
Public and Private Financings
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in registered public bond offerings for proceeds of over $13 billion in U.S. and foreign currencies.
Edison International in registered public offerings of its common and preferred stock.
Oaktree Capital Management in a private issuance of debt securities for approximately $200 million.
The Yucaipa Companies, an investment fund controlled by Ronald Burkle, in establishing and managing secured bank credit facilities for over $200 million.
Intellectual Property and Commercial Counseling
Intel Corporation in patent-licensing matters, technology transfers, and research and development partnerships.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in its loan of Thomas Gainsborough’s 18th century masterpiece, “The Blue Boy,” to The National Gallery, London.
Quince.com, an online retailer, in a range of marketing, logistics and other commercial partnerships.
A quantitative hedge fund in protecting its trade secrets and outlining a legal strategy for deploying proprietary artificial intelligence programs.
A non-profit biomedical research institute in licensing transactions and sponsored research collaborations with for-profit entities.
An entertainment company in outlining a non-fungible token (NFT) strategy for licensing and enforcing its copyrights and trademarks.
Leading content-streaming services in connection with commercial partnerships and consumer agreements.
A global social media platform in collaborating with celebrities and influencers to design and market products in e-commerce.
A distinguished resort brand in registering and protecting its trademarks.
An international SaaS provider in negotiating its services, license and data protection agreements with customers.
Additional Experience
Numerous well-known founders, investors, entrepreneurs and executives in a range of private wealth matters spanning philanthropy, compensation, personal security, domestic contracts, and the acquisition and disposition of specialty assets.
Several of the world’s largest family offices in connection with their formation, structure, management, operations and transactions.
Oaktree Capital Management in connection with the structure and management of its investment fund complex.
BDT & MSD Partners in connection with the structure and management of its advisory and investment businesses.
A financial sponsor in its launch of a private, closed-end real estate fund with approximately $160 million in committed capital.
iHeartMedia companies in a debt-exchange restructuring transaction to reduce iHeartCommunications, Inc.’s $5.2 billion of debt by approximately $500 million.
More
Publications
- “Generative Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations for Attorneys” in Thomson Reuters’ eDiscovery for Corporate Counsel (2024, 2025 and 2026 editions)
- “Patentability and Ordinary Skill in the Age of AI,” Daily Journal, with Zachary M. Briers, 2025
- “What Delaware Corporate Law Rework Means for Founder-Led Companies,” Law360, with Andrew D. Garelick and Cy Emeka Ray, 2025
- “FTC Issues Final ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule, Imposing New Requirements for Negative Option Programs,” MTO Client Alert, with Rose Leda Ehler and Michael X. Wei, 2024
- “Trade Secret Law and AI: Navigating Emerging Risks and Legal Implications,” Daily Journal, with Miriam Kim and Vincent Y. Ling, 2024
- “Two Open Questions as Generative AI Spreads Through the Legal Industry,” Bloomberg Law, 2024
Speaking Engagements and Interviews
- Quoted, “Moelis Case Hangs on Top Court’s Take on ‘Void vs. Voidable’,” Bloomberg Law, 2025
- Quoted, “Moelis Claims Invalidated Pact was Always Legal in Delaware Law,” Bloomberg Law, 2025
- Interviewed, “Inside Delaware ‘Billionaire’s Bill’ [Q&A],” Corporate Compliance Insights, with Andrew D. Garelick, 2025
- Presenter, “Generative AI: Benefits and Challenges,” Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), MCLE Video, 2024
Academic Research
- “A Behavioral Theory of Robot Rights,” Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal 32 (2023): 113-1350.
- “Chinese Legalism (法家) and the Concept of Law,” Jurisprudence 13, no. 3 (2022): 393-420.
- “Quick Thinking: How Einstein Did (and Did Not) Refute the Ether Frame of Reference,” Synthese 199 (2021): 5995-6008.
- “On Immigration, Information, and the New Jurisprudence of Federalism,” Southern California Law Review 93, no. 1 (2019).
