Photo Credit: Live Nation
Live Nation’s longtime legal chief, Michael Rowles, will exit in November following the government’s antitrust litigation against the company.
In November, Live Nation’s longtime legal chief, Michael Rowles, will step down from his position and into a senior legal advisory role. He will be replaced on November 2 by Da-Wai Hu, who spent ten years in-house at Amazon and currently serves as general counsel for pet products retailer Chewy.
Earlier in Hu’s career, he practiced corporate law at Sullivan & Cromwell and Paul Weiss and served as a federal appellate law clerk. He has a law degree from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.
Rowles joined Live Nation in 2006; his tenure spans almost the entire history of the company as an independent public business and predates the 2010 merger with Ticketmaster—and years of subsequent antitrust scrutiny.
Live Nation’s announcement arrives at a heightened moment of consequence for the company, which is still addressing the fallout from the antitrust verdict against it and seeks approval for a separate settlement with the Department of Justice. Earlier this year, a federal jury ruled in favor of state attorneys general regarding antitrust claims against Live Nation, which the states continued to pursue after the Justice Department settled its portion of the case.
The verdict against Live Nation came after the Justice Department reached a separate settlement with the company a month prior, which blindsided even Live Nation’s own attorneys arguing the case. The Justice Department’s proposed settlement remains subject to federal court review under the Tunney Act. This agreement would impose new restrictions on ticketing exclusivity, as well as require Ticketmaster to create infrastructure to allow qualifying competing marketplaces to distribute some primary tickets.
Meanwhile, the states that prevailed at trial have asked for major remedies to address continuing antitrust concerns, including the divestiture of Ticketmaster, sales of Live Nation-owned amphitheaters, and restrictions on exclusivity agreements. Live Nation continues to contest the verdict and has asked the court to enter judgment in their favor despite the jury’s findings or grant a new trial altogether.
Hu arrives at the company during a major crossroads, with a lot of uncertainty on the horizon for Live Nation. Rowles will remain inside the company during much of that process as a legal advisor—a smart move rather than cutting ties altogether with the attorney who has helmed its legal department for 20 years.